No Bombs Over Baghdad

If you asked me maybe 5 or 6 months ago what I thought when the name "B.o.B" came to mind, I would tell you the song "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)" from Outkast. Now, a new B.o.B has taken the place of the first thought I would come up with. He's this new cat from Atlanta (same home of the dynamic artist, The-Dream, might I add) who was featured on XXL's cover displaying the Class of 2009. In the class were the likes of Kid Cudi, Wale, Charles Hamilton, Curren$y, and Blu.

The crazy thing about this guy is that he does everything. Rapper. Singer. Producer. Arranger. Mixer. He does all of that so in a sense he's a one stop shop. His own machine. Really, he reminds me of Prince for two reasons. 1.) Like Prince, Bobby Ray wears all occupational hats when it comes to the studio and recording time. 2.) His diversity. Not only does B.o.B do everything in the studio, but he crosses genre lines almost effortlessly.

It's funny because while listening to one of his mixtapes, B.o.B vs Bobby Ray , a mixtape that explores the Rapper B.o.B versus his crooning and experimental alter ego Bobby Ray, there were loud, obnoxious, and out of place DJ tags over songs that otherwise wouldn't have them. I admire how he still reps Decatur, GA properly and shows that he's also a lyricist on songs with J. Cole, Asher Roth, and Charles Hamilton while he can switch over and write songs like his current single, "Nothing On You" featuring Bruno Mars or the spacey and zoned out "Satellite". T.I. knows what he's doing signing Bobby to Grand Hustle. T.I. now has an artist that really cannot be confined in a genre "box". If executed correctly, B.o.B could easily have several songs on Billboard's Top 10, all at the same time.

April 22, 2010 marks the date B.o.B's commercial career officially begins rolling. In my opinion, I think it is a little early to place my bets on whether his debut will fly or die...commercially. I'm pretty sure that he will deliver some quality music and that me as the listener will be very satisfied with the finished product. But will the strictly radio listeners buy what he's selling? America loves whats new, different, and slightly strange i.e. Lady Gaga, but will we do the same when it actually counts and deserves attention? I sure hope so, but these days I tend to live more by the phrase 'Hope for the best, expect the worst'. Adventures of Bobby Ray is bringing a lot of solid collaborations to the table. Some of the features include Bruno Mars, Lupe Fiasco, Janelle Monae, Hayley Williams (of Paramore) and surprisingly, Eminem. Yeah...Eminem. Guess Drizzy isn't the only one Marshall blesses with a cameo. Overall, I'm expecting a lot from this guy. So far, he's delivered quality and sundry music, which I can appreciate. So today, if you asked me what thought comes to mind when I hear "B.o.b", its definitely not bombs over baghdad anymore.