On Tuesday, July 20, Rick Ross will release his fourth studio album, Teflon Don, and everybody’s talking. It seems like he’s everywhere these days: the TV, the radio, the blogs... The Boss’s bearded grill is inescapable, but will this be the album that will finally earn Ross a place among rap’s elite? A few members of the XXL staff and some of our awesome interns (what up Manny and Calvin) brought the issue to the virtual roundtable yesterday afternoon to discuss for our new column, Aim & Fire, where we chop it up on the latest trending topics in hip-hop.  Here’s what we had to say.

Jesse Gissen: OK, so the topic this week is Ricky Ross and the question is: Can Ross stand on his own two? In other words, the man is known for having a lot of big name guest appearances and larger than life beats -- but can he hold his own?

Emmanuel “Manny” Maduakolam: Nope..right now..pure swag rapper..lyrics are mediocre at best.

Rob Markman: Teflon Don does have a TON of guests, but Ross has proven himself as a strong MC.

Adam Fleischer: He holds his own on those records often times, but I don’t think he’d be where he is without the features

Matt Barone: Rapper, or MC?

Rob: MC

Matt: Yikes

Rob: Ross is an MC.

Laurence Bass: I think his beat selection will keep the people listening. Rhymes, not so much.

Rob: Listen to the third verse on "I'm Not A Star" he killed that verse.

Calvin Stovall: He can stand on his own, but he knows that everyone would rather hear him with Jay and Kanye... who wouldn’t?

Rob: Take "Free Mason" for example. That was an incredible Jay verse. Ross held his own? He didn't best Jay, but he held his fuckin' own.

Matt: But is it okay to just "hold your own"?

Jesse: Good question Matt.

Adam: I think cause of his flow, he'll always somewhat hold his own.

Rob: Nah go back to "Free Mason." Ross spits: "Big contracts, big contractors/Built pyramids, period, we masters/No Caterpillars, it was just a lot of niggas/A lot of great thinkers and a lot of great inventors"

Rob: That's lyricism. That’s some MC shit.

Calvin: He doesn’t spit wack verses... but he doesn’t spit anything that blows your mind.

Matt: He shows signs of MCing, yeah, but one or two impressive verses doesn’t make a true MC, to me at least.

Calvin: He's solid, there's nothing wrong with that. I’m not skipping his verses to get to Jay’s or Kanye’s or Drake’s.

Adam: Rob, do you think you'd have any less love for the CD if it were feature-less? Same songs, but only Ross?

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Rob: The features on Teflon Don enhance it, but I think Ross makes good songs without Jay or Kanye.

Calvin: Ya’ll really think Ross isn’t a good rapper? Like really?

Adam: I think he knows how to make songs, point blank period. Some dudes can rap their ass off and don’t know how to make songs and vice versa.

Rob: And he knows how to spit.

Calvin: OK, just making sure. Cus I’m not a fan of his, but I know that it would take me a long time to come up with a song of his that I would say is wack.

Laurence: His content is just the same every-phucking-time. (The top to the can of worms just went pop.)

Matt: I agree with Laurence on that.

Calvin: Everyone’s content is the same every time that’s a weak argument. Jay raps about the same shit.

Matt: How many times will he rap about money, or his cars, etc.

Calvin: Black Thought raps about the same shit.

Matt: And I get mad at Jay's music for that, too.

Calvin: Talib raps about the same shit.

Adam: Nah, just cause everyone’s content is the same shit, doesn’t mean that that’s ok

Rob: Ross varies his content. Did you hear "Tears of Joy" or "All the Money In The World?" He is rapping about how his pops died from cancer.

Manny: This was by far his best work yet tho...he shows growth.

Matt: Can anyone reference a song where Ross beat everyone else on the song lyrically?

Calvin: Nope

Laurence: Drum rolling…

Rob: “Maybach Music III”

Adam: But his features are always so strong.

Jesse: No, but I can name songs with JUST ROSS that he kills it himself.

Adam: He gets the best dudes in the game on his music.

Laurence: T.I. is better than him on that. HELL Badu shines better as the hook.

Matt: I can admit to having skipped Ross verses before.

Rob: On "Maybach Music III" I was disappointed with the guest’s verses, I expected more from T.I. and Jada.

Manny: He smashed “Tears of Joy”

Adam: ”Tears of Joy” is a great song.

Jesse: No disrespect to the woman in the room - but is Ross the equivalent of the chick with an ugly face but a bangin’ body (Pause) - banging beats and features but ehh - throw a bag over the grill piece?

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Calvin: LMAO

Laurence: Wow....

Matt: You're saying Ross is hip-hop's resident ButterFace. LMAO. Awesome.

Jesse: Can’t emphasize the pause enough here people LOL.

Rob: No way Jesse. I disagree. Ross is a dope rapper. He has bars.

Matt: I could try to come up with a funnier analogy, and I'd fail every time. Well done.

Calvin: No, i just think his face is bearable and his body just outshines him. PAUSE.

Jesse: I’m just playing devil's advocate here people.

Adam: I agree with Rob, Ross has bars.

Rob: "Peter piper picking records and Rick pitch poems"

Matt: This may sound weird, or lame, but whatever..... his voice and flow bore me. I think that's my central problem with Ross.

Manny: Yea..his voice n flow is why he's dope.

Calvin: His voice and flow are his only good attributes so if you don’t like those then ur just not gonna like him no point in listening.

Matt: Ha, I see there's one person who disagrees with me.

Adam: Yeah, I gotta totally disagree with you Matt, I love his flow and voice.

Jesse: Matt - is there any verse you hear from Ross that u like?

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Matt: This new album has a few I dig, but I’m not wow-ed. I just have a different headspace when it comes to MCs i can say I "love" or are "great."

Jesse: I gotta say the first time I listened to Ross and was like damn - he really killed that shit was the “Angels” remix.

Calvin: Yup same here.

Matt: This new album does have songs that I love.

Rob: Yo Ross kills the 3rd verse on "I'm Not A Star" when he flips that whole rhymes scheme, "Diddy negotiates, paperwork go to Theo/My niggas never singing if I need 'em i go to Ne-Yo"

Matt: "Aston Martin Music," for the beat and hook mainly. He does his thing on "I'm Not A Star," I agree. If he could do more songs like that, i could slowly become a true fan.

Rob: 'Fuck a famous bitch and i treat her just like a skee-o/ Not even worth a shower just grab me a stick of Deo"

Jesse: At the same time - he has some verses that just make no sense - and not in the good Ghostface why - "if she dies on my dick/she can live through my rhymes." WTF?!?

Calvin: to go directly to the question, I guess he can’t stand-alone. Cus now that I think of it, i didnt like “Aston Martin” the first listen until the Drake version came out. It’s an incredible song but Ross' verses alone dont stand out or anything. They just fit in perfectly.

Matt: Haha

Calvin: he’s the perfect role player.

Matt: "Perfect role player"....I like that.

Rob: Perfect role player? Dude has FOUR FUCKIN ALBUMS. All filled with dope shit.

Matt: All filled with tons of guest appearances.

Jesse: Let the record show - Teflon Don - 11 songs - 10 have features, same time - "BMF," "MC HAMMER," that’s all Ross.

Calvin: The beats are the stars.

Manny: I think its agreeable that he is a above average MC just not a great one. He is Joe Johnson of hip hop

Adam: That’s a max player right there.

Manny: Great role player, puts up points, but he's NO # 1 option.

Adam: Joe Johnson isn’t a role player, and neither is Ross.

Manny: Yes he is.

Calvin: well he's not a number 1 option

Matt: Is he even considered number one today?

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Calvin: Which i think the question is

Rob: On "Push It" from Port Of Miami when he spits: "I told ya never roll on the soul of a soldier/You never know that dishwasher could be your beholder/Who ever thought that fat girl would grow into Oprah/Or that boy Rick Ross will be moldin' the culture."

Rob: He been spittin since album #1. tellin me he ain’t at the forefront of rap now?

Calvin: Those are dope bars.

Matt: How about when he compares himself to John Lennon on "I'm Not A Star"

Calvin: They didnt mean shit, if Jay were to say that it would be crazy cus its actually true. Ross is just making words rhyme nicely over dope beats.

Rob: I think it's just "cool" not to like Rick Ross. Because if we're judging him on his rhymes he is NICE!

Matt: Haha so I'm a cool-chaser?

Jesse: He didnt have his own set on Summer Jam and he’s the forefront. Like that’s crazy. And I’m not arguing with you Rob, he is the forefront right now… but cot damn

Matt: Would you really want to see a whole set of Ross, on stage, alone? Is he that charismatic?

Rob: On Ross's second album he only had a guest verse from Nelly on one of his singles.

Adam: Rob that’s a great point. So why do you think he decided to go in a diff direction?

Calvin: But he wasn’t top of the game then. Now he is and he has 10 features out of 11, *Devil’s advocate

Rob: On Ross's third album there was no rap feature on any of the singles. For his forth album he earned the right.

Jesse: Another stat to take into consideration - Deeper Than Rap still ain’t go gold.

Adam: Fuck the number.

Rob: Nobody said Jay couldn't hold his own on Hard Knock Life Vol. 2 and that had a zillion features on it.

Matt: And I've always held that against Hard Knock Life 2.

Calvin: He knows his strengths and isn’t afraid to get help.

Jesse: It’s his 4th album and we have no idea who he is.

Adam: I hear that.

Calvin: Why do we have to know? I don’t care about him. Certain artists I care about, but everyone is not Pac.

Adam: I think he has the ability to hold his own, but when he grabs guests, he ends up coming with some of the hottest songs of the year.

Jesse: I can't lie though - all the fronting on his records is a turn off

Adam: But if the music can outshine, I can live with it. If the music’s wack, not so much

Manny: Wait fronting how?

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Adam: He thinks he’s Big Meech, Larry Hoover. That’s how.

Rob: You guys are biased and haters. I work with haters. lol

Jesse: It’s funny last time you were the hater with Em.

Matt: I'll give the man one genuine compliment: he can make some big songs.

Adam: He makes bangers. No question.

Matt: He clearly has an ear for beats, and a grasp on good hooks. There's talent there.

Rondell Conway: late pass!

Rondell: I'm cool with Ross. His music is dope, can't deny, plus my brother is a CO

Rondell: he had the best verse on "All I Do Is Win (Rmx)" "Wake up every morning just to count white faces"

Matt: "Wake up every morning just to count white faces" doesn't impress me.... is there something wrong with me, then? Because maybe I'm just weird, haha.

Matt: Most of the stuff about Ross that impresses others doesn't do anything for me, and I've listened to it all. I like some of it, but nothing makes me say, "damn."

Adam: Isn’t it sometimes dope just to listen to music that sounds good.

Calvin: Exactly

Adam:That you dont need to catch every word.

Rob: Yeah y'all haven't convinced me that Ross can't spit. Just because he picks good beats? Just because he has high-profile features?

Calvin: Rob I never said he can’t spit, he’s solid, but he’s not great. There’s nothin’ wrong with just being good.

Matt: I respect Rob's opinions on music so much that I think I'm missing something with Ross which is why i asked those questions about myself earlier. But I think it comes down to personal tastes

Rondell: I think there are things about Ross that people just can't get past. They don't know who he is, and to be honest his music is not deeper than rap. It’s just rap.

Rondell: here's what I don't get sometimes with Ross debate. I'm not sure what I'm arguing over. He's neither great nor wack to me, but I feel like I'm having a Top 5 Dead or Alive debate about him every time.

Jesse: So i think we can all agree - Ross just doesn’t hold up he aint worth the argument

Laurence: YES!!!

Jesse: He'll never be on top, He ain’t the boss, and we all wasted our time. Lol I keed, I keed.

Laurence: lol

Adam: Ha

Jesse: And Ross is the butter face of rap Pause.

Rondell: It's not that he's not worth the argument, but folks react to him like someone said he's the greatest.

Rondell: wait...someone did say that

Jesse: huh?

Rondell: forget it! I'm done

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