“Over a Decade & Never Nobody’s Favorite”

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Ask most people with any level of knowledge or credibility within the Hip-Hop world and they'll probably have Jay Z's verse on "What's Free" as Rap verse of the year for 2018. Or at least within their top 5. And they would be correct to do so. Go even deeper and you could make the argument that Meek Mill's verse on that track was one of, if not, the best verses on his long-awaited return home album "Championships". However, at least in my circles, what seems to go unspoken and untouched is Rick Ross' verse on this track. 

Furthermore, it feels like we've received a criminally low musical output than what we usually expect from Rozay. Additionally, we're nearly halfway through 2019 and we are only now seeing signs of life on the Rick Ross music front; with all sign pointing toward an imminent release of the long, LONG, awaited "Port of Miami 2". And as I ponder on the topic of Rick Ross and what I expect from this album I am drawn to a specific line from Renzel's less credited "What's Free" verse:

"Over a Decade and Never Nobody's Favorite"

Isn't it so ironic that Ross spat the line on a track where his verse (despite how elite it is) has gone unspoken and remains largely unappreciated. We haven’t deciphered it or broken it down like we did with Hov. We haven’t praised it and held it high regard like Meek’s. Now for those rooted in the rap game and those who routinely listen to Ross, the appreciation for his skill and his artistry is there, no doubt. But this line leads me to question why when we speak of the best rappers in the game...Ross very rarely comes up. Cole, Drake, Kendrick, Sean, Meek, Pusha...we seem to go quite a long way down the list before we even mention Ross. But would you say Ross is underrated? Underappreciated? Undervalued?

It's a discussion to be had. Let's dive deeper into Ross' point, how many people do you know that truly declare Rick Ross to be their favorite rapper in the game today let alone of all time? It’s even more paradoxical when we consider the fact that Ross has arguably been THE most consistent rapper over the past 10 years. With great albums, elite features with all the best rappers and legends within the game, he’s developed and groomed a whole school of younger artists, he has some of the biggest hits in that time and is always a presence with the social media realm of the culture.

So how? Just how has Ross been so versatile and dominant over the past 10 years and still be in a position where he could ever be considered underrated? What's worse? We as fans didn't even recognize that Ross was underrated on our own. Rather, the man himself was forced to guide our thoughts to this fact.

https://twitter.com/ComplexMusic/status/1141785747097292802

So, what has to change? What more does Ross have to do for us as fans to appreciate him? By his own admission we can expect the long-anticipated Port of Miami 2 to be released VERY soon - emphasis on the very - and I for one have no doubt that Ross will give us the typical top tier content he always does with his album. And I personally would not be surprised if come 2019's end we are still bumping "Port of Miami 2" like it came out the day before. Thus, as fans, I hope with this upcoming release we give Ross the praise, acclaim and respect he deserves. So, on my end I'm 100% gonna make sure Rick Ross gets his flowers while he can still smell em.