Teflon Don (album)

Teflon Don
Studio album by Rick Ross
Released July 20, 2010
Recorded 2009–10
Genre Hip hop
Length 49:17
Label Maybach Music Group, Slip-n-Slide, Def Jam
Producer Clark Kent, Danja, The Inkredibles, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Lex Luger, No I.D., The Olympicks, The Remedy, Rick Ross (exec.), Kanye West
Rick Ross chronology

Deeper Than Rap
(2009)		 Teflon Don
(2010)		 God Forgives, I Don't
(2012)
Singles from Teflon Don
  1. "Super High"
    Released: May 4, 2010
  2. "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)"
    Released: June 29, 2010
  3. "Aston Martin Music"
    Released: October 5, 2010

Teflon Don is the fourth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross; it was released on July 20, 2010, by Maybach Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by several record producers, including Clark Kent, No I.D., The Olympicks, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Lex Luger, Danja, The Inkredibles, The Remedy and Kanye West.

The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 176,300 copies in its first week. It attained some international charting and produced three singles with moderate Billboard chart success. On its release, Teflon Don received generally positive reviews from most music critics, earning praise for its cinematic production and Ross' lyrical persona.

Singles

The album's first single, "Super High" featuring Ne-Yo, was released on May 4, 2010. It peaked at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[1] Its music video received airplay on MTV and BET.

The album's second single, "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" featuring Styles P, was released on June 29, 2010.[2][3] The song reached number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[4]

"Aston Martin Music" featuring Drake and Chrisette Michele, debuted at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100, after heavy downloads the week of the album's release.[5] "Aston Martin Music" was released on October 5, 2010, as the album's third single.[6] It peaked at number 30, making it the highest peaking single on the chart.[7]

Other songs

The radio single was "Live Fast Die Young" which was sent to Rhythm/Crossover radio on July 13, 2010. It did not receive promotion and did not chart.[8]

Reception

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 176,300 copies.[9] It is Ross's first album not to debut at number one in the United States.[10] It also entered at number two on Billboard‍ '​s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Rap Albums and Digital Albums charts.[11][12][13] In its second week, the album dropped to number three on the Billboard 200 and 63,000 copies.[14] It moved to number five on the chart and sold 39,000 copies in its third week.[15] In the United Kingdom, Teflon Don entered the UK Albums Chart at number 169,[16] and also at number 23 on the Top 40 RnB Albums chart.[17] In Canada, it debuted at number 17 on the Top 100 Albums chart.[18] Up to May 4, 2012, the album had sold 724,000 copies in the US.[19] The album was then certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.[20]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [21]
Entertainment Weekly (B+)[22]
Los Angeles Times [23]
The New York Times (favorable)[24]
Pitchfork Media (8.0/10)[25]
PopMatters (7/10)[26]
Rolling Stone [27]
Slant Magazine [28]
Spin [29]
The Village Voice (favorable)[30]

Teflon Don received positive reviews from most music critics.[31] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 18 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[31] Critics noted it as Ross's strongest album at the time and found its production cinematic and "epic".[32] Allmusic writer David Jeffries gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and viewed it as an improvement over Ross's previous album Deeper Than Rap, stating "Teflon plays up the chilled and soulful elements of its predecessor, meaning Ross has graduated to a level where words like 'organic' and 'poignant' come into play".[21] Entertainment Weekly‍ '​s Simon Vozick-Levinson called Ross "a competent rapper" and complimented his "ear for lush, expansive beats".[22] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described him as "a ferocious character, an impressive rapper... a clever and loose thinker" and wrote that Teflon Don "establishes him as one of rap’s most potent and creative forces".[24] Sean Fennessey of The Washington Post praised Ross's lyricism and wrote that he "is an enunciator of the highest order, his voice a tidal wave baritone... his word choice and onomatopoetic gestures... are unmatched in rap right now".[33] Brian Richardson of Tiny Mix Tapes gave it 3½ out of 5 stars and wrote "he employs such confidence and panache staying within his limitations".[34] XXL writer Rob Markman gave the album an XL rating and stated "if it is simply judged on the music, Teflon Don is damn near spotless. The lyrics are on par, the beats are lush, and the imagery is larger than life".[35]

Some critics thought that the album favored style over substance and criticized Ross's lyrics.[32] Slant Magazine's Jesse Cataldo wrote that "despite fitful spots of brilliance, [it] feels distinctly swampy... too often comes off as a conspicuous mishandling of both assets and signifiers: too much drug posturing, too much repetition, too little real effort".[28] OC Weekly writer Nate Jackson gave the album a C+ rating and stated "Ross squanders opportunities to expand the content of his verses beyond the digits of his bankroll".[36] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club gave it a B rating and stated "Producers [...] provide lush, cinematic, larger-than-life soundscapes for Ross’ crass consumerism, while classy guest vocalists [...] regularly outshine the star... the only thing deep about Ross are his pockets and his rumbling voice. Teflon Don excels as sleek, smooth, shiny pop escapism, pure and simple".[37] Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun noted his lyrics as "sleek, too-often shallow", but praised its "elegance" and "grandiose stunting".[38] USA Today‍ '​s Steve Jones gave the album 3 out of 4 stars and wrote that Ross's "booming voice and colorful tales of ill-gotten wealth are hard to ignore. His Maybach music always sounds good rattling the trunk, even if your ride is less ostentatious".[39] Ian Cohen of Pitchfork Media compared the album's embracement of "an aura of dominance" to late-1990s hip hop music and elaborated on its indulgent Mafioso-themes and sound, stating:

Ross' greatest gift is the ability to conjure a fully-formed Planet Boss, a refuge from the dwindling fortunes of gansta rap and the general economic downturn ... J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, No I.D., and Kanye West create beats that really do sound like they're fantastically out of reach to anyone but the financial elite, and you can hear every dollar that went into the record ... Lyrics that might look clumsy on paper turn into grand pronouncements through pure self-belief. And like a great action hero, Ross never lets cleverness get in the way of saying something memorable. Understandably, money is about the only tie Planet Boss has to reality, and nearly every interaction can be broken down as a financial transaction.[25]
—Ian Cohen

Saxon Baird of PopMatters viewed that Ross's performance compensates for his "wet-dream fantastical lyrics" and stated "Ross is good at what he does and rap needs guys like him to liven up the party and get us hyped".[26] Rolling Stone writer Jody Rosen complimented Ross's "gloating with wit and goofiness", stating "[he] pours out smart rhymes over sleek, synth-heavy beats".[27] Tray Hova of Vibe lauded Ross's "penchant for exaggerated 16s and larger-than-life soundscapes" and "knack for picking colossal beats".[40] Ben Detrick of Spin commented on Ross's assumption of his "kingpin" persona, stating "If the Miami rapper has been a shell, though, he's become Fabergé on Teflon Don, his fourth and best album. The songs here are baroquely structured, richly musical creations with humor and emotional depth".[29] Jayson Greene of The Village Voice noted Ross's subject matter as "transcendent absurdity" and called the album "ridiculously extravagant and extravagantly ridiculous".[30] Los Angeles Times writer Jeff Weiss gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and commended Ross's "chimerical mythologizing", while noting its sound as "beautifully constructed... a symphonic grandeur to match Ross’ elaborate delusions".[23] Steve Juon of RapReviews gave Teflon Don a 7.5/10 rating and wrote "Over a short but impactful 50 minutes of music, the gravelly guru of hustling expands his repertoire beyond debates about authenticity... he's still able to weave together dope beats with great stories".[41] was number 30 on Rolling Stone‍ '​s list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.[42] Pitchfork Media placed it at number 38 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".[43] In 2012, Complex named the album one of the classic albums of the previous decade.[44]

Track listing

Writers for Teflon Don adapted from physical edition booklet.[45]

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "I'm Not a Star"  Erik "Rook" Ortiz, Kevin "Colione" Crowe, William Leonard Roberts IIJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League 3:00
2. "Free Mason" (featuring John Legend & Jay-Z)John Stephens, Johnny Mollings, Leigh Elliott, Lenny Mollings, Maurice Carpenter, Roberts II, Shawn CarterThe Inkredibles 4:07
3. "Tears of Joy" (featuring Cee-Lo Green)Bobby Seale, Dion Wilson, Roberts II, Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, Willie McKinley HutchisonNo I.D. 5:33
4. "Maybach Music III" (featuring T.I., Jadakiss & Erykah Badu)Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., Crowe, Erica Abi Wright, Jason Phillips, Ortiz, Roberts IIJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League 4:26
5. "Live Fast, Die Young" (featuring Kanye West)Frederick Knight, Kanye West, Marvin Gaye, Roberts IIKanye West 6:13
6. "Super High" (featuring Ne-Yo)Emanuel Johnson, Knight, Mark Richardson, Mike Stokes, Roberts II, Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr.Clark Kent, The Remedy for F.A.T.E., LLC 3:46
7. "No. 1" (featuring Diddy & Trey Songz)Floyd Nathaniel Hills, Roberts II, Sean John Combs, Tremaine Aldon NeversonDanja 3:54
8. "MC Hammer" (featuring Gucci Mane)Felton Pilate, James Earley, Lexus Arnel Lewis, Louis K. Burrell, Michael Kelly, Radric Davis, Roberts II, Stanley Kirk BurrellLex Luger 4:59
9. "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" (featuring Styles P)David Styles, Lewis, Roberts IILex Luger 4:10
10. "Aston Martin Music" (featuring Chrisette Michele & Drake)Aubrey Drake Graham, Chrisette Michele Payne, Crowe, Ortiz, Roberts IIJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League 4:30
11. "All the Money in the World" (featuring Raphael Saadiq)Brian Parker, Bob Wicler, Charles Ray Wiggins, David Stokes, Jayson James, Kyle Miller, Roberts IIThe Olympicks 4:40
Sample credits

Personnel

Credits for Teflon Don adapted from Allmusic.[46]

  • Chris Athens – mastering
  • Chris Atlas – marketing
  • Inderan K. Bailey – assistant
  • Gabriel Bartolomei - drums
  • Scott Berger-Felder – engineer
  • Alex "Gucci Pucci" Bethune – A&R
  • Jeff Bhasker – keyboards
  • Chris Bonawandt – engineer
  • Leslie Brathwaite – mixing
  • Adam Brooks – conductor, French horn
  • Dee Brown – assistant
  • Leesa D. Brunson – A&R
  • Tanner Chung – cello
  • Andre Cleghorn – guitar (bass)
  • Andrew Colella – viola
  • Sean "Puffy" Combs – composer
  • Andrew Dawson – engineer
  • Ben Diehl – engineer
  • Kaye Fox – vocals
  • Marvin Gaye – composer
  • Samuel Gibbs – trombone
  • Jacob Goins – violin
  • Jaymz Hardy-Martin III – engineer
  • Eldwardo "Eddie Mix" Hernandez – engineer
  • Nate "Danja" Hills – composer, producer
  • Keith "Pika" Holme – stylistic assistant
  • The Inkredibles – producer
  • Derrick Jackson – trombone
  • Rennie Johnson – guitar (electric)
  • Darrel Jones – viola
  • Terese Joseph – A&R
  • J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League – producer, additional production
  • Sang Kang – cello
  • Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – engineer, mixing
  • Clark Kent – producer
  • Khaled Khaled – A&R
  • Anthony Kilhoffer – engineer
  • Rob Kinelski – engineer
  • Brent Kolatalo – instrumentation
  • Anthony Kronfle – assistant
  • Juliene Kung – viola
  • Stephen Lawrence – violin
  • John Legend – vocals, vocals (bckgr)
  • Ken Lewis – instrumentation
  • Tai Linzie – artwork, photo coordination
  • Andre Lipscomb – assistant
  • Michael Lu – violin
  • Lex Luger – producer
  • Phil Mallory – guitar (bass)
  • Jonathan Mannion – photography
  • Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance
  • Marlon Marcel – engineer
  • Graham Marsh – engineer
  • Connie Mitchell – vocals
  • Latoya Murray-Berry – stylist
  • Edward J. "Uk" Nixon – engineer
  • No I.D. – producer
  • The Olympicks – producer
  • Duncan Osborn – violin
  • Joe Peluso – mixing
  • Poobs – engineer
  • Kevin Randolph – keyboards
  • Remedy – producer
  • Derek Roche – stylist
  • Rick Ross – executive producer
  • TaVon Sampson – art direction, design
  • Ray Seay – mixing
  • Noah Shebib – engineer
  • Shaffer Smith – composer
  • Antonie Swain – trombone
  • Matthew Testa - engineer
  • Forrest Watkins – French horn
  • Kanye West – composer, producer
  • Jonathan White – viola
  • Edward Williams III - trumpet
  • Tony Williams – – vocals (bckgr)
  • Brandon Wilson – trumpet
  • Steve Wyreman – guitar
  • Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young – engineer
  • Tina Yu – violin

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart[18] 17
UK R&B Chart[17] 23
UK Albums Chart[16] 169
US Billboard 200[9] 2
US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[11] 2
US Rap Albums (Billboard)[12] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (2010) Position
US Billboard 200[47] 66

Certifications

Country Certification
United States Gold[48]

References

  1. ↑ Song Performance: Super High. acharts. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  2. ↑ B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast) - Single. iTunes Store. Retrieved on June 30, 2010.
  3. ↑ New Music: Rick Ross - B.M.F. (Blow Money Fast) Featuring Styles P. Island Def Jam. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Rick Ross Music News & Info". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Rick Ross Music News & Info". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/365033/rick+ross/chart
  8. ↑ Available for Airplay. FMQB. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Caulfield, Keith. Eminem Still No. 1, Rick Ross Bows at No. 2 on Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  10. ↑ Castillo, Arielle. Rick Ross' Teflon Don Sales Fail to Knock Eminem Out of Number-One Chart Slot. Miami New Times. Retrieved on July 29, 2010.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Week of August 07, 2010. Billboard. Retrieved on July 15, 2010.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Rap Albums - Week of August 07, 2010. Billboard. Retrieved on July 15, 2010.
  13. ↑ Digital Albums - Week of August 07, 2010. Billboard. Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
  14. ↑ Caulfield, Keith. Avenged Sevenfold Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on August 4, 2010.
  15. ↑ Caulfield, Keith. Arcade Fire and Taylor Swift Sweep in with New No. 1s. Billboard. Retrieved on August 12, 2010.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Chart Log UK - Weekly Updates Sales 2010. zobbel.de. Retrieved on April 23, 2011.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 UK Top 40 RnB Albums - 25 July 2010. BBC Online. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Top 100 - For the Week Ending 22 July, 2010. Jam!. Retrieved on July 29, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Rick Ross Has 'Clinical Direction' To New Signings, Says Def Jam President". Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  20. ↑ RIAA Database
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Jeffries, David. Review: Teflon Don. Allmusic. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Vozick-Levinson, Simon. Review: Teflon Don. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Weiss, Jeff. Review: Teflon Don. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Caramanica, Jon. Review: Teflon Don. The New York Times. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Cohen, Ian. Review: Teflon Don. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on August 3, 2010.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Baird, Saxon. Review: Teflon Don. PopMatters. Retrieved on August 7, 2010.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Rosen, Jody. Review: Teflon Don. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Cataldo, Jesse. Review: Teflon Don. Slant magazine. Retrieved on July 24, 2010.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Detrick, Ben. Review: Teflon Don. Spin. Retrieved on July 29, 2010.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Greene, Jayson. Review: Teflon Don. The Village Voice. Retrieved on July 22, 2010.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Teflon Don (2010): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Dietz, Jason. July’s Best New Music. Metacritic. Retrieved on July 29, 2010.
  33. ↑ Fennessey, Sean. Review: Teflon Don. The Washington Post. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  34. ↑ Richardson, Brian. Review: Teflon Don. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  35. ↑ Markman, Rob. Review: Teflon Don. XXL. Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
  36. ↑ Jackson, Nate. Review: Teflon Don. OC Weekly. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  37. ↑ Rabin, Nathan. Review: Teflon Don. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  38. ↑ Case, Wesley. Review: Teflon Don. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  39. ↑ Jones, Steve. Review: Teflon Don. USA Today. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  40. ↑ Hova, Tray. Review: Teflon Don. Vibe. Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
  41. ↑ Juon, Steve. Review: Teflon Don. RapReviews. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  42. ↑ "The 30 Best Albums of 2010". Rolling Stone (December 25, 2010). Retrieved January 18, 2011
  43. ↑ http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7893-the-top-50-albums-of-2010/2
  44. ↑ http://www.complex.com/music/2012/12/25-rap-albums-from-the-past-decade-that-deserve-classic-status/rick-ross-teflon-don
  45. ↑ Teflon Don (CD booklet). Rick Ross. Def Jam. 2010.
  46. ↑ Credits: Teflon Don. Allmusic. Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
  47. ↑ "Best of 2010 - Billboard Top 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  48. ↑ RIAA Database

External links