rick ross' deeper than rap

My cynicism failed so I tried this. I don't like event albums by not-great rappers usually, stuff with supposedly expensive, expansive production....The Documentary, Dre 2001, "We Takin' Over." Supposedly these things are carried by their guests and lush beats, but usually they've led to "The Boss" or "The Next Episode," or "How We Do," some of the laziest, most pro forma shit ever to gain notice. It's gotten especially bad in the post-Timbaland dirty south why-fix-808s-that-ain't-broken era. Thank fuck for the new era of autotune and The-Dream's bubbly airiness, an actual style alternative to Broke, finally heralding an album that sounds like the rich guy invested some of his bucks in it. The X-Files synths on "Face," the divebombing guitar fills on "Maybach Music 2" (actually everything on "Maybach Music 2"), the gorgeous and shit-simple hook on "All I Really Want," the attenuation to chord changes and arrangements and Isaac Hayes string-soaked crunch with actual bass and snares and some lived-in dimension to it. One "Maybach" star's own Late Registration sounds a little dinky next to the positively regal closer "In Cold Blood." Ne-Yo's jellied "Bossy Lady" does make me retch a little, but if there's a "Money Make Me Come" or "Hit U From the Back" here it's buried too well to ruin just the thing for a recession that looks to last a bit. This is an unsolicited, beautiful-sounding record by a lucky shithead enjoying himself and why not. The only missing party is Bill Callahan.