Album Review: Rick Ross – Teflon Don

Artist: Rick Ross
Album: Teflon Don
Release Date: 7.20.2010

The new album from Rick Ross is as big and bold as the rapper himself, unrestrained and in some spots a bit unnecessary, but many would argue it’s his best effort to-date. Referencing the infamous crime boss John Gotti with its title, Teflon Don is a pretty tough album; flawless, it is not. Guest slots on the album include Jay-Z, Cee-Lo, Ne-yo, Diddy, Chrisette Michele, Raphael Saadiw Trey Songz and John Legend among others, with production credits that include No I.D., the JUSTICE League, and The Inkredibles. This is Ross’ fourth outing, the first that’s made it on my radar.

Teflon Don’s content ranges from street bangers, to smooth lady-pleasers, to anthems for the everyday man-on-the-grind. Lyrically speaking, Ross proves himself a dexterous rapper as some of his more memorable offerings involve Ross trading metaphors with Jay-Z (Free Mason)and Kanye West (Live Fast, Die Young). The versatility on the album gives way for Chrisette Michele to glide over the exceptionally smooth Aston Martin Music, while Ne-yo croons on the album’s lead single Super High. Everything about Tears of Joy works – the instrumental practically tells the story beneath Cee-Lo’s soulful hook. Other highlights include Maybach Music III and the street anthems B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast) and MC Hammer, both of which were previously featured on The Albert Anastasia EP mixtape.

Though the album is littered with features, a few just didn’t seem to fit. For all Diddy’s endorsing of Ross, he could’ve stayed off the album as his feature on No. 1 fits better in a commercial for his own ego than it does on this album. In fact the entire song could’ve been scrapped. All The Money In The World is another downfall of the album as Ross fails to embrace an opportunity to dig deeper with his lyrics. Even with all his ability to stay creative and excessively flashy throughout most of the album, his lyrics (especially on this song and even on Tears of Joy) don’t reach for much in terms of depth.

It was my first full-length Rick Ross album and I was pleased with the result. I won’t go so far as to call this the best rap album of the year, though it could easily fit into anyone’s top 5. Ross’ lyrics on Teflon Don tend to get a bit repetitive and lack depth but his flow is beyond commendable. Despite its “Teflon” title, there’s a lot here that sticks – in a really good way.

Sound-Savvy rates Rick Ross’ Teflon Don with 4 out of 5 platinum headphones.