Black Market (Deluxe)

No rapper has embraced the absurdity of excess better than Rick Ross, a man who once claimed he ate lobster bisque for breakfast and wore a pinky ring that cost twice America’s average household income. But Ross scaled back on 2014’s Mastermind, making room for a mellower, more contemplative mood. And while Black Market isn’t short on tall tales, we do get reflections about mom (“Smile Mama, Smile”), loose, '90s-style beats (DJ Premier’s blunted “Black Opium”), and “Crocodile Python,” where Ross examines the perils of success as intensely as he celebrates it. Also telling: The album’s guest list features more R&B luminaries than it does fellow rappers.