Mastermind (Rick Ross Album)
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''Mastermind'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
. It was released on March 3, 2014, by Maybach Music Group,
Slip-n-Slide Records Slip-N-Slide Records is an American record label, founded in 1994 by Ted Lucas. History Ted Lucas founded the label in 1994. Slip-n-Slide signed local rapper Trick Daddy Dollars in its early years; he debuted in 1997 with the locally popular albu ...
and
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...
. The album features
guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...
s from
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
,
Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for ...
,
The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...
,
Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...
,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
,
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...
, Diddy,
Sizzla Miguel Orlando Collins (born 17 April 1976), known by his stage name Sizzla Kalonji or Sizzla, is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is noted for his high num ...
, Mavado,
Z-Ro Joseph Wayne McVey (born January 19, 1977), better known by his stage names Z-Ro and the Mo City Don, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He was named one of America's most underrated rappers by ''The New York Times'' in 2007. Early life ...
and Scarface. The album was supported with the official singles " The Devil Is a Lie", "War Ready" and " Thug Cry", in addition to the promotional singles "Box Chevy", " No Games" and " Nobody". ''Mastermind'' received generally positive reviews from critics. The album debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 179,000 copies in the United States. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards. ''Mastermind'' is also the first of two albums Ross released in 2014, followed eight months later by '' Hood Billionaire''.


Background

In December 2012, it was reported that Ross had begun working on his sixth studio album. On January 1, 2013, he announced he would release the title of his sixth studio album on January 7, 2013. On January 7, 2013, in a promotional video he revealed the title of sixth album would be ''Mastermind''. On June 10, 2013, during an interview with
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
, the rapper explained that ''Mastermind'' will have a soulful vibe, saying: "That's most definitely the feel and that's why I made sure I wanted to open at the top of the new year. I wanted to make that clear for the ones that paid attention that that's most definitely my vibe. I love making those kind of records, those 'Cigar Music' records, those 'Amsterdam' records, and that was most definitely the energy, but I record so much material — we gotta wait and see." In an October 10, 2013, interview with Civil TV, Ross spoke about the background of the album saying, "In the past year I done seen some things, I done been through some things, so you're going to feel that passion and that aggression. I think the streets are really going to love this." He also said he was putting "the finishing touches" on a song he wanted to get
Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack ( ; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's ...
featured on. In an October 2013 interview with Hot 97, he explained the album title, saying: "It's all about coming from wherever you come from and take it wherever you want to go to. And the minute you do that that's when you can consider yourself a mastermind." In December 2013, during an interview on Hip-Hop Nation, Ross spoke about why he decided to push the album back from its original December 17, 2013, release date, saying: "I'm still putting the final touches on the album. You know me, making that classic is more important than anything and making sure the streets are overwhelmed with what I am doing is what is most important. I'm gonna try to get it to you, and if I don't, I'ma get it to you ASAP."


Recording and production

On January 9, 2014, the album was mixed by Diddy. Also in January 2014, Scott Storch confirmed that he provided production on the album. The following month,
Mike Will Made It Michael Len Williams II (born March 23, 1989), known professionally as Mike Will Made It (often stylized as Mike WiLL Made-It) or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hi ...
revealed that he had produced a collaboration between Ross and
Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for ...
for the album. The album was executive produced by Ross and co-produced by Diddy. On February 7, 2014, DJ Mustard revealed that he co-produced "
Sanctified Sanctified may refer to: *Sanctification, the process of making holy Music Albums * ''Sanctified'' (album), by Morgana Lefay, 1995 *''Sanctified'', by the Rance Allen Group, 1975 Songs * "Sanctified" (song), by Rick Ross featuring Big Sean and ...
" with
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
. Ross collaborated with various artists during the album's recording process. The final version of the album would feature
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
, Jeezy,
The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
,
Sizzla Miguel Orlando Collins (born 17 April 1976), known by his stage name Sizzla Kalonji or Sizzla, is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is noted for his high num ...
, Mavado, Kanye West,
Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...
,
Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...
,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
,
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...
, Diddy, Scarface and
Z-Ro Joseph Wayne McVey (born January 19, 1977), better known by his stage names Z-Ro and the Mo City Don, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He was named one of America's most underrated rappers by ''The New York Times'' in 2007. Early life ...
. In a March 2014, interview with Shaheem Reid, he spoke about how the album's executive producer Diddy was adamant about having the album sound like it was recorded all in the same day, saying: "That's the expertise that Puff bring to the table. The way he orchestrate the music. Myself I'm in the studio—For example, and I'll hear a record come on from a writer's perspective I'm listening to the rhymes, the tones, punch lines, and then the beat. And it's the total opposite when Puff in the studio. He listening to the snare, to the high hat, to the kick. All previous of my five albums whenever I mixed my album and went to master it I could master my album in three hours. With the process Puff put it through it took three days. Yeah, so it was like giving it a '90s feel…I was in the studio. I'm smoking. I'm drinking. And Puff just said 'This album, this album it's missing one thing. We gotta make it feel like it was recorded in the same booth, same day.'"


Release and promotion

On September 16, 2013, Ross announced the Mastermind Tour Dates, a mini-USA tour to promote ''Mastermind'' which ran from November 12, 2013 to November 23, 2013. On October 9, 2013, Ross announced on his Twitter account that the album would be released on December 17, 2013. Two days later, a trailer for the album was released. The trailer "chronicles Ross' journey starting in 1999 through a series of fast moving shots quickly covering his come up through the rap ranks." Footage of Jay-Z, Diddy, Birdman, Big Meech,
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
and
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
are spliced into the video for effect. On January 14, 2014,
Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
announced that the album would be released on March 4, 2014. On January 24, 2014, the album's
cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...
was unveiled. On April 3, 2014, the music video was released for "Rich Is Gangsta". On August 3, 2014, the music video was released for "Supreme". On August 4, 2014, the music video was released for "What a Shame" featuring French Montana. On August 27, 2014, the music video was released for "Drug Dealers Dream".


Singles

The first promotional single, "Box Chevy", was released on February 15, 2013. The music video was filmed on April 1, 2013, and features
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
s from MMG members Gunplay, Stalley and Rockie Fresh. On May 2, 2013, the music video was released for "Box Chevy". The song peaked at number six on the US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles. The album's second promotional single, " No Games" featuring
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...
, was released on September 5, 2013. The song was produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. The following day it was sent to
urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contemporary r ...
radio as a single. The music video for "No Games" was filmed on October 10, 2013. The song has since peaked at number 19 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles. On November 3, 2013, the music video was released for "No Games" featuring Future. On October 23, 2013, Ross announced that the album's first official single, which will feature Jay-Z, will be released in early November 2013. The following day, Ross revealed that the song is titled " The Devil Is a Lie". He explained that song saying, "We're pushing the envelope once again and it's just one of those records I can't wait to hit the streets. We went in another direction but it's just one of those records that's gonna speak for itself and everybody's gonna have their opinion of it, but it's most definitely what the streets need." On December 19, 2013, "The Devil Is a Lie" featuring Jay-Z, was released for digital download. On March 20, 2014, the music video was released for "The Devil Is a Lie". On January 24, 2014, it was announced that the next single would be titled, "War Ready", and would feature Jeezy. It was then released on February 17, 2014. On February 27, 2014, the music video was released for the third
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
, " Nobody" featuring French Montana and Diddy. On March 7, 2014, the music video was released for "War Ready" featuring Jeezy. The album's third official single, " Thug Cry" featuring Lil Wayne, was serviced to
mainstream urban Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso * ' ...
radio in the United States on March 13, 2014. On May 5, 2014, the music video was released for "Thug Cry" featuring Lil Wayne.


Critical reception

''Mastermind'' was met with generally positive reviews. At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an
average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...
score of 68, based on 23 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. Nick Catucci of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' said, "As always, he's got a gifted ear for rumbly, deep-gloss beats. "Sanctified", which Kanye produced and raps on, sounds like platinum mallets drumming on shipping containers. His flow too remains flawlessly weighted. He's leisurely and precise even on the theatrically dark "In Vein", where he raps fast to play-off the Weeknd's cynical come-ons. The bleaker the setting, the brighter Ross shines." David Jeffries of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
said, "''Mastermind''—Ross' annual stomp-and-swagger album, 2014 edition—could be swapped out with 2009's ''Deeper Than Rap'' and only those burnt out on the album would know the difference, but when being stuck in a rut means you grind your wheels and all that spews out is gold, you only need to look to successful artists like the always funky James Brown, the always rockin' AC/DC, and the always stoned Devin the Dude for guidance." Jabbari Weekes of ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'' stated, "Much like Ross' affinity for mink coats, ''Mastermind'' is grandiose in its presentation, but it still only shows the surface of the man behind it." Mikael Wood of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' said, "As ''Mastermind''s mastermind, though, Ross seems on auto-pilot here." Sheldon Pearce of ''
HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of Hip hop music, hip hop music criticism and news. ''HipHopDX'' has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath C ...
'' stated, "''Mastermind'' simply lacks flair. It doesn't possess the pizzazz of ''Teflon Don'', which made Ross a power player or the pure gaudiness of ''Rich Forever'', which perfected his aesthetic. Rick Ross has seemingly run out of moves." Brandon Soderberg of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' said, "This is Ross at his least cohesive and most clueless since his 2006 debut, ''Port of Miami''. He has finally, totally lost himself in malleable self-mythology. His grip on reality has never been especially tight; that he found a way to further lose his way is actually strangely admirable, isn't it?" Dan Rys of '' XXL'' stated, "What Ross does well, and what he does again on ''Mastermind'', is put together a body of work that is as formidable as he is, and taken as a whole it's impossible to call this anything other than a very good album. Where people like Kanye and Drake and Kendrick Lamar keep winning by shaking up the formula and dabbling in the unexpected, Ross long ago identified his lane, and he is the undisputed kingpin of his brash brand of hip-hop. Ross die-hards will not be disappointed; anyone looking for something new and different was probably looking in the wrong place to begin with. ''Mastermind'' is a powerful album, an album with an identity, and one that has some solid songs and a handful of hits. Ross delivers just what he promised." Craig Jenkins of ''
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'' said, "''Mastermind'' finds Ross at a '' Truman Show'' moment: his character's reached the logical end of its universe. Going forward, he can either break out or keep up a jig he knows that we know is way past expired." Kevin Ritchie of '' Now'' said, "A tighter track list homing in on its sombre (and stoner) moods would've been bolder, but to his credit Ross avoids commercial trendiness in favour of more personal – if familiar – forays into Philly soul, funk, 90s hip-hop and South Beach glam (courtesy of producer Scott Storch on the stellar Supreme)." Michael Madden of ''
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
'' said, "The main tenet of Ross's Maybach Music Group is loyalty, and Ross is loyal to his fans on ''Mastermind'': it's more or less what we're used to from him. It sounds like the album Ross wanted to make, as inspired by heroes like Dilla, and Onyx, and Wu-Tang Clan, and Biggie, and Camp Lo."


Accolades

''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' named it the eighteenth best album of the first half of 2014. Writing for them, Justin Charity said, "Like all of Rick Ross' albums, ''Mastermind'' is expansively gorgeous. It's cohesive without being 'concept'. .."The Devil Is a Lie," which features Jay Z, and "War Ready" are Mastermind's biggest, most lethal beats, bookended by blues and reggae relief. With time, "Sanctified" emerged as the post-Yeezus Kanye collaboration that a real thug would've killed for. This is a perfectly respectable third encore from a rap champion who, if the critics have their say, really could use one of those lavish vacations he boasts about."


Commercial performance

''Mastermind'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 179,000 copies in the United States. In its second week, the album dropped to number three on the chart, selling 49,000 more copies. In its third week, the album dropped to number seven on the chart, selling 27,000 more copies. In its fourth week, the album dropped to number eleven, selling 19,000 more copies. As of January 2015, the album has sold 397,000 copies in the United States.


Track listing

Credits were adapted from the album's liner notes and BMI. Notes * signifies a co-producer * signifies an additional producer * "Intro" contains additional vocals by Robin Leonard * "Shots Fired" contains additional vocals by Cira Larkin * "Nobody" contains background vocals by
Teedra Moses Teedra Shenita Moses (born December 17, 1976) is an American contemporary R&B, R&B and soul music, soul singer-songwriter. Early life Moses was born and raised in New Orleans. She later moved to Los Angeles with her mother and three siblings ...
, and additional vocals by Diddy * "War Ready" contains background vocals by Tracy T * "Supreme" contains additional vocals by Katt Williams and
Keith Sweat Keith Sweat (born July 22, 1961) is an American singer, producer and songwriter. An early figure in the new jack swing musical movement, he is known for his collection of hits including "I Want Her," "Make It Last Forever (song), Make It Last For ...
* "Dope Bitch" contains vocals RK, Money Marie, and Tak (the underboss) * "Sanctified" contains additional vocals by
Betty Wright Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul music, soul and Rhythm and blues, R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career ...
* "Thug Cry" contains additional vocals by Betty Idol Samples * "Rich Is Gangsta" contains a sample of "Soul Searching" performed by Average White Band. * "Nobody" contains a sample of "You're Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)", written by
Sean Combs Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Mount Ve ...
, Stevie Jordan, George Johnson Jr, Ephrem Lopez, Jean Louhisdon,
Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...
, and Christopher Wallace. * "The Devil Is a Lie" contains a sample of "Don't Let Your Love Fade Away" performed by Gene Williams, written by Lee Harris and Ellie Taylor. * "What a Shame" contains elements of "Shame on a Nigga", written by Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, Lamont Hawkins, Jason Hunter, Russell Jones, Clifford Smith, and Corey Woods; a sample of "It Takes Two" by Lyn Collins; and interpolations of "Luchini", written by Richard Randolph, Clifford Smith, Kevin Spencer, Christopher Wallace, David Willis, and Salahadeen Wilds. * "Supreme" contains elements of "Is It Love You're After", written by Miles Gregory. * "Thug Cry" contains a sample of "93 Til Infinity" performed by Souls of Mischief, written by Adam Carter,
Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...
, Opio Lindsey, Tajai Massey, and Damani Thompson.


Credits and personnel

Credits for ''Mastermind'' adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
. * A+ – producer * Chris Athens – mastering * Chris Atlas – marketing * Sam Berry IV – assistant engineer * Alex "Gucci Pucci" Bethune – executive producer * Big Sean – featured artist * Bink – producer * Black Metaphor – producer * Sam Bohl – assistant engineer * Michael "Banger" Cahadia – vocal engineer * Dustin Capulong – assistant engineer * Anthony Cruz – vocal engineer * Mike Dean – instrumentation, producer * Diddy – additional production, executive producer, producer * Ben Diehl – engineer * DJ Enuff – producer * DJ Khaled – executive producer * Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II – additional music, bass * French Montana – vocals, vocals (background) * Noah Goldstein – engineer * Jason Guida – assistant engineer * Eldwardo "Eddie Mix" Hernandez – engineer * Victoria Holland – assistant engineer * Stevie J. – producer * Jaycen Joshua – mixing * Jay-Z – featured artist * Jeezy – featured artist * J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League – producer * Anes Ansouri – vocals * Ryan Kaul – mixing assistant * John "J-Banga" Kercy – engineer * Cira Larkin – vocals * Robin Leonard – vocals * Lil Wayne – featured artist * Pamela Littky – photography * Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance * Fabian Marasciullo – mixing * Hector Marin – producer * Mavado – featured artist * Tadarius McCombs – guitar (bass) * Stephen McDowell – assistant engineer, engineer * Dijon McFarlane – producer * Willie McNeal – producer * Meek Mill – featured artist * Michelle Trumpler – engineer * Mike Will Made It – producer * Zeke Mishanec – assistant engineer * Money Marie – vocals * Teedra Moses – vocals (background) * Jason Patterson – vocal engineer * Jiv Pos – producer * Andy Proctor – package production * Jason Quenneville – producer, vocal engineer * Rony Rey – vocal engineer * D Rich – producer * Ramon Rivas – vocal engineer * John Rivers – engineer * RK – vocals * Todd Robinson – assistant engineer * Leshawn Rogers – producer * Rick Ross – executive producer, primary artist * Sizzla – featured artist * Sharif Slater – producer * Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor – vocal engineer * Scott Storch – producer * Keith Sweat – vocals * Tracy T. – vocals (background) * Tak – vocals * Matthew Testa – engineer * Omar Walker – producer * The Weeknd – featured artist, producer * Dawud West – package design * Kanye West – featured artist, producer * Whole Slab – vocals * Katt Williams – vocals * Betty Wright – vocals


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References

{{Authority control 2014 albums Albums produced by Bink (record producer) Albums produced by Mustard (record producer) Albums produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League Albums produced by Kanye West Albums produced by Mike Will Made It Albums produced by Scott Storch Def Jam Recordings albums Maybach Music Group albums Rick Ross albums Albums produced by Stevie J Albums produced by Mike Dean (record producer) Albums produced by Boi-1da Albums produced by Timbaland Albums produced by Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon Albums produced by DJ Khaled Albums produced by Vinylz