CD Review: Rick Ross's Teflon Don Proves Reputation Isn't Everything

Despite his co-opting of Los Angeles drug kingpin "Freeway" Ricky Ross's identity, this is one rapper who will always be Florida Corrections Officer Roberts to me. So street cred isn't exactly Rawse's strong suit, and neither is lyricism--probably why the first track "I'm Not A Star" is the only one that doesn't feature at least one guest artist. But those features are as good as it gets--from the Jay-Z collaboration on "Free Mason" to Kanye West on "Live Fast, Die Young," to Drake on "Aston Martin Music"-- making the album a veritable who's who of radio rap. And Ross's biggest strength, his ear for epic production, doesn't fail either; lush and hard-hitting contributions from the likes of No I.D. and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League push the album over the edge into the realm of summer blockbusters. This might not be a record you pick up for Rozay's ironically gangsta raps, but everything else about the album makes it one definitely worth listening to.