Where Deeper than Rap really succeeds is when it proves the Miami sound is tired. “Murda Mama,” a duet with real-life lover Foxy Brown, falls flat under the clichéd, bass-driven and by-the-numbers beat and tired references to “’09 Bonnie and Clyde,” with Foxy Brown trading verses that sound like they came out of a fashion catalog. Not since The Clipse’s “Chinese New Year” has a song truly been this chilling.ĭeeper than Rap, however, just isn’t new and exciting enought. The album’s real standout, however, is closer “In Cold Blood.” Produced by The Runners, the team who did “Hustlin,” the duo crafts a menacing, downright intimidating sonic landscape that Ross’ lyrics blend with to create a terrifying experience.
Ross shows some northern exposure while referring to himself “ as bigger than Biggie/ Bitch I’m bigger than you” on “Yacht Club,” the song the Lonely Island would have written if they were a legitimate rap group, with its Jamaican reggae-tinged beat. His voice leaps from the track, and even if he isn’t saying anything particularly fresh, it makes you want to listen. Despite his flirtation with mediocrity, Ross has a commanding presence. Brooklyn’s own Nas is featured on “Usual Suspects,” where he manages to slightly outclass Ross on his own track. After a verse about playing pawns to Queens, he reminds the audience he still wears white tees and Nike Airs. With its piano-driven melody, it would sound more at home on a John Legend album. John Legend’s cut, “Magnificent,” the first single off the album, shows a different sound to Ross and is an admirable attempt at capturing Ross’ Boss persona coupled with his hood upbringing. On Deeper than Rap, Ross doesn’t break any new lyrical ground, nor does he dig himself deeper the album’s biggest attribute is how smooth and dark it is. Ross’ first two albums, Port of Miami and Trilla, were obnoxiously sun-drenched, bass-heavy anthems to Maybachs, stacks (both white and cash) and the Miami bass sound that he and so many rappers grew up listening to. Lyrically, Ross has always been criticized for being unwavering, such as his constant fallback of rhyming words with themselves, as in his first big hit, “Hustlin,” where he rhymes “Atlantic” with itself. If you so dare to take a shot every time Ross has said something like “ My money long, my money strong” throughout his career, including latest album Deeper than Rap, you would be dearly missed. Ross has made a career out of repeating himself track after track, on overlong albums filled with speaker-shattering bass, repetitive hooks and basically the same phrases about money and power that you could build a drinking game around. Ross’ latest opponent, 50 Cent, has interviewed his ex and got her to confirm this fact. Ross has made his career rapping about drugs, women and money, but in recent years he has been outed as a college football player who worked as a corrections officer in Florida. Like many rappers before him, Ross’ reputation precedes him. If you took one look at Ross, or one of his music videos, you could probably guess what he sounds like with startling accuracy. Some people would even say he’s fucking wack.
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