F*ck A Concept: On Rick Ross’ “Royals” Remix & More Posted by Lucas G. on 10/24/13 | Filed under Humor, Opinion, Rick Ross, Fails

Is there any question that Lorde’s “Royals” is the song of the year? I think what has made it so popular—aside form her catchy vocals—is the fact that it is so different, content wise from anything else on the radio. While most songs, pop or hip-hop, flaunt wealth and luxury with cars, clothes, girls, and money, Lorde turns it upside down and celebrates us regular folk.  Considering the “Crystal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece/Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash/ We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair” content, it only makes sense that this emcee made a remix. No it ain’t Danny Brown or a conscious rapper, it is the one and only Rick Ross. Yes, the head of a label named after a fancy, foreign car (and a guy who has actually held an exotic cat) decided it would be right up hs alley to remix “Royals”.

It is absurd, but considering Rick Ross’ history, are any of us surprised. I would argue (and will hopefully prove) that Ricky Rozay is the king of the “fuck a concept” method; no emcee completely ignores a songs story or thematic elements more than Ross. There are plenty in this playlist, but the three main violators are the following:

John Legend ft. Rick Ross- “Who Do We Think We Are”
I think Kanye is the only producer who can actually make me like Ross. First “Devil In an New Dress” and now this. While I like Ross’ flow (*shudder*), his content leaves much to be desried. The concept of this song is simple, celebrities might think they are invicncible, but really they are mere mortals like any one else. Legend’s honest lyrics like “We love, we love, we love the stars/We could fall so hard” and Kanye’s flip of Mr. Big Stuff—which targets a guy who thinks he is all that when he ain’t—hammer home the fragility and emptiness of their “celebrity” status. I guess Ross only read half the memo, because while he has the materialistic luxury down— “Eggplant double breasted suit from Tom Ford/Bon voyage, left haters in the fog” but there is no reflection on what any of that really means. Ross thinks he is the boss, which is all well and good, but really doesn’t fit with the song.

Jennifer Hudson ft. Ne-Yo & Rick Ross – “Think Like a Man”
If you are doing a song for a movie, maybe, just maybe you should spit a few bars that has something to do with the you know, the concept of the movie.  I didn’t see the movie, but its pretty clear what the song is about, Women want one thing, Guys want another…trouble ensues. Jennifer Hudson nails it with the hook, and Ne-Yo—“Of course I want my cake, and eat too, I'm a guy/And of course, you don't understand/ But you would if you thought like a man in love”—gets it, but again Ross goes on his own path.  He thinks more like a guy that has a lot of money and lives next to Pat Riley than someone in a relationship. Maybe he does think like a man. I know every guy in here has trouble with the ladies when they realize they are just too rich for them. If I had a nickel for every time that has happened to me…

Fat Guy Who Yells Ft. Rick Ross, Meek Mill, T.I., Swizz Beatz, Diddy- “I Feel Like Pac, I Feel Like Biggie”
You would think in a song named after Pac and Biggie, you would at least reference one of them once in you 16. T.I. makes a horrible song and concept and actually makes it something respectable by weaving in classics from both legends into his bars. Hell even Meek Mill mentions both of them, but leave it to Rick to now mention either one once. Seriosuly, compare his verse with T.I.’s and it is night and day. T.I. saves it with lines like “They said "Brenda had a baby" but she left it in the alley One shot that "playa hater" now we "going back to Cali”. He isn’t re-affirming the ridiculous title, but spitting an ode to the two legends with a clever approach. Meek does his best, sneaking in an ode to the fifth crack commandment, but Ross’s best line is, “Take my case to trial, my juror Paula Deen”. It is funny yes, but has absolutely nothing to do with the song. Rhyme Pac with clock or talk about how you and B.I.G both have the same waist size…something is better than nothing.

Honorable mention goes to “Triple Beams Dreams”. Its not so much that his concept is off, after all it is his song, its that, when compared to Nas’ verse, he just doesn’t do it right at all. Anyway, there are a few more but those are my favorite ones. Anyway I’m sure plenty of people wills ay I am hating, but that isn’t really what I am doing…sorta. You want’ to like him fine, I see the appeal, especially when he is put in the right position to shine, but you can’t it there and tell me it is his concepts that makes you like him. His verse fit a certain lane, but they all sound like carbon copies. For all we know he just has verses on standby waiting to go out and be placed on songs. His verses are formulaic; a few lines about a girl surrounded by ones about his wealth. His content isn’t what bothers me (although it isn’t my style) it is the fact that no matter what kind of song it is or the themes, he never deviates. Hopefully this playlist shows you what I mean.

See Also:  Rick Ross Just Made This TMZ Cameraman His B**ch
See Also:  F**k This “I Feel Like Pac/I Feel Like Biggie” Song. F**k It To Death