We're only four months into 2010, but one of the best hip-hop albums of the year may already be on our hands. Delivered by 21-year-old Bobby Ray Simmons, better known as B.o.B., The Adventures of Bobby Ray is a refreshing and momentous change of pace in a genre that can often get redundant. On his first LP, B.o.B. went all in, proving his ability to effortlessly stretch the limits of the rap genre. Ranging from rap to borderline punk, The Adventures of Bobby Ray now showcases the abilities of a new face in hip-hop.
The adventures begin with the piano- and electric guitar-driven ""Don't Let Me Fall,"" which gives the listener a preview of what's to come. Characterized by B.o.B's swift cadence and an indelible chorus, ""Don't Let Me Fall"" is an immediate indication The Adventures of Bobby Ray is not a typical rap album, but an evolution of the pop-rap Kid Cudi most recently pioneered.
Perhaps the best example of B.o.B.'s ability to tailor hip-hop to his creative strengths is the track ""The Kids."" Sampling Vampire Weekend's ""The Kids Don't Stand a Chance,"" B.o.B. delves into the self-produced beat to tell the tale of his childhood and the difficulties children face today. He creates the perfect platform for the mixture of singing and rapping that he does best. Additionally, Janelle Monae's contributions to the second verse make it one of the strongest tracks.
""Magic"" is an outlier from the rest of the record, and is, for better or worse, the most radio-ready song. Produced by Dr. Luke, the chorus and beat of ""Magic"" sound like a pump-up song that could unfortunately be featured on things as peppy as ""High School Musical."" Thankfully, B.o.B. salvages ""Magic"" from the damage of sub-par producing by succeeding lyrically.
Bobby Ray's versatility is also evident with the songs ""Nothin' on You"" and ""Lovelier Than You,"" with both showing his sentimental side. Completing the adventure is ""Airplanes Pt. 2,"" a highly anticipated track due to B.o.B.'s recruiting of Eminem to contribute a verse. B.o.B. uses the track to reflect on his journey from dreaming of being a musician to being a force in the music industry, while Eminem's verse considers what it would have been like if the famed rapper never pursued music. Eminem's contribution pushes B.o.B. to be his best, and ""Airplanes Pt. 2"" rounds The Adventures of Bobby Ray off with an unforgettable track.
One thing the album does fall short on is measuring up comedically with his previous mixtapes. On these past releases, Bobby Ray incorporated humor by using skits within the songs. Often seen as the pariahs of music, such skits gave B.o.B. a way to exhibit his personality to the listener, an element that The Adventures of Bobby Ray severely lacks.
But overall, The Adventures of Bobby Ray is a heavy-hitting album that places B.o.B. far above most of his peers. However, it still has its weaknesses. There is no question that B.o.B. excels in innovation, but the lack of cohesiveness on his debut may be viewed as detrimental to the project as a whole. There is also no obvious link or theme connecting the songs: It's more like a collection of singles than a cohesive album.
But when critiqued with the knowledge that this is his debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray is collectively an excellent effort. Such shortcomings are merely minor complaints. B.o.B. explores a more pop version of his previous music, without compromising substance or talent. The album will surely hook first-time listeners as well as those who have been following B.o.B. since the start of his career. Devoid of fillers, full of high-quality production and completed with an abundance of B.o.B.'s slick lyrics, few will be disappointed with The Adventures of Bobby Ray.
