Frequent collaborators Rick Ross and Jay Z team up again for “The Devil Is A Lie,” a single off Ross’ forthcoming album “Mastermind,” due in early 2014. Listen here or below.
Similar to “F**kWithMeYouKnowIGotIt,” which appeared on Jay Z’s “Magna Carta Holy Grail” and featured Ross, “The Devil Is A Lie” has a heavy beat to match the rappers big-ego bravado. Ross’ flow is as crisp as the money he boasts about — name-checking Wingstop and WalMart — while Jay Z sounds surprisingly energetic, firing back about his controversial partnership with Barneys after the store was accused of racial profiling (“You seen what I did to the stop and frisk / Brooklyn all in Barneys like we own the bitch / Giving money to the hood now we all win”). The horn-driven intro and soul sampling by producer K.E. On The Track gives the track an old-school touch.
Hov also addresses the rumor that he’s a member of the Illuminati (sparked by his pyramid hand gesture): “Devil want these ni-as to hate their own kind / Got to be the Illuminati if a ni-a shine / Getting white money but I’m still black / All these ni-as claiming king but I’m still that.”
Truth: This may be Ross and Jay Z’s best effort of the year.