1. 1. I’m Not a Star - 7 out of 10
a. As soon as it starts, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League delivers a beat that you can’t help but nod your head to as Ross hops on. While it’s called ‘I’m Not a Star”, Ross spends the whole track talking about how much of a star he is. One thing to note is his flow, rarely do we see Ross use a somewhat sped flow, usually opting for his typical drawn out flow. As an intro, it serves its point and sets the pace for the rest of the album.
2. 2. Free Mason (feat. Jay-Z, John Legend) – 8 out of 10
a. Arguably the most anticipated track off the album. Production wise, everything is on point, with John Legend vocals adding to the overall vibe of the song. While he has some nice punch lines in his verse, Ross isn’t saying anything special; rather, he uses his delivery to captivate listeners. The result works…but Jay-Z takes this track to another level;
b. Niggas couldn’t do nothing with me/They put the devil on me/I would have preferred if a nigga squeeze the metal on me/Rumors of Lucifer, I don’t know who to trust/Whole world want my demise turn my music up/Hear me clearly: if y’all niggas fear me just say y'all fear me/Fuck all these fairy tales, go to hell/This is God engineering/This is Hail Mary pass, y’all interfering
c. Rarely do we see Jay not outperform whatever artist’s song he’s featured on. Personally, I like this better than his verse on ‘Light Up’.
d. Notable: Jay’s whole verse, John Legend’s backing vocals…overall great song and one of the top tracks off the album.
3. 3. Tears of Joy (feat. Cee-Lo) – 7 out of 10
a. This particular song I had to let grow on me but once it did, I ended up realizing it’s not a bad song at all. Cee-Lo’s vocals do in fact fit with the production provided by No I.D., and Ross spits on what you would call an uplifting song (at least for Ross). This is the most emotion you will get from a Rick Ross song, and it actually works out for him. The speech in the beginning could have been left out though.
b. Notable: Has to grow on you, but once it does you realize that it’s not a bad song at all.
4. 4. Maybach Music III (feat. T.I., Jadakiss, Erykah Badu) – 8 out of 10
a. You can tell this is a real chill song as soon as it starts. T.I. starts it off with a good verse that leads into a great hook by Erykah Badu. Actually, her hook is a significant boost to the track already, as it fits the already outstanding production courtesy of J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. Ross’ verse as a whole is decent, but it’s really the production that shines here. The beat completely changes leading into his part, making the song even better. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League did a good job of making Rick Ross seem better than he really was. Overall, it’s a good song that would have been better if they just took Jadakiss off the track (and I usually like him).
b. Notable: Erykah Badu on the hook, production, everyone’s good on this song excluding Jadakiss
5. 5. Live Fast, Die Young (feat. Kanye West) – 8 out of 10
a. As soon as the beat starts, you can tell that this was meant for Kanye more than anyone else. Ross’s verse is for the most part, uninteresting. Thankfully, Kanye saves this song, delivering in both flow as well as what he does best, talking shit:
b. I mean, we walked in this bitch so stylish/Niggas done mistook me for my stylist/And I know it's superficial and ya say it's just clothes/But we shoppin' in that motherfucker and they just closed/So go ahead and just pose/When she walked up out the dressin' room the store just froze
c. The song really could have ended after Kanye’s part but you get another verse from Ross to close it. Also, the hook…forgettable.
d. Notable: Kanye, Production
6. 6. Super High (feat. Ne-Yo) – 8 out of 10
a. You’ve probably heard this song before, the lead single of the album and an overall good song. Ross is consistent throughout this whole song, and does a great job of transitioning into an impressive hook by Ne-Yo. This far through the album and you really don’t have a bad song on it. Every song is good is it’s on right, and this track is just another example of this.
b. Notable: Overall good song. Check it out if you’ve never heard it. Stacey Dash is in the video for it.
7. 7. No. 1 (feat. Trey Songz, Diddy) – 4 out of 10
a. I think Diddy made him put this track on the album because this song is terrible. I really have nothing else to say about this song except the fact that I don’t like it. This is more of a Diddy song than anything.
b. Notable: I really don’t like this song…I know last song I just praised him for being consistent.
8. 8. MC Hammer (feat. Gucci Mane) – 7 out of 10
a. Ross bounces back with this song. It’s not lyrical at all, but the production as well as his delivery makes this a good song. Plus the hook is hot, even if it makes no sense;
b. My gun dirty, my brick clean/I’m ridding dirty, my dick clean/She talk dirty but her mouth clean/Bitch I'm MC hammer.. I'm about cream/I got 30 cars, whole lot of dancers/I take them everywhere... I'm MC Hammer/Started selling dough, I'm too legit to quit/When its hammer time, I'm pulling out the stick
c. Surprisingly, Gucci doesn’t really add anything to the track. It’s surprising because I thought ‘hype’ songs are what he does best.
d. Notable: Production, Ross’s flow.
9. 9. B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast) (feat. Styles P) – 7 out of 10
a. Ok, this sounds almost exactly like the previous song production wise. Matter of fact, I think he could have used the same hook from the previous song and it would have worked on this. The whole song is about to “Big Meech, Larry Hoover” or basically the Black Mafia Family (Check it out here). Styles verse, while short, adds the change of pace this song needed, especially after the previous song.
b. Notable: Very similar to the previous song except more drug talk (this dude was a C.O. right?)
10. 10. Aston Martin Music (feat. Drake, Chrisette Michele) – 8 out of 10
a. Unfortunately Drake doesn’t rap on this, as he solely adds to the hook of the song. Musically, it’s a pretty good song which sounds like a mesh between Super High and Maybach Music III. Chrisette Michele’s sings the hook beautiful, leading in to a nice singing bridge by Drake.
b. Notable: Good song.
11. 11. All the Money in the World (feat. Raphael Saadiq) – 7 out of 10
a. Different song that kind of sums up the whole album musically. Personally, I would have liked for a stronger ending, similar to how “I’m Not a Star” started the album off, but it still serves its purpose.
Teflon Don has Rick Ross rapping on some of the best beats of 2010, and while he will never be known as a lyrical heavyweight, Rick Ross knows how to make songs and ultimately, that’s all that matters. The funny thing about this is that there was a time when I was anticipating this album even more than Drake’s, yet, the expectations of these two were completely different. The difference between this and Thank Me Later is that I can listen to this whole album and only skip 1 song (No. 1) while in Thank Me Later I won’t play anything past “Miss Me”. The highlights of TML easily outweigh the highlights of Teflon Don, but there is simply too much deadweight in that album to make it album of the year. Teflon Don, however, is consistent. When I think of album of the year, I think of an album I can play start to finish that’s better than the rest, and Teflon Don is indeed that. You will never hear me say Rick Ross is better than Drake, but I will say that overall, Teflon Don is a more enjoyable listen.
Rating: 8 out of 10 *Not an average
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