Rick Ross Makes MMG Untouchable on “Self Made 2” (Album Review) Posted by Nathan S. on 06/27/12 | Filed under Features, Opinion, Rick Ross, Wale, Meek Mill, Album Reviews, Stalley, Omarion

RefinedHype Nation asked for more album reviews on the site, you got 'em. Fresh off Curren$y's "The Stoned Immaculate", I took a shot at breaking down MMG's "Self Made 2" album for the mothership.

I've included some select paragraphs below, hit the link at the bottom of the page for the full review. Feel free to tell me what a fucking moron genius I am in the comments below and we can really break down "Self Made 2". Looking forward to getting into this one - don't look now, but Rick Ross really is a Bawse.

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We tell our children that they can be anything they want if they just work hard and believe in themselves. That, of course, is mostly crap. No matter how hard I work or believe in myself, there just aren’t a lot of NFL teams looking for a slow, 160 pound white running back. But Rick Ross is the living (very large) exception to the rule. Before Ross had even signed to Def Jam he was rapping about living the life of a millionaire, and now he’s narcissistically eating lobster bisque for breakfast on a yacht in Cannes. Before Ross even had an employee he was calling himself a boss Bawse, and now he heads what has to be considered one of the most successful labels in hip-hop.

In fact, I don’t know if anyone has mastered marketing in the digital era better than Rick Ross and the Maybach Music Group. Capitalizing on the internet’s seemingly insatiable thirst for new content, MMG produces songs, videos, teasers, vlogs, tweets, you name it, at an astounding rate. And at every turn the MMG family is as coordinated as a SWAT team: a trailer for Ross’ upcoming "God Forgives, I Don’t" plays before the video for Meek Mill’s "Take U Home", also featuring Wale. Every move is plotted and planned.

Considering Ross’ military level organization, MMG’s new compilation album "Self Made Vol. 2" can’t be seen as merely a “compilation album”. This isn’t just a collection of MMG tracks, this is an ad for both Ross and Meek Mill’s upcoming albums, a way to deepen the public’s familiarity with Gunplay and Stalley and introduce the crew’s newest member, Omarion. (And, by default, wave goodbye to Pill.) Ross knows he’s pushing a product, and he’s careful to make sure "Self Made 2" at least meets his quality standards. In other words, there are no surprises here. Do you like what RossMillWaleStalleyGunplay has put out in the last year? Then you’ll like "Self Made 2".

Like many, when I pressed play on "Self Made 2" I was on the lookout for bangers. You know, the undeniably addictive "BMF"/"I’ma Boss"/"Tupac Back" tracks that demand speaker blowing. On that level I was disappointed. "Black Magic" was clearly intended to be that track, but despite a booming beat and a hilarious hook from Ross, "Black Magic" just doesn’t hit as hard as I’d like. "Black on Black" and "Bury Me A G" have to also be in the running, but as hard as they roll, they just don’t have that intangible quality, that je ne sais quoi, that makes me still play the hell out of "MC Hammer". Poof, there goes an album without a hit single banger.



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Read the Full "Self Made 2" Review via The DJBooth

See Also: Curren$y Brings Stoner Rap to the Majors on “The Stoned Immaculate” (Album Review)