Rick Ross, Gold Roses | Track Review

Rick Ross and Drake deliver quite the smooth, sometimes thoughtful record with “Gold Roses,” a single from the highly-anticipated ‘Port of Miami 2.’

“Before I’m gone outta this place, yeah / Put some flowers in my face, won’t you / Let me know that I did okay, yeah / Don’t wait ‘til some other day, no, no.” Those lyrics, sung by Drake, based upon the saying “Give me my flowers while I’m can still smell them,” serve as the centerpiece of “Gold Roses.” Yes, Drake gets the honors of the most important lyrics from a Rick Ross single, but he’s perfect for the role to say the least.  There is no shortage of song on “Gold Roses,” which approaches six minutes in duration.

At first, it seems like Drake is going to dominate the slow, luxurious “Gold Roses,” performing the intro, first verse, and of course, the chorus.  But Rick Ross comes and asserts his ‘boss status,’ commencing the second verse with the memorable lyrics, “I was nominated, never won a Grammy / But I understand, they’ll never understand me.”  That’s key because it complements the ‘flower’ sentiment.  Throughout much of the rest of the verse, Ross raps about drip but also about that special lady in his life – “Money come and go, I’ma keep you forever / Slip-on glass slippers and tickle with feathers…”  Also, Ross drops a second verse, the third overall on the record.  It’s not far-fetched, but it makes an already long song feel much longer.

Final Thoughts 

There’s plenty to like about “Gold Roses.” Drake is on-point, excelling at being ‘true to self.’ Rick Ross also drops a well-rounded flow without changing the game.  The production by OZ, SykSense, Vinylz, and The Rascals also receives high marks.  But, “Gold Roses” runs longer than it needs to, and a verse would’ve been sufficient.  Still, the anticipation for Port of Miami 2 (August 9, 2019) is high.

Rick Ross • Port of Miami 2 • Epic • Release: 8.9.19

Photo Credit: Epic