
*hopes Saint Cornelius doesn't see*
Rick Ross - Teflon Don

I gave Ross' last album, Deeper Than Rap, a chance after rap heads I respected started giving it props and weren't even ashamed. I thought the album was surprisingly good for what it was. Ross impressed with some clever lines/wordplay, the beats were amazing, and even the multitude of bad "for the ladies" tracks couldn't kill the momentum of the album's better tracks.
On Deeper Than Rap, Ross' back was to the wall. The revelation of his CO past could have killed his career, and 50 Cent was doing everything he possibly could to speed up the process. Ross responded with a mafioso hip hop album so ridiculous it was clear he didn't give a shyt about his credibility problems.
Teflon Don sounds more like the product of brazen hubris than the resume for "best rapper" that some are calling it. His handlers have been building him up for a run at the thrown for the last couple months, slapping him on remix after remix; Diddy, the eternal spotlight vampire, has latched on as well. It's as if Ross decided with Wayne in prison, now is the time to take the crown (note: I'm not a Wayne fan). The result is an album full of more boasting than rapping, with Ross talking over hard beats without saying much of interest. Kanye drops the best verse on the album by far - in fact, nearly every guest feature out does Ross. In fact, while the album is overall alright, Ross doesn't drop many memorable verses outside of B.M.F., Live Fast/Die Young, and Aston Martin Music.
Maybe more listens will change my mind, but right now I'm kinda cold on the album.