Reviewed By: Dstructive
Rating: 8/10
Replay Value: High
Release Date: April 27, 2010
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Since November 2009 I have been following artist B.O.B. aka Bobby Ray. I bought the XXL 2009 freshmen preview issue that named Bobby as an artist to watch in 2009. “Haters Everywhere” put him on the map in Atlanta earlier in 2007, but he made no large scale impact in following months. Although ’09 wasn’t especially exciting for BOB, 2010 has been his biggest year yet. His debut album “The Adventures of Bobby Ray” topped the charts along with his single “Airplanes.”
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Don’t Let Me Fall” | B.o.B | 4:35 |
| 2. | “Nothin’ on You” (featuring Bruno Mars) | The Smeezingtons | 4:29 |
| 3. | “Past My Shades” (featuring Lupe Fiasco) | Crada | 3:33 |
| 4. | “Airplanes” (featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore) | Alex da Kid, DJ Frank E (co) | 3:01 |
| 5. | “Bet I” (featuring T.I. & Playboy Tre) | Kuttah | 4:17 |
| 6. | “Ghost In the Machine” | B.o.B | 4:53 |
| 7. | “The Kids” (featuring Janelle Monáe) | DJ Frank E | 3:26 |
| 8. | “Magic” (featuring Rivers Cuomo of Weezer) | Dr. Luke | 3:16 |
| 9. | “Fame” | The Knux, JackPot, HamSquad (co) | 3:41 |
| 10. | “Lovelier Than You” | B.o.B | 4:04 |
| 11. | “5th Dimension” (featuring Ricco Barrino) | B.o.B, T.I., Lil’ C | 3:23 |
| 12. | “Airplanes, Part II” (featuring Eminem & Hayley Williams of Paramore) | Alex da Kid, Eminem, Luis Resto (co) | 5:19 |
|
Bonus tracks |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 13. | “Letters from Vietnam” | B.o.B | 4:13 | ||||||
| 14. | “I See Ya” | Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E. | 3:18 | ||||||
The hype is intense and coupled with solid chart standings, so, naturally, I had to get a taste for myself. I bought it at Best Buy, and the first extra credit BOB gets is for the price. I paid 7.99 at a store where the typical album is $12+. I noticed that it had only 12 tracks, and one song was a remix of a previous track. Either way, for 8 bucks, anything more than 10 songs would have been acceptable. So I buy, hop in the car, and immediately pop it in the player. I noticed the undeniably poppy feel off the rip, but it still has a refreshing sound. Some tracks are almost abstract as he seems to take on a futuristic persona as “Bobby Digital.” There is little if any thug influenced subject matter, which has become a staple for Atlanta hip hop/R&B. Bobby Ray seems to want to lead southern hip hop in a new direction.
The only track that I had any negative immediate reaction to was “Magic.” It’s too bubble gum pop. The chorus was very cookie cutter, and the verses lacked originality. “The Kids” impacted me positively with its light Caribbean vibe and message about the state of our youth. Bobby even brings an acoustic guitar into the track “Lovelier than You” mixed with smooth singing and a rapped verse. Surprisingly, he pulls off the sound well. I am more than impressed with his non-auto tune singing.
On top of pioneering his own original sound, he was able to get some big names signed on the project. With the likes of fellow Atlanta rapper TI, Chicago’s Lupe Fiasco, Bruno Mars, and Paramore’s Lead Singer, Bobby produced several “grade A” radio hits. On a 1-10 scale I give the album an 8. The 2 points off were mostly because I enjoy less singing and more rapping. The underground hip hop fan will probably not enjoy this album as much as the radio listener, but Bobby still owns an originality that anyone can appreciate. So, if you are looking for the next generation of hip hop, look no further than B.O.B. With strong chart placing, high album sales, and charming originality, Bobby can be considered the total package.
-Dstructive
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He did go super pop on this album, but its still a good listen.