The title Mastermind was no idle boast. Across 16 tracks (20 on the deluxe), Ross positions himself as the chess grandmaster of modern street luxury. Where earlier albums like Teflon Don (2010) introduced the caricature of the larger-than-life drug lord turned rap don, Mastermind refines it into a studied philosophy. The album’s opening track, “Intro” (produced by D. Rich), sets the tone not with a bass drop, but with a cinematic monologue: “I am the mastermind / The architect of everything you see.” This is Ross at his most self-aware—acknowledding the constructed nature of his persona while daring you to question its authenticity.
The Deluxe Version intensifies this duality. While the standard edition tells a cohesive story of power, paranoia, and pleasure, the bonus tracks add texture: “Walkin’ on Air” (feat. Meek Mill) and “What a Shame” deepen the Philly-meets-Miami synergy, while “Drug Dealers Dream” (feat. K. Michelle) strips back the bravado to reveal a mournful meditation on mortality. These aren’t throwaways; they are essential chapters.
By 2014, Rick Ross had nothing left to prove regarding his status as a heavyweight in the rap game. However, Mastermind was the moment he shifted from a consistent hitmaker to a curator of high-end, cinematic luxury. The Deluxe Version of the album stands as the definitive listening experience, expanding the project into a sprawling, 19-track opus that solidifies the "Maybach Music" aesthetic: expensive production, A-list features, and the immaculate curation of the "boss" persona.
Before examining the "Top" version, we must understand the era. In early 2014, Rick Ross was recovering from a series of health scares and legal controversies. Instead of retreating, he doubled down. Mastermind was his magnum opus—a concept album about the drug trade as a metaphor for the music industry.
The standard album gave us hits like "The Devil is a Lie" (feat. Jay-Z) and "Sanctified" (feat. Kanye West & Big Sean). But the Deluxe Version promised more. It promised exclusivity. And the 2014a Top pressing is the rarest stratum of that exclusivity. rick ross mastermind deluxe version 2014a top
Rick Ross’s Mastermind (Deluxe Version, 2014) arrives as a statement of grandiosity and meticulous craft from a rapper who has long cultivated an image of opulence, power, and ironclad ambition. Released at a point when Ross had already established himself as a chronicler of wealth and enterprise, Mastermind refines and amplifies those themes while leaning into cinematic production, strategic collaborations, and an aesthetic that fuses mafioso motifs with Southern hip‑hop swagger.
If Mastermind sounds expensive, that’s because it is. Ross assembled a production team that reads like a "Who’s Who" of hip-hop heavyweights, including Kanye West, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Scott Storch, and Timbaland.
The sonic palette here is grandiose. Tracks like "Rich is Gangsta" and the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League-helmed "Thug Cry" utilize sweeping strings and melancholic pianos that frame Ross’s grunts and ad-libs like a mafia movie score. The production creates a specific atmosphere—one that feels like smoking a cigar in a penthouse suite while overlooking Miami. The Deluxe Edition tracks, particularly "Benz Island," continue this theme of atmospheric, slow-burning luxury, refusing to let the album's momentum dip even after the standard edition concludes.
Hip-hop collecting has moved past vinyl nostalgia into "digital mastering" elitism. The Rick Ross Mastermind Deluxe Version 2014a Top represents the last great "CD era" exclusive—an album constructed before streaming algorithms dictated track lengths and loudness normalization. The title Mastermind was no idle boast
For producers, this version is a study in low-end theory. For casual fans, it is the only way to hear "Mafia Music III" without censored ad-libs. For Rick Ross himself, this pressing is the sonic equivalent of a whiskey collection: aged, rare, and not meant for the masses.
Over a decade later, Mastermind Deluxe holds up because it captures a specific moment: the last era where Ross was physically untouchable (before the health scares) and lyrically unstoppable.
If you are revisiting Ross’s catalog looking for the top of his lyrical ability, stop at 2014. Stop at Mastermind. And make damn sure you are listening to the Deluxe Version.
Final Rating for the Deluxe Tracks: 9.5/10 (minus .5 only because we wish there were two more tracks). Are you a fan of this era of MMG
Streaming Tip: Look for the album art with the "Deluxe" banner. If you only listen to the first 11 tracks, you haven't actually heard the album.
Are you a fan of this era of MMG? Drop a comment below with your favorite Rick Ross deep cut from 2014.
Rick Ross – Mastermind (Deluxe Version) [2014a Top]
Bonus (Top Tier – 2014a Exclusive): "Mafia Music III (Preview)" – 1 minute of a lost verse that never made the final cut.
Album tagline: "Before the throne, there was a table. This is the master you never saw."