Rick Ross' "Port of Miami 2" is a Diverse Mix of Songs That Display the Best of Ross
Rick Ross is finally back, the 10-year Hip-Hop veteran releases his 10th studio album “Port of Miami 2.” In his 10 year career, the Miami Boss has upgraded from a King to an Emperor. Master of lavish lyrics, Ross’ 10th album pays homage to the grind he’s put in, the results of that work, the many good and bad things he’s seen on the way, as well as his current status in the rap game. During Ross’ tenure in the music industry, Ross has been a pillar, consistently owning Hip-Hop music for a decade, even making splashes as a businessman owning several Wing Stop restaurants around the country, and having Maybach Music signees like Meek Mill and Wale continue to release projects under the Boss’ label. With all this, Ross looks to demonstrate his ability with this 2019 release. For the rollout to this album, Ross released four singles the first being, “Act a Fool” featuring Wale, followed by “BIG TYME” featuring Swizz Beatz, “Gold Roses” featuring Drake and finally “Turnpike Ike.” All four of these singles appear on “Port of Miami 2” along with eleven new songs to create the fifteen song tracklist that adds to 1 hour and 6 minutes of music. “Port of Miami 2” features long-time collaborators like Wale, Meek Mill, John Legend, Jeezy and Drake as well new collaborators like Summer Walker and Teyana Taylor, the project even included a verse from the late great California rapper Nipsey Hussle. Gunplay, Dej Loaf, Swizz Beatz, Jeezy, YFN Lucci, Ball Greezy, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, and Denzel Curry also appear on this feature saturated album.
Categories
The songs on this album divided into four lanes that are prevalent throughout the project and scored on a 1.5 scale. (0 = trash, .5 = not for me, 1 = good, 1.5 = a standout)
Hard/Club Record:
Ross doesn’t waste much time trying to make hard trap songs anymore, but he set off Port of Miami 2 with a particularly trap beat vibe
“Act a Fool” ft. Wale (1)
Smooth Lavish Records:
One of Ross’ best skills is beat selection, he doesn’t disappoint us this go around, supplying us with many silky smooth tracks.
“Turnpike Ike” (1)
“White Lines” ft. Dej Loaf (.5)
“BIG TYME” ft. Swizz Beatz (1.5)
“Rich Nigga Lifestyle” ft. Nipsey Hussle & Teyana Taylor (1.5)
“Maybach Music VI” ft. John Legend & Lil Wayne (1)
“Gold Roses” ft. Drake (1.5)
Hard Street Records:
Ross makes sure to rep the Miami streets that made him the boss that he is today
“Nobody’s Favorite” ft. Gunplay (.5)
“Born to Kill” ft. Jeezy (1)
Love Song:
It’s no secret that MMG has the formula down when it comes to their Odes to women. The tradition continues, although a short-lived vibe this go around.
“Summer Reign” ft. Summer Walker (1)
Sentimental/Reminiscing Records:
After a decade in the Hip Hop game, you will have seen a whole lot, Ross has, and he tells us about it. His desires, motivations and obstacles, past, present and future. We get a glimpse into the life that Ross lives.
“Bogus Charms” ft. Meek Mill (1)
“Fascinated” (1)
“I Still Pray” ft. Ball Greezy & YFN Lucci (1)
“Running the Streets” ft. A Boogie wit da Hoodie & Denzel Curry (1.5)
“Vegas Residency” (1.5)
Must Listen Songs
The concept of Must Listen songs are songs that would give the best overview of the album as a whole. Songs that stand out for reasons to be described in the pending descriptions of the songs.
“Rich Nigga Lifestyle” ft. Nipsey Hussle & Teyana Taylor
Rozay and Nipsey rap over a luxurious mix of piano, strings, and horns (duh), they trade lines about their past and the things that got them to the amazing places they are now. Teyana Taylor sings the hook and raps the beat in riffs, perfectly complimenting the two self-made neighborhood boss’, then ends it with a killer final verse.
“Running The Streets” ft. A Boogie Wit da Hoodie & Denzel Curry
One of the more surprising catchy tracks, Ross and Co. speak on their home, and how power has affected their lives. Ross doing the first verse and the hook, the featured verses go along nicely, making it one of the most solid tracks on the album.
Gold Roses ft. Drake
Gold Roses is a reserved collaboration between Drake and Rick Ross. No surprise that when Rozay is working with his old friends, the chemistry always makes Ross that much better.
Toting lines: “Lot of lives lost, but I never panicked/Lot of lines crossed, I never did a Xanny/A hundred room mansion, but I felt abandoned/Love makin' love, but where will love land me?” You can see Ross battling with his own issues, and loneliness. With this being the final song of the album, it could be his last.”
Final Review
On Ross’ 10th album he spends more time thinking and reflecting on his life. While some of his more recent projects like “Rather You Than Me” are more aggressive expressions of his Boss status, Ross is seemingly unbothered by the current rap game and much more focused on the world he lives in. The Maybach Music boss flows effortlessly over high-end beats that sound dipped in gold and served with champagne. But also takes time to make romantic records, records for the streets, and tracks where Ross sits and contemplates his old life, and his new environment, whether it be what’s directly in front of him, or the world that now surrounds him. Like every album, Ross gives us a good spectrum of music, although he stays in the pocket of introspective lyrics. Ross makes songs for every time and place but makes sure to give a long time Ross fans that luxurious feel. It’s safe to say that this project is a great homage to his career and a symbol of what hard work can get you. The album’s feel stays in the same lane as Rick Ross’ signature sound and could end up being one of Ross’ strongest projects of his career, some even wondering if it is his goodbye to the game for good.
Scoring
Raw Score: The number of good songs on a project versus the overall amount. Songs must have a +1 or above to be counted.
Quality Score: The total amount of points accumulated over the total amount of songs.
Playback value: The resonance an album is perceived to have if played again in full. Scale out of 5.
Raw Score: 13/15
Quality Score: 16.5/15
Playback Value: 3/5
Go out and listen to Rick Ross’ “Port of Miami 2” wherever you listen to your music. Also, don’t forget to check out OLDMLK’s Instagram page (@OLDMLK) and Twitter (@OLDMLKDOTCOM) for updates on OLDMLK.COM: The Most Essential Hip Hop Blog, The OLDMLK.Com Playlist, The OLDMLK Radar. And remember, when it comes to Hip-Hop if you don’t know it OLDMLK does!
