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. 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.
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.
Promotion.
The album's lead single, "Act a Fool" featuring Wale, was released on June 21, 2019, the song peaked at number 45 on the Hot R&amp;B/Hip-Hop Songs.
The second single, "Big Tyme" featuring Swizz Beatz, was released on July 2, 2019, the music video for the song was released on July 30.
The third single, "Gold Roses" featuring Drake, was released on July 26, 2019, the song peaked at number 39 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.
Promotional singles.
"Turnpike Ike" was released as a promotional single on August 6, 2019.
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 Stone"'s 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."
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.
Track listing.
Notes
Sample credits
Personnel.
Credits adapted from Tidal.
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Charts.
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References.
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