Rick Ross - Port of Miami

Rick Ross: Stickin’ to the Script

I know you’ve noticed the sequence. 50 cent kicked the door in…with both feet. Who says you have to be a good rapper to make a good rap album? When the smoke cleared, Jeezy was standing there with a snowman t-shirt and a platinum plaque. Don’t be surprised if you see that fat man with the “bin Laden beard” do the same. With Port of Miami it seems that Rick Ross has captured the essence. His new affiliation with Def Jam has afforded him those large label luxuries such as great production and over zealous promotion. Hustlin’ hit the airwaves a few months ago and took off. It seems that Ricky Ross will be able to keep the music industry buzzing around Miami a little while longer.

Rick Ross jumps right into the drug game starting with the initial seconds of the album. A reporter briefs us with the news of a drug raid then fades into Push It, which has a Scarface-like theme and an 80s sound. Cross That Line, heavy on strings, brings synth-retro production with just enough bump. Not to mention Akon brings the track alive with his unique sound (see Jeezy’s Soul Survivor). So far so good until you get to I’m Bad which is all around weak. The lyrics, the beat, the concept, the hook…yeah I’d give it four thumbs down. Where My Money will probably get more play than it deserves just because you’ll amuse yourself shouting “Where my money” to no one in particular. Next to Hustlin’, Boss is probably the hottest song on the album. Ricky managed to rhyme the word boss with Porsche in this masterpiece but we can let that slide especially with production from Cool and Dre. Towards the end of the album, Lil Wayne makes an appearance on I’m a G and Rick Ross says he has “more cars than a racist”. Uh…whatever rhymes I guess. Needless to say all three verses were forgettable so feel free to skip to the next track (sorry you had to be a part of this Brisco).

There you have it. Another hip hop record and another opportunity to ask yourself why you enjoy albums of this nature. It’s something you can ride to. It’s something that bangs in the trunk. It’s something that you can listen to while doing other things and not feel like you’re missing out on the musical ingenuity. Never mind that the Port of Miami sounds like a soundtrack for the original Miami Vice. Forget that all you’ve heard for the past hour and change was a commercial for distributing illegal nose and pipe candy. Forget all that. Let’s focus on the things we’ve learned. White is Ricky’s favorite color. He has maybe three cars but the 745 is his pride and joy. And there must be an elf on his shoulder that repeats the last word of every line of every verse while he’s recording. Rick Ross aka the king of the echo. Let’s face it, if you don’t have a gimmick you probably won’t make it in the world of 50s and Jeezys. 50 sings hooks, Jeezy adlibs and Ricky repeats. Simple enough. All in all this was a solid product from Rick Ross. You got what you expected. No one expected a hip hop classic or groundbreaking innovation. What you got were beats that thump, catchy tunes and a baritone flow to mildly satisfy the hip hop fan.

Rating: 3 out of 5 matches

Hot Trax: Blow, Cross That Line, Boss, Hustlin’ Remix (Hov…nuff said)

DMX - The Year of the Dog Again

Insert DMX Album Here…Again

DMX exploded onto the rap scene in 1998 with, not one, but two number one albums at the beginning and end of the year. His sound was new. It was fresh. And it was unmistakably New York. Now four albums and a few run-ins with the law later it’s the same X. Never change. MCs pride themselves on being the same person they were before the game; only making minor tweaks to evolve with the changing times. X, no doubt, has stuck to his guns, but to a fault. The Year of the Dog Again is a prime example of the product of his carbon copy factory

First of all, I didn’t know that Swizz Beats was the mastermind behind “bringin’ New York back” (see Busta Rhymes review). Apparently he is as he declares so at the beginning of We in Here. On I Run Shit it’s apparent that X wants us to know that he…runs shit. Thanks. It’s Personal seems to be the only track with any replay value thanks to the vocals of Styles P and Jadakiss. Without this little Ruff Ryder reunion, there would be no reason to listen to the album. Toward the end of the album we are serenaded by a chipmunk on the beginning of Blown Away. On this cut X talks about how he’s done wrong in his life in hopes that his sins will be blown away. If there was a second best song on the album, this would be it. But because there is no good music on the album, it is what it is.

Dark Man X. A very mysterious name, but the mystery is lost in the music. The record is hard and edgy through the first 75% but when you get to the end you hear the softer side of X which includes the obligatory prayer. Ironic how he denounces his Baby Motha as a “real stupid bitch” but a few tracks later prays that “men respect their ladies”. Overall the hooks are unimaginative and the lyrics are predictable. But if you do force yourself to sit through The Year of the Dog Again, you at least have the features to look forward to (Jadakiss, Styles, Busta Rhymes, etc.).

This album is the same album that he made in 2003. In fact, it’s the same album he’s made in 2001, 1999 and the two in 1998. We liked DMX in the late 90s. With 20 million albums sold, at least someone did. I don’t want a revamped DMX, but I don’t want to hear 4 versions of his first album.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 matches

Hot Trax: It’s Personal…yeah that’s it.