Album Review: Teflon Don

1. I’m Not a Star
2. Free Mason (feat. Jay-Z & John Legend)
3. Tears of Joy (feat. Cee-Lo)
4. Maybach Music III (feat. T.I., Jadakiss & Erykah Badu)
5. Live Fast, Die Young (feat. Kanye West)
6. Super High (feat. Ne-Yo)
7. No 1 (feat. Trey Songz & Diddy)
8. MC Hammer
(feat. Gucci Mane)
9. B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast) (feat. Styles P)
10. Aston Martin Music (feat. Drake & Chrisette Michele)
11. All the Money in the World (feat. Rapheal Saadiq)

Producers Include: Clark Kent, Danja, The Inkredibles, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Lex Luger, No I.D., The Olympicks, The Remedy and Kanye West

Featured Artist: Jay-Z ,John Legend, Cee-Lo Green, T.I., Jadakiss, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, Diddy, Gucci Mane, Styles P, Drake, Chrisette Michele and Raphael Saadiq

Rick Ross brings to us his fourth studio album “Teflon Don” (Maybach Music Group/Def Jam Recordings) and he has assembled one that could be his strongest to date. Of the 11 tracks on the album, 10 have a featured artist. Even though you could look at this as a good thing because it shows that Ross is able to pull in a vast amount of talent to work with him on an album, I look at it as a bad thing. This somewhat takes away from Ross’ creditability as a rapper. When I listen to someone’s album, I expect to hear them spitting two or three verses on the majority of the tracks. I’m not saying it makes Teflon Don a bad album (it actually makes it a great album), I just feel that it is more of a compilation album instead of a solo one.
Ross has put together an album that you could play from track one to eleven. Just like anyone’s album, there are songs that are stronger then others. A few songs that stick out the most on this album would be “Free Mason,” “Live Fast, Die Young,” “B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)” and “All the Money in the World.” In Free Mason which features Jay-Z and John Legend, Jay-Z finally quiets the Illuminati rumors. (“Bitch, I said I was amazing…. not that I’m a Mason. It’s amazin’ that I made it through the maze that I was in/ Lord forgive me, I never woulda made it without sin/ Holy water, my face in the basin/ Diamonds in my rosary shows he forgave him”.) His verse might arguably be one of the best verses of the year. “Live Fast, Die Young” which was produced and features Kanye West, is about every aspiring rap artists dream: living the lavish lifestyle of money, cars, clothes, and hoes. When West starts spitting on the second verse, it makes you look forward to September 14, 2010 which is the scheduled release date for “Good Ass Job.” West straight murdered this track and makes you forget about Ross second verse on the track.
“B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)” is a cliff notes version of the life of Black Mafia Families co-founder Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory. The lyrics talk about his upbringing in the streets and his lavish lifestyle once he got up to a higher level. (“These, mutha fuckas mad that I'm icey, /Stunt so hard make them come indict me”). Styles P verse on the track continues where Ross left off and continues to talk about the street life. I never really took Styles P as a great lyricist, but this verse was pretty dope. In “All the Money in the World” featuring Raphael Saadiq, Ross shows us a different side to him. He raps about his dead father and his children. He also sings along on the hook with Saadiq.
One thing that Ross definitely could have changed on the album is the track list. Three of the tracks were on his “Albert Anastasia EP”, and it’s like giving the people old material. One more thing Ross could have done to make the album better would have been to include more music. 11 eleven tracks simply isn’t enough for someone.

Rating: 4/5

Rick Ross Wiz Khalifa and Currensy- Super High Remix Video