Rick Ross
"Teflon Don"
(Maybach Music Group/ Def Jam)
On Rick Ross' latest album "Teflon Don," the burly, bearded Miami rapper continues to live up to his catch phrase, "I'm a bawwsss!"
Ross might not be the most lyrical rapper, but his shoot-from-the-hip approach makes his fourth album an entertaining one. From beginning to the end, Ross provides a disc filled with quality tunes that'll leave listeners satisfied. Despite having so many collaborations -- from Trey Songz to Diddy -- Ross is the top boss on this record.
Ross holds his own against some of hip-hop's bests, such as Jay-Z and Kanye West. But on the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League-produced "Maybach Music III" featuring T.I., Jadakiss and Erykah Badu, Ross is clearly outdone by T.I., who might have the best verse on the album.
However, don't hold being upstaged on one track against Ross. He shows there's more to him than rapping about luxury cars and his large stash of cash. There's depth on "All The Money In The World" with Raphael Saadiq, as he raps about the death of his father, who died more than 10 years ago from liver cancer.
Ross also teams up with Cee-Lo on the soulful "Tears of Joy," which opens with a short clip of a speech from Black Panther leader Bobby Seale.
Some of the tracks that'll make you want to press repeat are his first single "Super High," featuring Ne-Yo, "Free Mason," featuring Jay-Z and John Legend, and the easy-riding "Aston Martin Music," featuring Drake and Chrisette Michelle.
--Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press
Delta Spirit
"History From Below"
(Rounder / UMGD)
Enjoyable but uneven, Delta Spirit's sophomore release, "History From Below," opens on a resounding note, with drummer Brandon Young vigorously booting the track "9/11" into motion. What distinguishes the twangy rant isn't the lyric, a routine broadside aimed at warmongering, among other things ("We'll turn the Marlboro man into a Marine / The brave youth will come from far and wide / With 9/11 as a battle cry"), but the San Diego quintet's crackling attack and rousing harmonies.
From that point on, lead vocalist-guitarist Matthew Vasquez and the band's unvarnished charms are the chief reasons to keep listening. Mind you, the rewards are more abundant when Vasquez has something to shout about, as on the soul-stirring anthem "Bushwick Blues," or when he's busy unfurling a long narrative based on real events (the closing "Ballad of Vitaly"). When problems arise, tiresome Dylanesque allusions ("Devil Knows You're Dead") or a mopey combination of sentimentality and introspection are usually to blame.
For all his passion and swagger, Vasquez certainly can't do much with this toss-away verse: "Someday darling maybe / You could be my baby / Until then I'll be waiting / At my lonesome white table."
The album ultimately delivers more hits than misses while managing to balance the band's literary ambitions and rootsy allure. It's an impressive effort, lulls and all.
--Mike Joyce, Special to The Washington Post
