Starting off on a good note

The freshman from the Atlanta, Ga. has finally grown up and became a force to be reckoned with, as he’s released his debut album.
B.o.B. and his alter-ego came out with his first studio album, B.o.B. Presents: the Adventures of Bobby Ray.

Although this is his first album, B.o.B. is known well by hip-hop fans around the country.
He was named one of the ten XXL Freshman in 2009, which highlights the best, young, unknown rappers in the industry. B.o.B. has changed his style from his first mixtapes, Hi! My Name Is B.o.B  and Who The F#*k Is B.o.B? These two tapes showcased his rapping ability. In his third major mixtape release, he introduced his alter ego to the world, Bobby Ray.

Bobby Ray is what can only be described as a country singer with a rapper’s voice.
He combines his rapping ability along with love of singing and comes up with a very unique sound that no one else in rap has.

In his earlier mixtapes, it seemed like he either sang or rapped too much but now he has found a perfect blend between the two.

The first song ‘Don’t Let Me Fall’ is a prime example of this.

The song starts off with a piano intro for the first ten seconds as he comes in and sings the chorus “Well it was just a dream/Just a moment ago/I was up so high, lookin’ down at the sky/Don’t let me fall” as the beat drops. From there he shows off his flow and word play in the verse.

The latest trend since Kanye West’s 808’s and Heartbreak is that it is more acceptable for rappers to talk about more personal things.

The new fad seems to be that rappers like B.o.B. and Kid Cudi sing more about insecurities, particularly about being unhappy, such as the line “The only thing I fear is the mirror in my bathroom,” off the song “You Can’t See Past My Shades.”

B.o.B. has always been one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. You can really feel the emotion of depression and confusion in some of his songs.

It’s just who he is. He sings and raps about problems that college students have experienced or what they could be going through now.

One song that clearly shows this new style of hip-hop is “Ghost in the Machine.”
“You say I look fine, if only you knew what’s on my mind/ You’d see a whole different sign, I couldn’t show you even if I tried,” he sings.

B.o.B., a member of T.I.’s record label Grand Hustle, has what can only be called a diverse selection of featured artists on the album.

The album features established hip-hop artists such as Lupe Fiasco, T.I., and Eminem.
He also features other successful artists in different genres such as Hayley Williams of Paramore and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer.

The album already features two singles, “Nothing on You” and “Airplanes.” The best song on the CD is by far “Airplanes Part II,” which features B.o.B., Williams, and Eminem.
The song chronicles what B.o.B. and Eminem would imagine their lives would be like if they never took the time to dream about selling out concerts and being the best and how their lives would be different.

Eminem, who said he wasn’t happy with his last CD Relapse in his song “Not Afraid”, came hard on the track and absolutely killed it, which really helped take the song from good to great.

Bobby Ray also produced three songs on the album: “Don’t Let Me Fall,” “Ghost in a Machine,” and “Lovelier Than You,” and each has a very unique sound to them.
It’s not a typical hip-hop beat. They are not what you would hear in a club. The beat provides a sound of drifting off into outer space.

Of those ten freshmen that were named in 2009, B.o.B., Kid Cudi and Wale (a case can be made for Asher Roth for his single ‘I Love College’) are the only ones who have really become known.

With each one having their first studio album released either in 2009 or 2010, B.o.B’s was the best, bar none.

The diversity of sound, the lyrics, and production values make the album good.
This is not a typical hip-hop album.

You don’t hear to many lines bragging about money or swagger. The Drake, Lil’ Wayne and Gucci Mane fan base will not enjoy this album.

This is not a dance album. It’s an album that soothes the mind or forces the listener to engage in self-reflection.

This is first try at a studio album and he hit it out of the park.  It’s going to be a tough for him to follow with his next.

It wasn’t a “singles” album, there were no filler songs and it’s a hot CD from the first to last track.  
     
Chris Thelin can be contacted at cthelin@keeneequinox.com