One of the heftiest rappers since Biggie Smalls with one of the tightest beards since Mr. T, Rick Ross is back with his third album.

“Deeper Than Rap” marks Ross’ continuing rise as a top rapper. Although his lyrics may not be as tight as other emcees, his delivery is raw, up-front and generally fits well with the beat. Put aside all the beef between 50 Cent and Ross, and this album speaks for itself as a testament to the Miami rapper’s rising fame.

The album starts off with the controversial “Mafia Music.” Despite all the hate Ross spills on other musicians — most notably 50 Cent — this song is a straight flow of Ross’ delivery. It shows his delivery is up front and forceful.

The sexually explicit “Face” with Trina is the album’s weakest track. It is easily knocked off as repetitive and obnoxious. The other female-featured jam, however, “Murda Mami” featuring Foxy Brown has a smooth beat and adds a lot to the album.

A standout track is “Maybach Music 2” featuring T-Pain, Lil’ Wayne and Kanye West. Here, Ross proves he can keep up with the current heavyweights in the rap game. The chorus is hard-hitting and catchy, and The Boss is able to hold on to the mic, keeping control of the song even though three of today’s biggest rappers are on it.

Although “Deeper Than Rap” is good for Ross’ continuing career, the title of the album needs reconsideration. When an album is labeled as “Deeper Than Rap,” one expects the artist to rap about something other than a rags to riches life story, money, women, cars and ever-growing ego. Most of the tracks on this album talk about just those things.

The idea could have to do with the use of classier instruments such as saxophones and xylophones, which are evident in tracks such as “Maybach Music 2” and “Magnificent.”

For his third album, Ross has stepped up his game but still needs some help writing lyrics that flow and rhyme well. Applause goes to Ross for staying away from the whole synthesized voice craze other rappers have on their newest albums and for having a solid straight-up rap album.

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