Review: 3/5

What a run Rick Ross is having (ahem was having). Ever since he dropped BMF and MC Hammer way back in 2010 on a mixtape of all places, he’s been supplying the streets constantly both as a solo artist and with the acts under his label Maybach Music Group. I’ve had a lot to say about Ross over the last few years and even banned him from this site at one time, but Ross has always seemed to find his way back. I guess these bloggers can’t hold him back.

Best songs: 3 Kings, Ashamed, Sixteen, Hold Me Back, So Sophisticated, Rick Forever (Bonus)

1. “Pray for Us”

Albums starts off with the classic “What is this Maybach Music?” tag and then goes into a sample from the movie Baby Boy, of all movies to start the album off with. Keep in mind Ross described GFID as a Brian De Palma film for godsakes!

2. Pirates (Produced by Kenoe, Got Koke)

This is too slow for me to care about and Ross doesn’t say anything noteworthy. Sure he says he’s the “Christopher Wallace of my time” but he’s said that many times before.

3. Kings featuring Dr. Dre and Jay-Z (Produced by Jake One)

Ross seems like he’s on autopilot for the most part other than when he says “Come and suck a dick for a millionaire”, which if you think about doesn’t make much sense. We had a poll earlier asking who had the best verse and it was pretty obvious Hov was going to take it.

4. Ashamed (Produced by Cool & Dre)

Cool & Dre come through with some 70’s inspired sample, I think it’s Wilson Pickett. If I was A&R’ing this album I would have made this the lead off track.

5. Maybach Music IV featuring Ne-Yo (Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)

Ross brings us the fifth installment of “Mayback Music” this time he’s going dolo, except for Ne-Yo who does his best Michael Jackson impression. Unfortunately for us and Ross, this is the worst Maybach Music in the series. Things really get awkward when L.A. Reid shows up which is akin to your dad showing up at your school dance and announces “This is L.A. Reid”.

Best line: “Get a blow job have a seizure on a Lear”.

6. Sixteen featuring Andre 3000 (Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)

3 stacks verse though.

7. Amsterdam (Produced by Cardiak)

Not sure what this song has to do with Amsterdam, either way Ross let’s off, though it’s a little “heard it all before”-ish.

8. Hold Me Back (Produced by G5Kid)

My favorite song on the album because it sounds so much like it should be on Ross’ last mixtape Rich Forever.

Best line: “I look in my fridge, the shit looking scarce”. [Sidebar: I highly doubt this]

9. 911 (Produced by Young Shun)

I really want to like this song but it sounds like something that was left over from Rich Forever. I guess Ross’ likes left overs. I know, cheap.

10. So Sophisticated (Produced by The Beat Bully)

The Beat Bully serves up the cleanest sounding record on GFID and it’s also one of my personal favorites, except for when Meek comes in as his trademark flow doesn’t quite fit in the pocket here.

11. Presidential featuring Elijah Blake (Produced by Pharrell Williams)

Not sure what Ross saw in this beat. It reminds me of Boys 2 Men for some reason.

12. Ice Cold featuring Omarion (Produced by Reefa)

We get the ladies love Ross for the next two joints. Not really my thing and I’m guessing your girl doesn’t like it either.

13. Touch’N You featuring Usher (Produced by Rico Love, Pierre Medor)

Clearly Ross was thinking of Biggie’s Tonight featuring R. Kelly when he made this, unfortunately this version is just a shadow of Biggie’s creeping anthem.

14. Diced Pineapples featuring Wale and Drake (Produced by Cardiak)

Ross said he named this song “Diced Pineapples” because his doctor recommended that he eat more fruits and vegetables after having his double seizure earlier this year, which sounds like a good enough reason to me. But instead of make a hard street collab record like say, Raekwon’s Verbal Intercourse, we get a song softer than terry cloth. Can someone tell Wale he can’t rap? And can someone let Drake do a full verse on a Ross record?

15. Ten Jesus Pieces featuring Stalley (Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)

The album finishes on a down note, but that’s probably just because Stalley shows up for another uninspired verse. I’m not sure if Stalley has a lisp or some kind of speech impediment but he’s just unbearable at this point, maybe more so than Wale?

Last Word

This isn’t going to sound right but Ross has spread himself too thin with this album. Haha get it too thin? Okay. Okay. The problem is Rich Forever was the album we were all looking for from Ross, but he let it go as a free mixtape. I’ve even heard the material from Rich Forever was intended to be God Forgives I Don’t. My suspicion is Ross changed his mind to continue the similar sound of his previous album, the critically acclaimed Teflon Don. The problem is this album is no where near as good as Teflon Don in anyway, it’s like a parody of that album! There are very little moments here that recapture what made us fall in love with Ross in the first place. Where is the “Only fat nigga in the sauna with Jews” Ross? That’s the Ross we all want. Not the more introspective (read: boring) William Leonard Roberts.

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