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.
| Richer Than I Ever Been | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 10, 2021 | |||
| Length | 42:09 | |||
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| Rick Ross chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Richer Than I Ever Been | ||||
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Background
editOn 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
editRoss 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
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.3/10[6] |
| Metacritic | 66/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Clash | 7/10[9] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[10] |
| HipHopDX | 3.3/5[11] |
| NME | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 6.7/10[13] |
| RapReviews | 5/10[14] |
| Rolling Stone |  [15] |
| 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
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Little Havana" (featuring Willie Falcon and The-Dream) |
| 3:46 | |
| 2. | "The Pulitzer" |
| Timbaland | 2:18 |
| 3. | "Rapper Estates" (featuring Benny the Butcher) |
|
| 3:23 |
| 4. | "Marathon" |
|
| 3:42 |
| 5. | "Warm Words in a Cold World" (featuring Wale and Future) | Bink | 3:40 | |
| 6. | "Wiggle" (featuring DreamDoll) |
|
| 2:41 |
| 7. | "Can't Be Broke" (featuring Yungeen Ace and Major Nine) | Jonny Shipes | 4:13 | |
| 8. | "Made It Out Alive" (featuring Blxst) |
| Cheeze | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Outlawz" (featuring Jazmine Sullivan and 21 Savage) | 4:49 | ||
| 10. | "Imperial High" |
| DJ Toomp | 3:22 |
| 11. | "Richer Than I Ever Been" |
| Black Metaphor | 2:52 |
| 12. | "Hella Smoke" (featuring Wiz Khalifa) |
| Fuse | 3:39 |
| Total length: | 42:03 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Vacheron" (featuring AZ) |
| The Heatmakerz | 3:16 |
| 14. | "Revelations" |
| Cardiak | 3:35 |
| 15. | "Not for Nothing" (featuring Anderson .Paak) |
|
| 3:56 |
| Total length: | 52:57 | |||
Personnel
edit- 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
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] | 96 |
| US Billboard 200[18] | 22 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] | 10 |
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Richer Than I Ever Been by Rick Ross reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "Richer Than I Ever Been by Rick Ross Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Richer Than I Ever Been – Rick Ross". AllMusic. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (December 10, 2021). "Rick Ross – Richer Than I Ever Been". Clash. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b Green, Dylan (December 17, 2021). "Rick Ross: Richer Than I Ever Been Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Barilleaux, Michael G. (December 21, 2021). "Rick Ross :: Richer Than I Ever Been". RapReviews. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ^ a b 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.