It’s the inverse of what Carey previously did to Cam’ron’s "Oh Boy". Carey sounds great, but the song’s inclusion is as unnecessary as the resurrection of its source material. Meanwhile, "Can’t Say No" revives and refurbishes an old Mariah Carey gem. "Peace Sign" treads into lazy, "Diced Pineapples" territory. On the latter, he explains that he fixates on ostentatious imagery to create something vivid for the less fortunate: "I entertain niggas under poverty lines/ So I paint these pretty pictures as part of my rhymes." "Black Opium" falls into the same neighborhood, adding scratches from DJ Premier for furnishing and decoration.īut amidst the good, errors loom. "Crocodile Python" is as smooth as the title indicates, and "Silk Road" is beautifully minimal. The radiance of Jake One’s production and CeeLo Green’s chorus add another layer of warmth to "Smile Mama, Smile", lifting it out of routine homage territory. He's at his most effective when he dials back the Rick Ross character, so the album’s standouts feature him laying bawse insight over slow-burners. With the Lex Luger trademark heard on "B.M.F.", "MC Hammer", and "9 Piece" pirated into extinction over the years, Ross has wisely moved on. Think of it as the next step after Black Dollar carryover "Foreclosures", where he waxes eloquent about how financial problems can still complicate the lifestyles of the rich and famous: "You reap what you sow, and they speakin’ repossessions/ To the culture itself, these are powerful lessons." Ross excels when given a focal point, and adversity (specifically, the fear of going back to rags from riches) gives him something to dig his teeth into.Ībsent from Black Market is the boisterous production heard on previous Rick Ross projects. Aided once more by John Legend’s soaring vocals, Ross ponders future possibilities. As the first song written for the album (albeit, during Ross’s jail stint earlier this year), it’s a strong tone-setter. "Bottom of the black market, time to rise again," he announces on the album’s opener, "Free Enterprise". With Black Market, he continues this narrative. September’s Black Dollar was a step in the right direction, with a refocused Ross proving that he’s more interesting with his back against the wall than when he’s dropping hits like Steph Curry three-pointers. Ross was forced to roll up his sleeves and right the course of his imprint. But after Meek Mill fumbled a winning hand against Drake, Wale and Meek began squabbling, and Ross himself went to jail for assaulting his groundskeeper. At this stage of his career, Ross should be sitting and tallying sales. If MMG is rap’s luxury car dealership, then Ross is its cigar-smoking general manager Meek Mill and Wale his top salesmen.
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