B.o.B Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray is the first L.P. from rapper, singer, producer B.o.B. Until last week I was very unfamiliar with the Atlanta artist; however, while compiling the Absurd & Unheard Music Festival Guide (TM) I saw ‘B.o.B’ on a number of line-ups and I began researching. After a couple of ‘googles’ I realized that I had already heard B.o.B’s “Nothing on You”, a track that when I first heard I asked myself (in an impressed voice) “who is this rapping?” After listening to the ‘adventurous’ album from cover to cover it becomes clear why rapper T.I. signed the talented Bobby Ray to his Grand Hustle record label.
The album is one of those ‘sit on the deck and have a cold from the cooler while you enjoy the aroma of barbequed hamburgers’/summer albums. From a deep and though provoking Vampire Weekend remake of “The Kids Don't Stand A Chance” called “The Kids” to a catchy April Wine sample in “Fame”, B.o.B creates a debut album that can be compared to Kanye’s “College Dropout”. B.o.B effectively demonstrates his ability to collaborate as well as work in different genres with this release. The Adventures of Bobby Ray features “Magic” a song with a catchy and upbeat hook by Weezer’s own Rivers Cuomo, “Airplanes” a song that brings together the style of Paramore’s Hayley Williams, who sings the chorus, and the aggressively brilliant lyrics of Eminem, who drops an amazing last verse on the song. Other collabs include a song with Lupe Fiasco and a southern sounding T.I. track called “Bet I”. Bobby Ray makes a comment in “Airplanes, Part II” about how he is often compared to Outkast’s Andre 3000; by the time you hear this line (in track 12) the comparison should already be in your mind. B.o.B replicates Andre’s rapping flow while also showing that he is able to emulate Andre’s singing voice, many times rivalling the Outkast member’s abilities. B.o.B also shows that he is able to change up his style, rapping like follow Atlanta artist Ludacris on his song “Fame”; the opening verse of this song is so similar that I think it could be added to Ludacris’ next album and fans would have a hard time distinguishing the two rappers. Finally, B.o.B sounds like a young Trick Daddy on his “Bet I” track, the least impressive of the three impersonations. B.o.B Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray is a very catchy album that sets the stage for a prosperous career for the A-town musician.
The only real criticism with the album is that B.o.B sometimes seems as though he can get lost in his impersonations, something that can take away from the creativity of his work. It will be interesting to see if Bobby has the talent and originality to make a follow up album that can compete with his debut; until that time B.o.B Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray will be a great summer album.
0 comments:
Post a Comment