Behind the Beats: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
With each album, Rick Ross has grown — and not just physically. While his 2006 debut, Port of Miami, was filled with repetitive trap-rap anthems like "Hustlin'," "White House" and "Where My Money," the Bawse has expanded sonically with each release. Credit the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League with part of Ross' musical elevation.
Crafting four tracks on Rozay's sophomore Trilla, including the Jay-Z-featuring "Maybach Music," JL have gone on to land tracks on each of the Bawse's following albums. Expect no different from the upcoming God Forgives, I Don't.
"We just talked to the homey, and we're gonna have a big presence on that album," the League's Rook told Mixtape Daily while walking the black carpet at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards.
With "Maybach Music," the Grammy Award-winning production trio — consisting of Rook, Colione and Kenny Barto — gave Ross a well-orchestrated instrumental, complete with strings and operatic background vocals. It's a formula they followed on the song's 2009 sequel, "Maybach Music Part 2," with Ross, T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, as well on "Maybach Music Part 3" from Rozay's Teflon Don LP.
With Ross tracks like "Aston Martin Music," "Rich Off Cocaine" and "Magnificent" already under their belt, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League have proven to be more musical than many of their rap contemporaries. For God Forgives, I Don't, the Tampa, Florida, beatmakers look to help elevate Ross' sound once again.
"It's funny because you think that [Ross] might've reached his peak," Rook said. "People think that they might've figured his sound out, but when they hear the new album, they're gonna be chasing that new sound."
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