For me peak Rick Ross was around the timeย Teflon Don andย Rich Forever, nothing heโs released since then has really captured my attention like his earlier work. Heย seemed to hit the same creative wall that so many artists like him have hit before. Theย sound and stylings that were so fresh and novel at the time started to sound outdatedย and tired compared to the changing soundscape around him. Itโs a problem that plagues every artist who have ever reached the metaphorical top and itโs one that only a few have managed to solve. I never thought that Ross would ever be able to reach those heights again, but after hearing a few singles fromย Rather You Than Me, I was hopeful that he could come close.
โWe in the last days, these racist agendas
Blatant double standards because Iโm a nigga
Jesse Jackson on them people payroll (fuck him)
When you black, lips chapped โcause the game cold
Iโm givinโ niggas jobs when I sing songs (letโs go)
White man love me when I get my bling on (nigga)
But you hate me buyinโ real estate in foreign land (what)โ
Rather You Than Me pretty much follows the same formula heโs been employing for the past 5 albums or so. A plethora of luxurious rap beats broken up by a few sprinklings of trap bangers. Itโs a formula that worked very well for him early on his career, but one thatโs become a bit stale and predictable. With that being said, he still does have one of the best ears for production in the game, in particular when it comes to the more decadent productions. โSantorini Greeceโ, โScientologyโ, and โGame Ainโt Based On Sympathyโ are all full of the rich strings and plush horns weโve come to expect from a Ross song. While โTrap Trap Trapโ, โDead Presidentsโ, and โShe On My Dickโ are the aforementioned trap sprinklingsย he went with on the album. Theyโre not outright bad, but they are some of the least interesting offeringsย off the tape and they all feel a bit tired, never coming close to the level of some of his earlier trap classics like โB.M.F.โ
โSacrificinโ half our life for your new music cult
You would give us self esteem and motivate our drive
But was in our pockets by the time we count to five
I pray you find the kindness in your heart for Wayne
His entire life, he gave you what there was to gain
I watched this whole debacle so Iโm part to blame
Last request, can all producers please get paid?โ
Lyrically this is some of his best work sinceย Teflon Don, he really offers up some memorable verses and this is probably the most reflective Iโve ever heard him. โIdols Become Rivalsโ will probably be the song that gets the most attention from people, and rightfully so because he eviscerates Baby and the situation with Lil Wayne; butย thereโs a number of songs off the albumย that had me the most excited Iโve been for a Ross verse in quite some time. He sounds re-energized and with a renewed focus on substance over style, Rather You Than Meย turned out to beย one of his bestย projects in some years.
Have you heardย Rather You Than Me? Whatโd you think about it? Was it a return to form for him? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your rating for the album.
