Port of Miami 2 explained

Port of Miami 2
Type:studio
Artist:Rick Ross
Cover:Port of Miami 2 by Rick Ross.jpeg
Genre:Hip hop
Length:66:29
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Rather You Than Me
Prev Year:2017
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Next Year:2021

Port of Miami 2 is the tenth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross. It was released on August 9, 2019, by Maybach Music Group and Epic Records. The album features guest appearances from Wale, Gunplay, Summer Walker, Dej Loaf, Swizz Beatz, Meek Mill, Nipsey Hussle, Teyana Taylor, Jeezy, YFN Lucci, Ball Greezy, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Denzel Curry, John Legend, Lil Wayne, and Drake. Port of Miami 2 serves as the sequel to Ross' debut album, Port of Miami, released in 2006. It was supported by three singles: "Act a Fool", "Big Tyme", and "Gold Roses".

Background

On July 16, 2019, the album's release date was announced.[1] On July 31, Rick Ross was featured in an interview on Big Boy's Neighborhood radio show in which he said: Ross shared the album's tracklist on August 1, 2019.[2]

Artwork

The artwork, an homage to the original Port of Miami cover depicts Ross holding a pendant with a picture of Black Bo, his friend and manager, who died in December 2017.[1]

Promotion

The album's lead single, "Act a Fool" featuring Wale, was released on June 21, 2019,[3] the song peaked at number 45 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[4]

The second single, "Big Tyme" featuring Swizz Beatz, was released on July 2, 2019,[5] the music video for the song was released on July 30.[6]

The third single, "Gold Roses" featuring Drake, was released on July 26, 2019,[7] the song peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.[8]

Promotional singles

"Turnpike Ike" was released as a promotional single on August 6, 2019.[9]

Critical reception

Port of Miami 2 was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 67, based on seven reviews.

Aaron Bishop of Clash wrote that Port of Miami 2 "shows Renzel with his pen at his sharpest, his beats at their grandest and his coveted guest verse spots at their most impactful. Over a decade at the top of the rap mountain has seen the MMG icon have his ups and downs. But on what is his tenth studio album, he proves why he’s achieved such longevity in the fickle game that is rap. Tracks such as "Turnpike Ike" showcase the four-time Grammy nominee at his very best, while his willingness to delve into topics outside of his luxurious lifestyle add a depth and gravitas to the record that make it a worthy successor to the original thirteen years on." Andy Kellman of AllMusic saying "Frequent serious references to mortality make Port of Miami 2 his heaviest recording." Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork stated: "Too often on Port of Miami 2, he locks into the flow of least resistance and simply lets it ride, hiding behind his production instead of asserting his dominion over it. And while his music remains sumptuous as always, that luster alone is no longer enough to wow."

In a mixed review, Rolling Stones Christopher R. Weingarten stated: "Most of his 10th album, Port of Miami 2, is Ross exactly as you know and love him: the obscene boasts, the window-cracking bass, the speedboat cool, the various spins on raps-to-riches success." Will Lavin of NME said, "While the beginning of the album struggles, you'll be hard pushed to find a five-song stretch as flawless as the close out tracks on Ross' 10th studio album." Jesse Fairfax of Spin wrote that "Port of Miami 2 further cements Ross as a mainstay among the aging elite—those rappers whose names now carry them further than their music does. Playing it safe with the sequel to his far more ambitious debut LP, Ross regurgitates that which people have come to love from him, or at least have accepted as his standard."[10]

Commercial performance

Port of Miami 2 debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, behind Slipknot's sixth album We Are Not Your Kind, with 80,000 album-equivalent units, of which 25,000 were pure album sales. It is Ross's 10th US top 10 album.[11]

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[12]

Instrumentation

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for Port of Miami 2
Chart (2019)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 79
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[14] 92

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rick Ross Announces 'Port of Miami 2' Release Date, Shares Cover Art Honoring Late Manager. Billboard. Saponara. Michael. July 17, 2019. August 1, 2019.
  2. Web site: Rick Ross Unveils 'Port of Miami 2' Track List, Feat. Nipsey Hussle, Teyana Taylor & Meek Mill. Billboard. Saponara. Michael. August 1, 2019. August 1, 2019.
  3. Web site: Rick Ross And Wale Link On "Act A Fool". Vibe. VIBE Staff. June 21, 2019. August 1, 2019.
  4. Web site: Rick Ross Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs). Billboard. December 25, 2021.
  5. Web site: Rick Ross Comes Through With "Big Tyme" Ft. Swizz Beatz. HotNewHipHop. Marie. Erika. July 2, 2019. August 1, 2019.
  6. Web site: Watch Rick Ross' "BIG TYME" Video Starring Swizz Beatz and Jordyn Woods. Complex. July 30, 2019. August 6, 2019.
  7. Web site: Hear Drake Reunite With Rick Ross on 'Gold Roses'. Rolling Stone. Zemler. Emily. July 26, 2019. August 1, 2019.
  8. Web site: Rick Ross Chart History (Billboard Hot 100). Billboard. December 25, 2021.
  9. Web site: Rick Ross Shares New 'Port of Miami 2' Track "Turnpike Ike". Complex. Cowen. Trace William. August 6, 2019. August 6, 2019.
  10. Web site: Rick Ross' 'Port of Miami 2' Is a Nice House With Nothing in It. Spin. Fairfax. Jesse. August 14, 2019. August 18, 2019.
  11. Web site: Slipknot Ties Up Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'We Are Not Your Kind'. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. August 18, 2019. August 19, 2019.
  12. Web site: Credits / Port of Miami 2 / Rick Ross. Tidal. June 2, 2021.
  13. Web site: ARIA Chart Watch #538. auspOp. August 17, 2019. August 17, 2019.
  14. Web site: Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100). lt. AGATA. August 16, 2019. December 2, 2019.
  15. Web site: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. June 21, 2020.