RICK ROSS RETURNS WITH DEEPER THAN RAP, THIRD DEF JAM ALBUM

RICK ROSS RETURNS WITH DEEPER THAN RAP, THIRD DEF JAM ALBUM IN STORES APRIL 21ST, ON NEW MAYBACH MUSIC LABEL

"MAGNIFICENT" FEATURING JOHN LEGEND IS FIRST SINGLE

Other guests include Kanye West and Lil' Wayne (on "Maybach Music Part 2" sequel), Mary J. Blige ("Valley Of Death"), and Nas ("Usual Suspects")

DEEPER THAN RAP FOLLOWS CONSECUTIVE RIAA GOLD #1 SOUNDSCAN DEBUTS OF TRILLA (2008) AND PORT OF MIAMI (2006 DEBUT)

Still hustlin' and ready to blow, Def Jam recording artist Rick Ross is prepping the launch of his new Maybach Music label on April 21st with DEEPER THAN RAP. The Miami rapper's third album - with guest shots by Kanye West and Lil' Wayne, Nas, Mary J. Blige, and John Legend - follows-up Port Of Miami (his 2006 debut) and Trilla (2008), both of which entered the Soundscan chart at #1 with nearly 200,000 first week sales each, both certified RIAA gold.

In advance of the DEEPER THAN RAP album release, the first single "Magnificent" featuring John Legend - described by NY Hip Hop Music Examiner as "the calm before the storm" - impacted this week at Urban radio formats. It has already picked up 600+ spins and nearly 6 million audience. "Magnificent" was produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, who won 2007's Best R&B Album Grammy for Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough (named Billboard's 2007 R&B/Hip-Hop Album Of the Year). J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League helmed four songs on Trilla, and three more tracks on DEEPER THAN RAP: "Rich Off Cocaine," "Yacht Club," and "Maybach Music Part 2" featuring Kanye West and Lil' Wayne.

"Maybach Music Part 2" is an attention-grabbing sequel to Trilla's "Maybach Music" (which featured Jay-Z). "I would never disrespect that record and those rhymes," Rick told MTV News last week, discussing the "timeless" track from last year, "just to say I topped it... and it is special."

Rick also offers up a thank-you to Mary J., who can be heard on "Valley Of Death" (produced by Toomp). As Rick explained to MTV News, "She's the voice of that R&B hip-hop sound. When I choose a lot of my beats, I pick beats a lot of times off that sound, that 'What's the 411' [with] that R&B feel to it. Those are the kind of beats I gravitate to. It was just a pleasure for her to get in the studio and lace me with a classic..."

The B-side of "Magnificent" is "Mafia Music," produced by the Inkredibles for Nasty Beatmakers, and the opening track on DEEPER THAN RAP. Bound to be another focal point, Rick revealed to NY Hip Hop Music Examiner that "Mafia Music" is "gonna cause a lot of problems... It's a scathing four-and-half-minute nonstop flow, me being autobiographical about my life and my come-up and my triumph." The Inkredibles also produced "Gunplay" featuring Gunplay; and "Usual Suspects" featuring fellow Def Jam artist Nas.

More: The Runners produced three tracks on the new album - "Laid Back," "Boss' Lady," and "In Cold Blood"; and Tricky Stewart produced "All I Want." There are also productions by BIGG D ("Murder Miami"); Bink! ("Cigar Music"); and Drumma Boy ("Face").

Rick Ross rose from ruling Miami's underground rap scene, to become 2006's buzz-worthiest hip-hop artist with Port Of Miami, his #1 Pop/#1 R&B/#1 Rap major label debut album. Its unstoppable single "Hustlin'" became the first mastertone ever certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million copies before the associated album had even been released. A remix was subsequently issued, featuring Jay-Z and Young Jeezy. Port Of Miami's second single was "Push It," whose movie soundtrack excerpts (circa 1990) from Giorgio Moroder's "Scarface (Push It To The Limit)," evoked the gritty soul of a city that is always on the edge of exploding.

Six-foot-two, 300-pound Rick Ross - a "hip-hop heavyweight," as described by the New York Times - came into his own on Trilla, whose second single release, "The Boss," featuring T-Pain, rose to #2 on the Billboard Hot Rap chart, #5 R&B, and Top 20 on the Hot 100. The next single, "Here I Am" featuring Nelly and Avery Storm, also hit inside the Top 10 on the Rap and R&B charts. Trilla got off to a fast start with a release week performance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live. "The Boss" video went into rotation on MTV, MTV2, and MTV hits, along with BET and FUSE.

Online, Rick's MySpace website http://www.myspace.com/rickross shows an amazing 34.5 million total plays and more than 380,000 friends. The site features full-length versions of "Magnificent," "Mafia Music," and "Cigar Music," plus a "Valley Of Death" excerpt, and a graphic freestyle experience, "Kiss My Pinky Ring." There is also "Shittin On Em," a graphic track from The H, Rick's 2009 collaboration with controversial New Orleans hip-hop entrepreneur Birdman, featuring Busta Rhymes.