Rich Forever ā Rick Ross Review
āBeing dead broke is the root of all evilā
Rick Ross proclaims on the opener of his Rich Forever mixtape. Nothing less than you would expect from Rozay, the king of escapism fantasy and luxurious raps. So is Rich Forever another lavish affair to confirm Rick Ross boss status and an appetising teaser for God Forgives I Donāt or is it a disappointing over the top mixtape that falls flat?
The opening track Holy Ghost itās a rollicking introduction to the mixtape. Rick Ross and Diddy the featuring artist take on pastor like personas. Their testimony is not a typical one that youād hear in church; instead itās an ode to being filthy rich. With Diddy praying āFather, please protect me from brokenessā and Ross declaring āBeing dead broke is the root of all evilā. Itās over dramatic, outrageous but pure Rick Ross which makes it a hit.

The follow up to the riotous intro is High Definition. This is Rick Ross by himself, without any assistance. Rick Ross actually doesnāt need anyone else on the track, his lyrics are inspired and thrilling. Ross raps āDiamonds on my neck call it the ghetto’s guillotineā , the lyricism is luxurious and exquisite. The production is also top notch.
The thumping production also continues for the next three tracks MMG Untouchable, Yella Diamonds and F*ck Em. Problem is the production is a little too samey and gets a little boring. The rapping stays competent until it gets a little clumsy on F*ck Em where Ross raps āIPhone and iPad, Air Max,ā the materialism gets a little tired because thereās noĀ poetry or lustre to make it enjoyable.
After the three similar tracks, thereās London Skit. As a Londoner myself I find it bizarre Rick Ross chose London of all places for his skit. Londonās bleak and gloomy and doesnāt match Rick Rossā grandiose presence and music. It wouldāve been more logical to set it somewhere a little more glamorous like Los Angeles. London Skit precedes Rich Forever the dreary monologue does no justice to the glorious triumph that is Rich Forever.
On paper Rich Forever is already a dream. John Legendās soulful vocals and Rick Ross growl is just a match made in hip hop heaven. With John Legendās dulcet vocals crooning āWe gonā be rich forever and everā¦ā and Rick Ross in sombre reflective storytelling mode itās a captivating track and the highlight of the mixtape.
So how do you follow up a success such as Rich Forever? Make the next track feature hip hop legend Nas. Nas features on Triple Beam Dreams a coke rap victory. Nasā verse is concise, poetic and compelling. Nasā verse packs a punchy social critique āI would be Ivy League if America played fairā. Itās always nice to hear social commentary in hip hop. Rick Rossā verse is good, not as good as Nasā but thereās nothing wrong with being outshone by Nas.
The following track is a collaboration ā Mine Games but Ross doesnāt need to worry about being outshone here. The feature artist is former Destinyās child member Kelly Rowland.Ā Itās a generic mushy rapper featuring female R&B singer track which is unnecessary and boring. Rowlandās vocal sounds strained, and Rick Rossā heavy breathing as he says āme and my baby girlā sounds really silly. Definitely a low point on the mixtape and another unsuccessful drab You The Boss-esque track.
Rick Ross gets back on form after the underwhelming Mine Game with New Bugatti. Its like Holy Ghost again with the demonic beat and a Diddy feature. Itās a competent solid track. Like the next four tracks Keys To The Crib, Last Breath, I Swear To God, Off To The Boat which is typical Rick Ross boasting territory aided by featured artists.
Things do take a dip when King Of Diamonds come on. Kings of Diamonds is a bit brassy, shouty and has questionable lyricsm āPop a chicken in that grease and make one into two, All these rides in my yard, my shit a carnivalā. Ross hilariously pronounces carnival ācarnivooā to fit in with the rhyme scheme.
Things get even odder and funnier in the following track Ring Ring. Itās another attempt at Rick Ross doing a ladies song which as always ends up bizarre and uncomfortable. 80% of the hook sung by Future is āring ringā, thatās something youād expect from a Rihanna song not a Rozay track.
After the oddness, the glitz and glamour return with the excellent MMG The World Ours. The track features Pharrell, Meek Mill and Stalley. Itās a lovely ode to rags and riches with Pharrell delivering the standout lyrics with a slick suave sophistication āSays the little boy that loves you, who had the ashy feet, Now I wear that ashy white suit out in Fashion Weekā.
Rich Forever ends on a high with the last proper track Stay Schemin. Unfortunately Ross the track isnāt great because of his or French Montanaās verse itās because of Drakeās verse which takes a jab at Common. Drakeās verse is so cold that Common had to reply with a diss track.
Overall Rich Forever is typical Ross fanfare which includes drugs and wealth rhymes. Ross stumbles at times with some tracks especially the ones that are meant to cater to ladies but he picks it up again when heās at his ostentatious best. If Rich Forever is an appetiser for the eagerly anticipated God Forgives I Donāt⦠Lord knows I canāt wait.
Rating: 3.5/5