''The Black Bar Mitzvah'' is the third
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
by American rapper
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper.
Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
, it was released on October 8, 2012. The mixtape features
guest appearances from
Rockie Fresh,
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
,
Lil Reese
Tavares Lamont Taylor (born January 6, 1993), known professionally as Lil Reese, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Hailing from Chicago's drill scene in the early 2010s, he is known for his collaborations with fellow rappers Chief ...
,
Diddy,
Gunplay,
2 Chainz
Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...
,
Pharrell, and Whole Slab.
Reception
Controversy
Rick Ross canceled his MMG Tour after a gang named
Gangster Disciples
The Gangster Disciples are an African American street and prison gang, which was formed in the South Side of Chicago in the late 1960s, by Larry Hoover, leader of the Supreme Gangsters, and David Barksdale, leader of the Black Disciples. The tw ...
put a series of YouTube videos threatening the Southern rapper. Various sects of the Gangster Disciples (GDs), a gang founded on the South Side of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
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, subdivision_name ...
, appear in videos on YouTube threatening Ross and demanding money. A nearly 10-minute video published featuring members of the North Carolina crew is titled "Rick Ross In Trouble with the GD's
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
."
The reason for the gang feud with Ross, comes from the Black Bar Mitzvah mixtape cover. The cover features Rick Ross surrounded by the
Star Of David
The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...
, they felt it disrespected
Gangster Disciples
The Gangster Disciples are an African American street and prison gang, which was formed in the South Side of Chicago in the late 1960s, by Larry Hoover, leader of the Supreme Gangsters, and David Barksdale, leader of the Black Disciples. The tw ...
' leader
. The Star Of David is the symbol used by the Gangster Disciples. They claim to have already given Ross a pass "for using our honorable chairman's name in a disorderly fashion fashion in Ross' song "
B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)
"B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" is the second single from Rick Ross' fourth studio album '' Teflon Don''. It features Styles P. It was produced by Lex Luger. The song was originally released as an unmastered version on Ross' promotional mixtape, the ...
". Others have said it is not about Hoover. The GDs also appear to be upset that Ross has been acting like more of a gangster than he really is. Affiliated groups, such as ones in Florida and Georgia, have made their displeasure known on YouTube and demanded money. At the same time the album cover was named the twelfth best cover of 2012 by ''
Complex Magazine
Complex Networks is an American media and entertainment company for youth culture, based in New York City. It was founded as a bi-monthly magazine, ''Complex'', by fashion designer Marc (Ecko) Milecofsky. Complex Networks reports on popular a ...
''.
12. Rick Ross, The Black Bar Mitzvah — The 25 Best Album Covers of 2012 , Complex
/ref>
Critical response
''The Black Bar Mitzvah'' was met with generally mixed reviews from music
critics. Jon Dolan of ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave the mixtape three out of five stars, saying "''The Black Bar Mitzvah'' is a perfect title for a Rick Ross mixtape: his vision of playalistic splendor has always been the stuff of thirteen-year-old boy fantasy. "My new home look like it’s Al Capone/My new bitch look like she in En Vogue," he raps over swirling strings and blinding-bright hi-hats on "Us," featuring Drake. Ross stomps triumphally over hits like Kanye's "Mercy" and "Birthday" by 2 Chainz, hates on Mitt Romney, and even recaps his recent micro-brawl with Young Jeezy at the BET Hip-Hop Awards: "Let me get back to my bitches 'cause you bitch niggas ain't nothing"– even when reality creeps in, he still sounds like a superhero."
Calvin Stovall of BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
gave the mixtape three out of five stars, saying "''The Black Bar Mitzvah'' plays like every run-of-the-mill, jacking-for-beats tape we’ve heard. As novel as it is to hear Ross and his MMG fam lace some of the day's hardest bangers, it's not enough to keep anyone's attention in a game where hungry MCs are putting some of their best original content onto mixtapes. He raised the bar himself, so he has only himself to blame, but Ross’ performance isn't a complete disappointment. It's great to hear him on underrated Southern bangers like "Gone to the Moon," "Bands" and "Us," where Ross proves that his flow is still top notch. But stale remixes of G.O.O.D Music hits "Clique" and "Mercy" only exist to introduce MMG's newest pick-up, Rockie Fresh. That's fair enough, considering it seems like the greater purpose of the entire tape was to promote upcoming projects from Meek Mill and Gunplay, but Ross owes listeners more than this head-scratcher."
Track listing
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Bar Mitzvah
2012 mixtape albums
Rick Ross albums
Albums produced by Pharrell Williams
Albums produced by Mike Will Made It
Albums produced by Jahlil Beats