So…old school Rick Ross is back, merged with the new Rozay. I know I’ve made jokes on Ross over the years (for example, his whole beef with Jeezy). However, the man knows how to make a dope track. This is especially because his ear for beats is damn near impeccable. While most of his production is boisterous and fancy, it still works and still makes you want to tune in to what he’s saying.

“Turnpike Ike” is Ross at his best: it’s braggy, it’s loaded with claims of wealth and drug talk, has some surprising multisyllablic rhymes (Ross, when you sit there and dissect his bars, has some lyrics), and it’s got that “M-M-Maybach Music” tag over drum rolls, bass, and a piano/synth mix produced by Jake One. Plus, he seems a bit more mature, even though we’re getting energy we’ve gotten over previous efforts.
The latest Port of Miami 2 drop makes me curious for the album, though. Will we get that fancy, “coke brings caviar dreams” rap Ross has become known for? Will we get something more introspective and the previous drops are to get the people going? How will that possible Pusha/Wayne “collabo” come out–and could it lead to those two dropping their long-simmering issues? Will Ross’s fans make this a hit or will the album “flop” (we really need to have a conversation about that word) because of a lack of a ginormous push?
All these questions and more will be answered next time on Dragon Ball Zwhen Port of Miami 2 drops tomorrow. For now, check out “Turnpike Ike” and remember to support dope music in all its forms.