Rick Ross - Black Dollar (Mixtape)

RichYung

RichYung

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bigbadbossup2012 said:
DTR
"Maybach Music 2" (featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne & T-Pain)
"Usual Suspects" (featuring Nas)
"Rich Off Cocaine" (featuring Avery Storm)
"Gunplay" (featuring Gunplay)
"Valley of Death"

TD
"Free Mason" (featuring John Legend & Jay-Z)
"Live Fast, Die Young" (featuring Kanye West)
"B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" (featuring Styles P)
"Aston Martin Music" (featuring Chrisette Michele & Drake)
"All the Money in the World" (featuring Raphael Saadiq)

See the difference in greatness

I still bump these so, i'm not impressed with the new project at all
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Uhhhh ok?
 
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bigbadbossup2012

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homiedontplaydat said:
There's more consciousness in it now. He ain't Nas but after listening to Black Dollar I know ross can see what I see. It's esoteric so most people will write it off as just senseless coke tales but Ross spitting some real shyt on this tape if u can feel it. Not everybody will :manny:
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I give him that,but musically it's not an upgrade
 
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bigbadbossup2012

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homiedontplaydat said:
There's more consciousness in it now. He ain't Nas but after listening to Black Dollar I know ross can see what I see. It's esoteric so most people will write it off as just senseless coke tales but Ross spitting some real shyt on this tape if u can feel it. Not everybody will :manny:
Click to expand...
He does slurp alotta jew dikk on this album still. Bigging up massa is not black empowerment. Master P does that much better
 
Insensitive

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CashmereEsquire said:
Would have been Amazing to see Jay and Ross go back and forth on Worlds Finest, but I would assume it would be a tad too "blasphemous"
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The idea is dope though personally what I'd like to see is Ross doing his
own thing. I think all character flaws aside he's a very strong artist and should
be judged without having to ride biggie's coat tails because if I'm being honest here
I feel those are big shoes to feel even with Ross's strong output over the years.

As for "World's finest" I think it was a cool track but I wasn't totally taken aback the hook takes
some of the wind out of the sails for me. Which makes me prefer the original much more, on top of that
I like the way Big/Jay flowed over that track so smoothly. :ohlawd:
I will say hook aside that Ross did a commendable job as did Meek Mill, especially Meek Mill, I feel he kinda smoked
his mentor on that song.

My take :

This is a solid tape.
This is Ross adding some (more ?) personality to his coke kingpin raps.
I mean I won't say it's lacking in grandiose images painted by Ross's pen strokes
but this time there is a layer of self awareness and social consciousness.
This is one of the few times Ross appears to be breaking kayfabe on tracks, I
feel this Mixtape/Album along with a few other tracks in his career give us a glimpse behind
the mythic "Can't be touched/Invincible" or as Ross has so aptly put it in the past "Teflon
Don" like stature that he's built up.

Foreclosures - "These the deals, the deal dealers want to deal to you".
I like it when rappers record records like this, this is that "After the party" introspection
I like to hear from some of my favorites (Jay-Z, Nas, Big etc.). And I don't say that to
put Ross in their company but he's clearly studied the greats and borrows heavily
from them when necessary. Speaking of borrowing, he takes from Wale on this track,
borrows his flow and does pretty damn well with it.

Money Dance - Standard fair Boss track. I kinda don't like how The-Dream breaks into
that pseudo rap but he quickly recovers by going harmonizing.

We Gon Make It - "I told myself so many times, n***a we gon make it !!"
Feels like one long DOPE HOOK ! I think

Bill Gates - Sounds like a "No Limit" record updated for 2015, very bouncy, energetic and
drenched in that 90's dirty south aesthetic.
Ross floats all over this track. One of the better records on Black Dollar.
"All Black Photograph's can speak a million words".

Money & Powder - Ross at his best writing crazy coke fueled luxury.
"Hundred ki's of powder !!!, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A fukkING HUNDRED Ki's OF POWDER ?"


Geechi Liberace - Straight. Head nodder ! "Ex slave, proud feel n***a".
This that ride slow, windows down, summer night/fall night music. illshyt.
I do wish they would've let the drums breath a little more, the machine gun snares
can be distracting. I think they had a solid drum pattern as it is with the hi hats, crashes
and snare.

Icon - A really strong effort with an admirable effort from Anthony Hamilton.
Taking care not to overpower Ross but accentuate his performance.
Anthony was DOPE on this record and Ross came hard.


World's Finest - Dope. A great homage to the original. I feel like this tape (Black Dollar)
clearly takes Ross's various inspirations (Master P/No Limit, Scarface, Jay-Z, Biggie etc.)
and puts them through a modern filter. It's a style and approach that wins more often than
it loses. This song in particular is dope but I feel the hook which is sung takes away from it somewhat.

Meek Mill really stole the show with his verse though IMO.
"Young, black and Intelligent is what they shoulda been tellin us...", it's verses like these
that separate him from his ghost written verse reciting canadian adversary. :mjpls:

Drive a N***a Crazy - I think the title of the track says it all.

This post is getting long so I'll cut it short and go to the outro, I will say the album continues to
bang right on to the end though it hit a slight snag on "Take Advantage".

Dead Rappers - a hard hitting end to the "Black Dollar" album/mixtape.
Soaring choir, dope horn stabs, good drum programming and a wonderful
melodic synth does it's job in the background with a crowd chanting "Rozay" in the background.
Dope song and a great homage to rappers who died before accomplishing their goal.

"Here's a toast to the dead rappers, you got your best quotes from the dead rappers, young n***ga's
doing tours with they dead rappers...." - Rick Ross

If you're looking for an introduction to Rick Ross this is a FINE introduction.
If you're a long time fan/listener then have no fear and download this FREE Album that can
easily hang with big budget, major label projects.
One of the best releases of 2015 hands down, which is saying something because this year
has had some absolute bomb shells.

And if I have to rate it ? 8 to 9 out of 10.
Some issues here and there keep it from being a ten but I feel it's really strong/solid effort
from Ross.
 
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