Bobby Ray “B.o.B” Simmons is currently signed under T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records, but if his debut is any indication of his potential, their roles could soon be reversed.
B.o.B might not have quite the amount of swagger as pre-arrest T.I., but he is confident enough to make the boastful tracks work. He also possesses a sense of humble self-awareness that allows the listener to take his boasts more seriously than other rap figureheads.
If anything, the songs in which B.o.B reflects on his mere mortality are the best of the bunch. Album opener “Don’t Let Me Fall” features the multi-instrumentalist on piano, and the tone of his troubles make him easy to sympathize with. More proof of his being in touch with reality: Chart-topping single “Nothin’ On You” is about how many women he doesn’t want to get with.
A variety of guests keep things interesting.
T.I. and Lupe Fiasco make appearances representing the hip-hop world, but it’s spots like “Magic,” featuring Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo, that are really fresh. Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams sings the hook on what should be a hit single, “Airplanes” (although Eminem’s verse in “Airplanes (Part 2)” is less satisfying).
One small disappointment is the lack of guitar on the album. In nearly every promotional photo the rapper is gripping his six-string, but it’s presence is not musically obvious on the record.
It’s good that T.I. is getting his life back together, but if he finds himself under house arrest again, B.o.B can keep Grand Hustle Records afloat.
