Rick Ross's last couple albums have left something to be desired. With Black Dollar coming out this Thursday, hope springs eternal that he'll regain his peak form. Despite his pear-induced weight loss, Ross is about to turn 40 years old, potentially on the downslope of his rap career and in need of boost.
"Foreclosures" was an auspicious lead single, and if Black Dollar can sustain that sort of quality, it could cement Ross' reputation as one of the most successful rappers of the past decade.
A new direction from "Hood Billionaire"
HNHH readers made clear their dissatisfaction with Ross' last album Hood Billionaire, giving it a cumulative rating of 44%, which would be the worst review rating in the history of the site if it weren't for Barter 6.
Ross' relentless bragging about material wealth felt played out, wheat cracker stale on Hood Billionaire. Black Dollar could be a satisfying palette cleanser if he tones down the luxury raps and explores new topics, even if that means going so far as to venture in the direction of something like #BlackLivesMatter.
Jahlil Beats
The bottom line is, Jahlil Beats has some made of the hardest rap beats of our time. Bobby Shmurda's "Hot Nigga" was one of the foremost bangers of 2014 and Boogie's "Oh My" is arguably the foremost banger of 2015 thus far.
Everyone loves Jahlil Beats, and his towering horns and epic strings are a natural fit for Ross' ostentatious raps. Exhibit A: "Imma Boss." He is simultaneously a safe bet and a threat to drop a monster beat at any moment.
Here is a great video of Jahlil in the studio with Problem pumping out instant hits.
A chance for Meek Mill to restore his reputation
We've had a lot of fun at Meek's expense over the past couple months, but it would be unjust if his beef with Drake actually ended his career. "Wanna Know" did poorly to communicate his true rapping prowess at a point in time when the stakes could not have been higher, and it would be a shame to lose a rapper like Meek for good. The beef severely damaged his standing in the hip hop community, but all is not lost.
One of the worst aspects of the Meek-Drake beef from Meek's perspective was that it completely killed any momentum he going off the back of DWMTM, a solid, hotly-anticipated album that sold quite well. As head honcho of Maybach Music, Rick Ross has a duty to help his wounded soldier recover, and the most efficient way to do that would be to give him a verse on Black Dollar. Meek and Rozay collabs have a strong track record ("Imma Boss," "Ambition," "Tupac Back," "Ambition") and Meek is no doubt itching to spit a fire verse after "Wanna Know" flopped.
All it takes is one verse.
R&B singer
Some top-notch R&B hooks
In theory, R. Kelly's appearance on Hood Billionaire's "Keep Doin' That [Rich Bitch]" should have been money in the bank, but Kelly never come close to unleashing the full might of his legendary pipes. A forgettable beat and Ross' languid raps didn't help.
Ross has benefited in the past from pairing his gruff baritone with an R&B crooner. Take for example Port of Miami's "It's My Time" feat. Lyfe Jennings or God Forgives, I Don’t's "Presidential" feat. Elijah Blake (which, in retrospect, sounds an awful lot like Kendrick's "Alright"). Black Dollar needs at least one of these tracks, and the track with The-Dream that he's dropping this afternoon should be a good start.
A hit single
In his career, Rick Ross has had exactly one song go #1 on the rap charts -- 2010's “Aston Martin Music” from Teflon Don. That song saw features from Chrisette Michele and a singing Drake (R&B!!). He hasn't had a song of his own crack the rap charts top 10 since 2011’s “You the Boss” feat. Nicki Minaj.
Rozay is overdue for a hit. Perhaps if he follows our prescription -- Jahlil Beats production, a Meek Mill feature, and a fire R&B hook -- that's what he'll get.