Trilla [PA]

Performer: Rick Ross (Rap)
Artist: Mannie Fresh; R. Kelly; Ebonylove; Trey Songz; Nelly; Avery Storm; Jay-Z; Lil Wayne; Trick Daddy; Young Jeezy; Triple C; Brisco; Rodney
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: This second album by Miami (by way of Haiti) rapper Rick Ross is one of the most hotly anticipated sophomore releases of the year. This collection is a more than respectable follow-up to his monster debut. The album--produced by J-Rock, the Runners, Cool & Dre, and others--features the hit single "Speedin'," with guest singer R. Kelly. Two years after the Trick Daddy prot�g� hit the scene with his exceptional debut, PORT MIAMI, Rick Ross follows up with another thorough studio album rife with vivid gangsta storytelling and hard-thumping neo-G-Funk. On the whole, TRILLA is more party-oriented than the brooding PORT OF MIAMI, as Ross collaborates with a formidable group of big names from the worlds of contemporary R&B and hip-hop (R. Kelly, Trey Songz, T-Pain, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nelly, Mannie Fresh, and Young Jeezy, among others). But Freeway Ricky still finds time to weave his grim drug-trade narratives over a handful of more menacing underground tracks, too. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, the Runners, Drumma Boy, Jonathan Rothem, DJ Toomp, and DJ Nasty handle production. For all the criticism thrown at Rick Ross' debut -- redundant, nothing new, by the numbers gangsta music, and so on -- the man himself had little reason to reconsider after the album climbed to the top of the charts. Add up his guest appearances and mixtapes and he's a walking bankroll, so it shouldn't be too surprising that his style and attitude toward the album format has changed little on his sophomore release, Trilla. For Ross, the full-length is a place to hold the singles -- big, slick, and grand singles that are hard, hypnotic, and just what's needed to get a gangsta party started. Even if initial single "Speedin'" didn't dominate the way he would have hoped, the follow-up anthem "The Boss" and the sleazy "Money Make Me Come" are killer, the latter being especially infectious and extra shameless. The rest of the album survives thanks to its production, with everyone from Drumma Boy to Mannie Fresh offering exciting trunk rumblers. Special mention goes to the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, who helm three tracks, including the soulful "Luxury Tax" with Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, and Trick Daddy. The huge guest list is also a plus since Ross would have a hard time carrying this album on his own, but when surrounded by talent he pushes a little harder and comes up with a handful of rhymes that aren't tired or clich�d. While Trilla might not earn this Boss any more respect, he's got the single and collaboration game on lock, and when his greatest-hits album rolls around, it'll be a monster. ~ David Jeffries

Rolling Stone (p.65) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "TRILLA sets Ross' stentorian flow against sleek, synth-swamped beats....The beats are terrific..." Entertainment Weekly (p.77) - "[H]is imposing voice sounds pretty good over big-budget synths and even better over buttery soul strings and horns." The Wire (p.63) - "'Maybach Music' boasts mid-tempo soul with elaborate vocal and stringing embellishments....'Luxury Tax' is tricked out with flashy string swells..." Blender (Magazine) (p.82) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[H]e delivers his boasts in a husky basso profundo that could flatten a speedboat."

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