**The Official Rick Ross Appreciation Thread PART 2: "God Forgives, I Don’t" THE ALBUM**

[calikev34]

sanctified is my song right now
but god dammit ross im legitimately upset at this "david koresh" line
he had nothing to coke

 

[awwsome]

That Maybach Music V with Bobby Womack needed to be on this

 

[8pm at msg]

I'm both :x and entertained by the Dope ***** skit

And for the first time in a long time Wayne spit a solid verse. That's the Lil Wayne I could actually listen too.

 

[agentmk9]

Hes catching some heat for that trayvon line ... 

Rick Ross doesn't want to be misunderstood.

His sixth solo album Mastermind  was made available for streaming on iTunes  last night and already the larger-than-life rapper's rhymes are being scrutinized. Namely a line on the album's eleventh track "Black & White," on which the Miami MC makes a questionable reference to slain teenager Trayvon Martin.

"Trayvon Martin, I’m never missing my target," he raps, referencing the Florida boy who was killed two years ago today by George Zimmerman. Now, six days before the March 4 release of Mastermind, Ross clarifies the meaning behind his controversial words.

"It's so important that today, on the two-year anniversary of the death of Trayvon Martin, we never forget that tragedy," Ross says in a quote emailed exclusively to VIBE. "I'm never going to let the world forget that name. In my song 'Black and White' off Mastermind  I say, 'Trayvon Martin, I'm never missing my target'. There I'm reminding people that if you're a black person or a person of any color for that matter in this country, you have to be accurate, whatever moves you make, stay accurate. Even when you're walking down the street, playing music from your car, you have to stay on point."

He continues: "Black men are being killed and their killers [are] beating the trial. It hasn't been this much violence against black men since the '60s. I am Trayvon Martin, we're all Trayvon Martin. He was from South Florida. That could have been me or one of my homies. So, stay alert and never miss your target. Whatever that target may be. Getting out the hood, providing from your family. Stay sharp. Stay alive. Trayvon, Rest in Peace."

Rick Ross spent much of 2013 two-stepping around accusations that he glorified date rape on Rocko's “U.O.E.N.O.,” when he rapped, "Put molly all in her champagne/She ain't even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that/She ain't even know it." After losing an endorsement deal with Reebok, Ross apologized.

Listen to "Black & White" below. Does Rick Ross' statement clear up his touchy rhyme? —John Kennedy

 

[awwsome]

People really still getting up in arms about Rap lyrics?

Like dudes ain't been rapping about rape/murder/sodomy since the early 90's, ****** being real selective out here.

 

[W)taps]

Ye's horrible verse ruined the song for me smh. Shoulda just put Big Sean on.

 

[awwsome]

Not really feeling Sanctified, the drums have no groove, Ye sounds like he has a cold.

Ross was flourishing though, as he is through most of the album

 

[currensy]

Currently listening, like it so far.

 

[nawghtyhare]

I'm both :x and entertained by the Dope ***** skit

And for the first time in a long time Wayne spit a solid verse. That's the Lil Wayne I could actually listen too.

i listened to it was wasnt impressed
was better than the garbage he has put out for the last 2 years but still not even that good

 

[antidope]

Havent gotten to listen to the whole thing but Big Sean should have had a verse on Sanctified. That beat was tailor made for him and KanYe using his flow on it makes it even more obvious

 

[sosmoney23]

I didn't even know the full album leaked until I went on Twitter.

 

[Tony $now]

Can't even hate on this album. Easily his second body of work aside from TD. Will purchase Tuesday

 

[sosmoney23]

Can't even hate on this album. Easily his second body of work aside from TD. Will purchase Tuesday

Yea this is definitely his 2nd best album.

 

[heshua]

Even though I'm tired of everyone blatantly reciting biggie lines (they ain't even trying to be subtle, just straight repeating the hook) that Nobody song goes hard.

 

[ice city fc]

Think I gotta bad rip it's 320kbps but the whole album sounds like it was recorded in a cave. 

 

[ice city fc]

 

Can't even hate on this album. Easily his second body of work aside from TD. Will purchase Tuesday

Yea this is definitely his 2nd best album.

So which one exactly comes after Deeper Than Rap?

 

[$tacy]

Even though I'm tired of everyone blatantly reciting biggie lines (they ain't even trying to be subtle, just straight repeating the hook) that Nobody song goes hard.

I honestly don't see how anyone can say they dislike it.

 

[certifiedflyboi23]

Deeper Than Rap >*

 

[W)taps]

group rip is out. sounds SOOOOO much better.

 

[W)taps]

TD > Mastermind > DTR

 

[ice city fc]

 Mastermind been in your hands for a matter of hours.  DTR  has had multiple years to resonate and has only gotten better with time.  Easily his best work. 

 

[bence23]

i'm with those that DTR is still his best work..TD was more pop.. it was good but some pop songs on there.

paradise lost imp

 

[TipsyMcStagga]

TD > DTR > Mastermind

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Teflon Don with Mafia Music 2 as the Intro is his best work to me. This is better than GFID, can't say if it's better than Deeper Than Rap though. That **** is like a black audio version of Goodfellas. I don't eem count his first 2 albums, they had some bangers but dude got 10x better from Trilla to Deeper Than Rap. His lyrics, voice, flow, everything.

 

[whoshotcha]

My fav was always Port of Miami *shrugs*