Mixtape Review: Rick Ross's 'The Black Bar-Mitzvah'

Hip Hop has historically been synonymous with predominantly black culture. However, in recent years, an increasing number of Jewish rappers and producers have enjoyed mainstream success. No wonder one of hip hop's biggest stars Rick Ross has chosen to name his new mixtape 'The Black Bar-Mitzvah', featuring Drake. Here is a review of Ricky Rozay's controversially-named latest free release.

The self-styled 'Boss' of his record label MMG has been no stranger to controversy with widely circulating allegations that he fabricated his past, and was really a prison correctional officer. To back this up photographs of the self-proclaimed underworld kingpin have been leaked online showing the rapper in his younger days, beardless and wearing a CO's uniform. On top of this, even his name has been famously pilfered from an underground rapper Ricky 'Freeway' Ross. Rick Ross denies all of this but has since changed his name to Ricky Rozay.

'The Black Bar-Mitzvah's cover features an image of the 'Boss' within a Star of David, setting the scene for the ensuing chutzpah of the 18 track mixtape. The MMG head honcho begins the mixtape with an intro including some generic references to his clique and tying into the theme of the mixtape with a nod to his 'Jewish brothers'. His next two tracks feature the powerful, instrumentals Ross is well known for. The next two tracks have over-used beats, simplistic uninspired rhyming and washed out meandering semantics. However, the rappers that perform on 'Mercy' and 'Us' clearly put the effort in and put on a good show and there has been a lot of cash spent on the production, but apart from the theme of the mixtape the whole thing sounds rather formulaic.

That is not to say that the MMG boys do not put a good spread on, stand out tracks include the catchy 'Bands' and the impressively rhythmic lyrics on 'Bible on the Dash'. Another track to definitely include in your car play-list is 'Young & I'm Getting It' featuring Drake. Ricky Rozay himself also impresses on tracks he manages to cover alone including 'Itchin', transporting the listener into his world, where they feel immersed in a tense underworld of depravity and gluttony.

The money spent on recruiting the talents of big names on the mixtape has paid off for MMG, with the mixtape achieving the kind of success enjoyed by Ross's previous underground releases. If you are expecting something ground breaking and game changing then this mixtape will disappoint you. However, if simple entertainment is what you are after and enjoy beats designed to deafen then this is going to hit the spot.

Jason Cole is a writer specialising in urban culture, and US and UK mixtapes, focussing on emerging talent such as Benny Banks, Smokee Tokess and Giggs.