Richer Than I Ever Been
2021 studio album by Rick Ross
Richer Than I Ever Been | |||
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Studio album by | |||
Released | December 10, 2021 | ||
Length | 42 : 09 | ||
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Singles from Richer Than I Ever Been | |||
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Richer Than I Ever Been is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Rick Ross . It was released on December 10, 2021, through Maybach Music Group and Epic Records . The album features guest appearances from Willie Falcon , The-Dream , Benny the Butcher , Wale , Future , DreamDoll , Yungeen Ace, Major Nine , Blxst , Jazmine Sullivan , 21 Savage , and Wiz Khalifa . The production is handled by Boi-1da , Timbaland , Bink , Don Cannon , Jonny Shipes , Carnage , Infamous , AraabMuzik , and Fuse , among others. It serves as the follow-up to Ross' previous album, Port of Miami 2 (2019). The deluxe edition was released on January 28, 2022, Ross' 46th birthday. It features additional guest appearances from AZ and Anderson .Paak .
Background
On November 23, 2021, Rick Ross was interviewed by Complex . He referred to the album as his "best" and compared some songs on the album to his song, "Triple Beam Dreams", from his fifth studio album, God Forgives, I Don't (2012). He also explained how he feels that Richer Than I Ever Been is different from his previous albums:
It has more lyrical wordplay. I'm on some shit. I felt there was some shit I could do different coming off of Port of Miami 2 . So on Richer Than I Ever Been , maybe the first five records could be overwhelming with the way the production is and the extent I'm going to with the wordplay, the rap shit. That's most definitely a difference, versus me giving records that's just about the vibe. [1]
Release and promotion
Ross announced the title of the album in August 2020 in an interview with Ebro from Apple Music , with a plan for it to release that year. [2] The tracklist was revealed in December 2021. [3] The lead single, "Outlawz", which features American singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage , was released on November 12, 2021. [4] The second and final single, "Little Havana", which features Cuban former drug kingpin Willie Falcon and American singer-songwriter The-Dream , was released on December 3, 2021. [5]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.3/10 [6] |
Metacritic | 66/100 [7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic |
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Clash | 7/10 [9] |
Exclaim! | 7/10 [10] |
HipHopDX | 3.3/5 [11] |
NME |
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Pitchfork | 6.7/10 [13] |
RapReviews | 5/10 [14] |
Rolling Stone |
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Spectrum Culture | 60% [16] |
Richer Than I Ever Been was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 66, based on eight reviews. [7] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [6]
Will Dukes of Rolling Stone praised the album, stating, "On Richer Than I've Ever Been , Ross proves that his highfalutin aspirations are a major part of his authenticity". [15] Reviewing the album for Exclaim! , Wesley McLean stated, "This album won't change anyone's opinion of Rick Ross, but fans will get everything they love about his music: some standout tracks, an abundance of charismatic luxury raps and a slew of incredible, lavish instrumentals for you to cruise around to". [10] Clash critic Robin Murray said, "With features from Blxst , Yungeen Ace, Future , and Wale – amongst others – Richer Than I Ever Been is shamelessly entertaining, the work of an artist who knows what his audience wants to hear". [9] Dylan Green of Pitchfork said, " Richer Than I Ever Been is far from Ross' most vital album, but few rappers can make what amounts to a status update feel like you're right next to him, living out the story brick by brick". [13] Ben Brutocao of HipHopDX wrote, "If slightly unexciting, Richer Than I Ever Been is a testament to the lasting talent of the MMG commandant, even if he doesn't break new ground". [11]
In a lukewarm review, NME ' s Will Lavin wrote, "There's nothing complex about what Rick Ross does. ... Ross consistently portrays the 'old Rozay', garnering successful results more times than not. Sometimes simplicity is key: if it ain't broke don't fix it". [12] Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "This is a perfectly adequate Ross LP differentiated by its mix of collaborators more than anything else". [8] In a mixed review, RapReviews ' s Michael G. Barilleaux stated: "Overall, aside from some promising lines and one, maybe two standout tracks, Richer Than I Ever Been is an album that predictably falls short. It simply features too many weak beats backing up bars that often do more to bore than they do to convey a sense of skill or originality." [14]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Little Havana" (featuring Willie Falcon and The-Dream ) |
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3:46 | |
2. | "The Pulitzer" |
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Timbaland | 2:18 |
3. | "Rapper Estates" (featuring Benny the Butcher ) |
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3:23 |
4. | "Marathon" |
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3:42 |
5. | "Warm Words in a Cold World" (featuring Wale and Future ) | Bink | 3:40 | |
6. | "Wiggle" (featuring DreamDoll ) |
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2:41 |
7. | "Can't Be Broke" (featuring Yungeen Ace and Major Nine ) |
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Jonny Shipes | 4:13 |
8. | "Made It Out Alive" (featuring Blxst ) |
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Cheeze | 3:38 |
9. | "Outlawz" (featuring Jazmine Sullivan and 21 Savage ) | 4:49 | ||
10. | "Imperial High" |
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DJ Toomp | 3:22 |
11. | "Richer Than I Ever Been" |
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Black Metaphor | 2:52 |
12. | "Hella Smoke" (featuring Wiz Khalifa ) |
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Fuse | 3:39 |
Total length: | 42:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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13. | "Vacheron" (featuring AZ ) |
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The Heatmakerz | 3:16 |
14. | "Revelations" |
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Cardiak | 3:35 |
15. | "Not for Nothing" (featuring Anderson .Paak ) |
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3:56 |
Total length: | 52:57 |
Personnel
- Fabian Marasciullo – mixing engineer (tracks 1, 9, 11, 12)
- Colin Leonard – mastering engineer (all tracks)
- Trop – recording engineer (tracks 1, 3, 10, 11)
- Eddie "eMIX" Hernandez – mixing engineer (tracks 2–4, 7, 8, 10), recording engineer (track 2)
- Amani "A $" Hernández – assistant engineer (tracks 2–4, 7, 8)
- Tomcat – recording engineer (tracks 4, 6–12)
- Bink – mixing engineer (track 5)
- John Rivers – mixing engineer (tracks 5, 6, 10)
- David Anthony "Tropdavinci" Bermudez – recording engineer (track 5)
Charts
Chart (2021) |
Peak
position |
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Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) [17] | 96 |
US Billboard 200 [18] | 22 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ( Billboard ) [19] | 10 |
References
- ↑ McKinney, Jessica (November 23, 2021). "A Luxurious Drive Through New York With Rick Ross" . Complex . Retrieved January 16, 2022 .
- ↑ King Louie (August 7, 2020). "Rick Ross Breaks Down Verzuz Battle, Goes Off On Terry Crews, Kanye West + Announces New Album" . Hot97 . Retrieved December 19, 2021 .
- ↑ Saponara, Michael (December 3, 2021). "Rick Ross Calls Upon Big Names For 10th Album 'Richer Than I've Ever Been' " . HipHopDX . Retrieved December 19, 2021 .
- ↑ Hussey, Allison (November 12, 2021). "Rick Ross Shares New Song "Outlawz," Featuring Jazmine Sullivan and 21 Savage: Listen" . Pitchfork . Retrieved December 19, 2021 .
- ↑ Callas, Brad (December 3, 2021). "Rick Ross Shares New Song "Little Havana" f/ The-Dream and Willie Falcon" . Complex . Retrieved December 19, 2021 .
- 1 2 "Richer Than I Ever Been by Rick Ross reviews" . AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved December 19, 2021 .
- 1 2 "Richer Than I Ever Been by Rick Ross Reviews and Tracks" . Metacritic . Retrieved December 23, 2021 .
- 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "Richer Than I Ever Been – Rick Ross" . AllMusic . Retrieved January 12, 2022 .
- 1 2 Murray, Robin (December 10, 2021). "Rick Ross – Richer Than I Ever Been" . Clash . Retrieved December 11, 2021 .
- 1 2 McLean, Wesley (December 14, 2021). "Rick Ross Revels in His Signature Sound and Style on 'Richer Than I Ever Been' " . Exclaim! . Retrieved December 19, 2021 .
- 1 2 Brutocao, Ben (February 11, 2022). "Rick Ross 'Richer Than I Ever Been' Album Celebrates His Great Legacy But That's All" . HipHopDX . Retrieved March 22, 2022 .
- 1 2 Lavin, Will (December 10, 2021). "Rick Ross – 'Richer Than I Ever Been' review: rap don sticks to the formula, with satisfying results" . NME . Retrieved December 11, 2021 .
- 1 2 Green, Dylan (December 17, 2021). "Rick Ross: Richer Than I Ever Been Album Review" . Pitchfork . Retrieved December 17, 2021 .
- 1 2 Barilleaux, Michael G. (December 21, 2021). "Rick Ross :: Richer Than I Ever Been" . RapReviews . Retrieved December 25, 2021 .
- 1 2 Dukes, Will (December 13, 2021). "Rick Ross is Realer Than Reality on 'Richer Than I've Ever Been' " . Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 19, 2021 .
- ↑ Dubois, Aymeric (January 10, 2022). "Rick Ross: Richer Than I Ever Been" . Spectrum Culture . Retrieved January 12, 2022 .
- ↑ "Rick Ross Chart History (Canadian Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ↑ "Rick Ross Chart History ( Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ↑ "Rick Ross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved December 21, 2021.