Search - B.o.B :: B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray

Debut Classic

Bryan A. Mabe | Portland, Oregon, USA | 04/27/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Classic albums are VERY hard to come by these days; where it seems all the material we hear in music is disposable and forgettable after a few short weeks. B.O.B. (AKA Bobby Ray) is an exception. He is an ARTIST, not just an MC. He is one of the few creative musicians who not only raps, but sings, experiments with his voice, and plays the majority of the instruments he uses. His creativity is what comes across in a blaring light which forces many to compare him to such eccentric artists as Andre 3000. This is a complete album, with no fillers or skits. 12 songs that blend well which each other and fulfills the void that is left in hip-hop at its current state.



1. "Don't Let Me Fall" - 5/5. This starts the album out and gives the listener a very clear presentation as to what is to come. The beginning of the beat is a piano being played and the chorus enters. This particular track is produced by Bobby Ray himself. It is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Surprisingly, the lyrics are very worthwhile - something that might not be expected with such an eccentric artist. The words tell a story of a man who seems to be at the highest of his climb to being the star he is or is becoming.



2. "Nothin' On You" feat. Bruno Mars - 4/5. This track is probably the most "pop" song on the album. But B.O.B. doesn't just throw a song together. He puts a lot of effort into the lyrics and the energy of the song. It is VERY catchy, but not in an annoying sort of way. It's a classic pop song directed toward the ladies. It can be considered the obligatory radio record of any hip-hop album.



3. "Past My Shades" feat. Lupe Fiasco - 5/5. The song begins very slow and then erupts into a beat which is only outdone by B.O.B. and Lupe's delivery. One of my favorite beats on the album - it has a little rock influence. B.O.B. and Lupe exchange verses. The chorus is a little repetitive, but doesn't take anything away from the song. One of my favorite tracks on the album. It's hard to not believe that Lupe outshines B.O.B. on this track, but that happens when veterans (or experienced) MCs are features on debut albums. B.O.B. does more than hold his weight however.



4. "Airplanes" feat. Hayley Williams (of Paramore) - 4/5. This is a song that intertwines a rock chorus to hip-hop. It has been done before obviously, but B.O.B.'s subject matter and lyrics shine more than anything and helps create a song that is not just another radio record. Very good song.



5. "Bet I" feat. Playboy Tre and T.I. - 3/5. The obvious straight rap record of the album. It is not my favorite track on the album by any means, but it is placed within the album more the more traditional rap fans. It features T.I. who offers a nice verse, showing his veteran skills, much like Lupe had in "Past My Shades." It might be considered a better track for those listeners who want a more "street" record.



6. "Ghost In the Machine" - 5/5. This song will remind you of the opening song "Don't Let Me Fall," by it's introduction. It is very MUSIC oriented rather than a bassline along with a beat. It is more slow paces as well. In fact, it is a track which finds B.O.B. singing the majority of it. It could be considered rap, but more of a slow manner. Another one of my favorite tracks of the album.



7. "Kids" feat. Janelle Monae - 5/5. The song is another favorite of mine, which one can see is a trend throughout the 7 tracks so far. This one features Janelle Monae, which brings B.O.B. his underground sort of credit to an audience which might not think of checking him out. "Kids" is another lyrical driven track, but is backed by a beat that will keep you coming back to it. Excellent track!



8. "Magic" feat. Rivers Cuomo - 3/5. Another radio friendly record to accompany the previous two. The chorus is a very typical move to appeal to all genres or audiences. It's chorus seems to force it to become barely over average. It might be one of the more forgettable tracks on the album, but by no means is it a bad song. It might even be a favorite to many, but not me.



9. "Fame" - 4/5. This is another rap oriented track from B.O.B. to instill some street appeal. It is a ver good track and could have been left alone on the album without accompanying it with "Bet I." But again, to certain audiences, which B.O.B. is trying to appeal to a broad range, this track might even be a 5/5.



10. "Lovelier Than You" - 5/5. This is probably going to be the female's favorite track before or after "Nothin' On You." However, it shows how daring B.O.B. is because it virtually sings the entire song, save for a spoken word verse toward the end. The way he experiences with his vocals is intriguing and leaves possibilities for him to do more singing over entire tracks. It's a good change from the rest of the album and adds another dimension that will make the album more of a complete record.



11. "5th Dimension" - 4/5. This track was probably meant to be the exit song from the album before Eminem spurred his interest in getting on the album. It is a more eccentric record, with a lot of soul, jazz oriented chorus. Great beat, great song.



12. "Airplanes Pt. II feat. Eminem and Hayley Williams (of Paramore) - 5/5. This is a remix version of Airplanes, but with different lyrics and a little experimenting with the chorus from the original. Eminem is the standout of this track however. His flow and effort forces him to become the only thing you think about after the track has ended. It might have been better to be in the middle of the album, if one was listening to the album all the way through because it takes a way from the impression that B.O.B. leaves on you. It will leave you hungry for more Eminem if he brings this sort of focus to future releases.



All in all, B.O.B. is a superstar in the making. His appeal will cross over to many genres and will no doubt help him become one of the stars of hip-hop. His creativity and pure talent music wise should merit support. Pick the album up and support a musician."

He Is not Only Hip Hop.

M-20 | 04/28/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"B.o.B is one of those kind of hip hop artists that go way beyond the boundaries of usual rappers. The thing that makes B.o.B so special is that his creativeness isn't controlled by what everyone else likes, he likes do things his way. B.o.B is a rapper, singer, musician and producer which basically means that he has control of everything he is doing which is something a lot of rappers can't say. He combines a lot of musical genres such as techno, rock, pop and a little bit of jazz into his music which makes this album very versitile.



This album is a very good debut album, it introduces the listeners to what kind of artist B.o.B is. The album is good in creativeness but there is no real balance to it, it feels like he is experiementing a bit too much because every single track is different (which may be a good thing) but for me is really hard to stay focus to who B.o.B really is. The production on this album is very well done, theres nothing on this album that is too crazy or disjointed, and B.o.B's lyrical ability deserves some credit, he flow can change with the beat very easilt and smooth. The only thing I have a problem with this album is the fact that there is no real balance to the album, there is no real theme, its just a bunch of a really good songs that B.o.B put together.



Top Tracks

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1) Nothin' On You feat. Bruno Mars - My personal favorite track on the album, everyone should know this track by now. The hook is one of the most memorable and catchiest I've heard in music in a while thanks to Bruno Mars. B.o.B's verses are very catchy and get you into the song a lot more. The production is smooth and the lyrics are great. 5/5



2) Airplanes, Part II feat. Hayley Williams & Eminem - The original is just as great but I have to give it up to part II which adds a little more intensity thanks to Eminem. This was probably the biggest surprise for me on the album, I would never of thought that a Hip Hop arist would collaborate with Paramore in 1000 years but then again B.o.B is no regular Hip Hop artist. This is one of the most well produced songs on the album and I have a feeling its the next big hit. 5/5



3) Ghost in the Machine - Another one of my personal favorites on the album. B.o.B doesn't necessary rap on this track, but his emotions on this track is so bone chilling. The song talks about how he feels like he is not really part of this world, as if he was never meant to be in this world and he must find a new home. 5/5



4) The Kids feat. Janelle Monae - This song is very catchy but has a kid influenced beat. The song is aimed toward a positive audience that is suppose to cheer you up. The song isn't your typical record but the lyrics are key to the song and pretty much set itself from the rest of the album. 5/5



5) Bet I feat. T.I. and Playboy Tre - This is the only real (mainstream) rap record on the album. It features Hip Hop veteran T.I. and some guy named Playboy Tre. But this is the only track that makes the album really called a Hip Hop album. I liked the beat on this track and B.o.B's flow is cool. 4/5



Honorable Mentions:

Lovlier Than You

Don't Let Me Fall

Past My Shades feat. Lupe Fiasco

Fame"

This is Rap??

DRU | 05/10/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"First of all I'm not hating on Bob, he's a good artist. But after spinning this album a few times, I just can't get into it..



It sounds more like a pop album then rap/hip-hop... Almost every song caters to the radio and sounds like something teeny booperish... Don't get me wrong his lyrics are nice, just not feeling the production. I was really looking forward to this album, but unfortunately it let me down.



His underground songs sounded more Rap..

Check out the song he did called Gladiators Feat: J Cole...

too bad his album didn't sound like that **"