After making his debut six years ago with Port of Miami, the Maybach Music CEO has steadily risen up the ranks to become one of hip-hop’s most prolific MCs.
His fifth album God Forgives, I Don’t arrived this week boasting big-name collaborations with Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, André 3000, and Usher, plus top-notch production from Pharrell, Rico Love, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Cool & Dre, and more. Rozay calls it his best work yet.
The national reviews are in:
Entertainment Weekly: The Miami native embodies his distorted version of the gangsta American dream so completely that he manages to transcend cliché. … Sure, he’s been bragging about his rep since his 2006 debut, but God Forgives is the firstalbum that really feels like it was made by a boss. A-
Los Angeles Times: The new disc extends an over-the-top hot streak that began with 2009′s Deeper Than Rap and includesTeflon Don, from 2010; it’s rooted in the same lush production sound and name-checks just as many ultra-high-end luxury brands—even the Lear jet on which the second of his seizures struck. 3/4
Rolling Stone: There are times when God Forgives is as engrossing and surprising as rap can be. Over beats thatalternate between sparkling, decadent string arrangements and assaultive, synthesized blare, Ross pretzels hip-hop’s familiar rags-to-riches arc into a Möbius strip, slaloming around an autobiographical timeline that may or may not be his own. 4/5
USA Today: MTV’s reigning “hottest MC in the game” isn’t bashful about his artistic and entrepreneurial success, though you’re never sure where reality ends and hyperbole begins in his platinum-plated boasts. What is certain, though, is his knack for painting pictures of his bootstraps rise and current luxe life in bold strokes over beats to match. 3/4
The Boston Globe: While not as electrifying as Teflon Don, this 70-minute set deftly mixes grandiose gestures and ominous bravado. He still deals familiar hip-hop tropes, but they are balanced by a new gravitas including references to mortality and the seizures he experienced last year.
The Associated Press: His fifth solo album in six years is loaded with undeniable quality tunes, making his new offering his most well-balanced piece of work to date. It’s clear that the burly, bearded Ross—who normally dons black shades—has made strides as a lyricist and storyteller.
