Deeper Than Rap a solid album

Rick Ross successfully diverts attention from his cop days.

By Derek Reagan

Published April 30, 2009

Miami rapper Rick Ross released his third studio album Deeper Than Rap, a combination of hits and missteps, making for a solid offering during a small lull in the world of hip-hop.

Hip-hop fans have been skeptical of Rick's credibility ever since it was released Ross once worked as a correctional officer. Although the general public would say that it's a job that needs to be done, in the rap industry it can be career suicide for one's persona to work for the law.

One thing that can be said of Ross is he knows how to properly market an album. Attempting to avoid the correctional officer incident, Rick Ross started a feud with rival rapper 50 Cent. Who knows if there is anything behind the feud, but it's enough to get Rick Ross' name back in the limelight at the convenient time of his album's release.

The first song of the record, "Mafia Music," is a dis song intended for 50 Cent. The quality of the lyrics isn't great, but Ross shows improvement from previous records. The beat is what packs the punch. An ominous organ synth powered by a slow and steady bass line pits Ross in the driver's seat of a great sounding dis track. Fans of this song should check out the remix featuring foes of 50 Cent -- Ja Rule, Fat Joe and The Game.

The best song of the album and best song created for radio play is "Maybach Music 2." The sequel of the Trilla hit, the song doesn't disappoint. With the assistance of popular performers Lil Wayne, Kanye West and T-Pain, Rick Ross scores a hit. The guest verses both outshine Ross lyrically, but Ross's flow is natural on the banger.

The first single, "Magnificent," is a solid song. The luxurious living anthem is some of Ross's best work on the album. An equally impressive performance comes from crooner John Legend. It is yet another example that Ross knows how to pick fantastic beats on which to rap.

A Caribbean sounding "Yacht Club" starts off a rather forgettable middle section of the album. "All I Really Want" featuring The-Dream is just too fast for Ross and sounds extremely forced.

The highlight of tracks four through 12 is "Usual Suspects." It is another slow bass line with heavy synth use. It sounds surprisingly similar to Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents." Yet another collaboration track, Ross picks Nas to grace the track, and it's a great decision with typical rhyming from Nasty Nas.

One of the better songs of the album is yet another 50 Cent dis. "Valley of Death" is a DJ Toomp production and makes great use of a sample. The lyrics aren't as focused as they should be for a dis song, but for a Rick Ross song they will do.

"In Cold Blood" is the classic dis song of the album and not necessarily because of the song. The lyrics are harsh including the line, "Midst of war I piss on graves," but it fits the mood of the song. The music video is Ross claiming triumph at 50 Cent's funeral. Warning: Ross takes his shirt off in the video, not something we would all like to see.