Outspoken Poet's Blog

In 2008, a song called “On Top of the World,” featured three artists: T.I., Ludacris and a little-known southern rapper by the name of B.o.B.

Sandwiched between the inspiring verses of two well-established hip-hop artists, the splendidly-sung chorus became nothing but an afterthought.

Two years and a smash single later, that little-known southern artist has evolved into one of the most promising young musicians in recent memory.

With six mix tapes and two EPs under his belt already, Bobby Ray Simmons – aka “B.o.B” – isn’t exactly the “little-known southern artist” he once was in ’08.

Not that that’s a bad thing.

On April 27, the man behind “Nothin’ On You” released his much-anticipated, first studio LP, The Adventures of Bobby Ray.

Although the album has only 12 songs in all, it is the quintessential example of quality over quantity.

Mellow, acoustics-driven ballads like “Don’t Let Me Fall” and “Lovelier Than You,” as well as “Ghost in a Machine,” not only highlight B.o.B’s unique songwriting, they put his mastery of the guitar on display for all to hear.

More uptempo tracks like “The Kids,” “Fame” and “Magic” are sure to find mainstream success in the coming months. Those songs, along with the Lupe Fiasco-assisted “Past My Shades,” beautifully capture the wit and silky-smooth delivery that made B.o.B an underground success (“Always in detention for the lack of my attention/you can call it deficit/really I just didn’t listen” – “The Kids”).

The production, songwriting, delivery and overall impact of “Airplanes Part II” make it, without question, the album’s crown jewel.Eminem and Hayley Williams (from Paramore) both bless the 12th and final track with their respective gifts: Eminem with an emotional verse chronicling the journey of a budding hip-hop artist whose indecision inevitably keeps him from becoming a star, and Williams with a perfectly-sung chorus.

It's almost a wonder that in todays moraly stripped media, that looks more and more like a mechanised production line that makes vast quantities of identical products, an artist striving for quality has emerged to prominence. And for a hip-hop idealist like me this is a cause for celebration because despite a few ideological strays B.O.B.'s lyrical and musical style is hip-hop and  will take its place in the library of hip-hop culture.

Funny how things always seem to come full circle.