It’s the same formula he used when his correctional officer past was discovered. By making an album with no weak tracks, Ross forces the hip hop world to take him seriously (as a musician) again. But by doubling down on what he knows best (great beats and mafia boss raps), Ross reassumes his position in the hip hop hierarchy. Simply put, if this album failed, then the Ross run was probably over. Ross and Jeezy both sound right in their element, even if it’s surprising they reconciled (thanks T.I.) In classic Rozay fashion, he ends the song with a homage to Scarface, the film that has driven his entire career.Īlthough the album isn’t perfect, and probably isn’t the best of his career (that’s a tossup between Port of Miami, Deeper Than Rap, or Teflon Don) it is a return to form for Miami’s Biggest Boss. Much credit must be giving to the newest Maybach signee Tracy T, who has a drill sergeant-like hook that gets stuck in your head the first time you hear it. Expect a lot of football and basketball teams to be coming out to this. Using a anthemic beat from Mike Will Made It, this is the song that’s going to be the pump up song of 2014. The other high point, “War Ready”, sees former rivals Ross and Young Jeezy reunite for the first time since DJ Khaled’s “Fed Up” single. It sounds terrible in theory, but it somehow works, and is one of the high points of the album.
Diddy is on the track, talking shit and screaming as if it is a track off of Life After Death, and Ross does his best Biggie impression. French Montana sings the hook, itself a sample of Biggie’s classic “You’re Nobody Til Somebody Kills You”, and the beat samples the song as well. Rozay doesn’t dwell on him being shot at early in 2013, instead through the skit “Shots Fired” and “Nobody” he seems to feel emboldened by the incident and even raps “New Mercedes as it peels off/nothing penetrates my steel doors.” The song itself is maybe the most interesting on the album. Does he actually have 92 million dollars in a Bank of America account? Who knows, but the point is that he’s in this kingpin character that would have that amount of money. We’re so far past the point of what he raps about being conceivable, that it’s endearing when he has the intro on “Drug Dealers Dream” read out his bank account status that says he has over 92 million dollars. But because he is (literally) unbelievable and over-the-top, I love the unstoppable, unbeatable Rick Ross. For nearly any other artist, I prefer the former- introspection and deep thought usually allows for a better listen because the artist is being as honest as they can. While God Forgives saw Ross contemplate his mortality and had internal questions about his life, Mastermind goes the other way and sees Ross return to his invincible, Teflon Don persona. I won’t go so far to say it’s what God Forgives, I Don’t should have been, but it impacts and demands more attention then GFID’s music ever did. Because even though I had negative expectations going into listening to it, Mastermind is a definite comeback album for Rozay and allows him to regain his footing. Both songs are absent from the album though, and the album is much better for it. “Box Chevy” and “No Games”, both promo singles released for Mastermind, failed to gain traction and honestly made Ross seem like he was in a commercial and critical rut. Since last summer I’ve thought the Rozay ship was sinking and that MMG’s best days were in the rear view mirror. Looking back, the warning signs were there that God Forgives wouldn’t be the blockbuster we all were expecting (the singles were lukewarm, and sonically there wasn’t anything new being offered), and saw a promising beginning of 2012 kind of go down the drain by the time 2013 rolled around. Just the title alone meant that the album was going to be epic, and many Rozay fans, myself included, thought this would be the album to solidify him as the hottest rapper in the game.
Although Rozay had suffered multiple seizures in the Fall of 2011, his Rich Forever mixtape, released right after New Year’s Day 2012, was a smash success and had whet hip hop fan’s appetite for God Forgives, I Don’t. The trajectory of his career had trended upward since his 2006 debut Port of Miami. Until the summer of 2012, Rick Ross had never really slipped up musically.
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