CD Reviews

Rick Ross

Trilla | Def Jam

By BEN WESTHOFF | March 25, 2008

2.5 Stars

It’s easy to hate on Rick Ross for his sub-standard flow and tired materialism (he drives German automobiles and wears Japanese denim, don’t ya know), but he’s easier to appreciate if you think of him not as an artist but as a vessel for some of the best mainstream pop out this year. On Trilla we get “Speedin’,” a mindless-but-ecstatic romp buffered by an R. Kelly hook and a frantic beat courtesy of the Runners. “The Boss” is the first top-down anthem of the spring, and we mostly have J.R. Rotem’s beat and T-Pain’s chorus to thank for that. Solid J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League productions anchor the middle of the album: “Maybach Music” (featuring Jay-Z), “Billionaire,” and “Luxury Tax,” with Lil Wayne, Trick Daddy, and Young Jeezy. Nearly all of Ross’s guests outshine him, but the boss deserves credit — without him we wouldn’t have this album in the first place.

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