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I wasn’t particularly enamoured with the original version of this track when it first dropped, but the addition of Young Jeezy has certainly made me pay attention. Production wise it’s almost tailor-made for Jeezy, who has been in a rich vein of form as of late, whilst the visuals themselves make this video a decent watch.
I can’t say I’m that excited about B.o.B’s next album (given the pop-styled nature of his last effort), but if he returns to his more innovative style of his early career then it should get some positive shine.
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Brand new 15-track mixtape from B.o.B, with the build to his upcoming sophomore album, Strange Clouds, now gathering pace. Undoubtedly, his reputation and popularity have soared over the last 12-18 months since his debut album, and I’m sure this will be warmly recieved by many as a result.
That upturn in fortunes for B.o.B manifests itself with a fantastic roster of producers and featured guests, with Eminem, T.I., Mos Def and Jim Jonsin all making appearances on the mixtape. His previous mixtape was released almost exactly a year ago and certainly had its moments, and hence I’m sure there will be some good highlights on this one too. Free grab below.
B.o.B-E.P.I.C. (Every Play Is Crucial)
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Borrowing the somewhat lacklustre Swizz Beatz production from Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne, Bobby continues his recent return to active releases with this relatively enjoyable remix.
It may seem a big statement, but B.o.B feels a much better fit for this production, getting his flow tailored just right for the beat and whilst his lyrics aren’t going to overwhelm anyone with any complex wordplay, they’re solid enough. Generally a smoother, more bearable listen than the original and worth a couple of listens for sure, though it’s unlikely to dominate anyone’s playlists beyond that.
B.o.B-Welcome To The Jungle Remix
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Murray: September 16, 2011
My opinion on B.o.B. spans both extremes. Sometimes he will blow my socks off, then he releases something which frustrates the hell out of me because of his unrealised potential. This, it has to be said, falls somewhere in between. The beat itself takes inspiration from numerous directions, ranging from that dramatic crunk music to 1980′s video gaming. I’m not ashamed to claim I am unfamiliar with either of the features, but all involved here seem to do a reasonable job. It’ll get lost in my shuffle but it’s more one for the B.o.B. fans out there. Get below.
B.o.B. ft Playboy Tre and Meek Mill-EPIC
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Set to be on DJ Holiday’s upcoming We Workin EP, the three former XXL freshman lace the project with a big collabo here. There’s also a fourth unlisted artist on the hook (unless that’s DJ Holiday?), filling up that roster even more!
Unfortunately, the lineup promises more than it can deliver. The production is stuck in a difficult middle ground of being mellow but with sharp, piercing percussion, affecting the tempo and hence interfering with the relaxing vibes. The track is saved somewhat by Big Sean and B.o.B’s verses, as they both certainly come through with enjoyable work, with B.o.B’s stepped flow in particular being a highlight.
DJ Holiday-First Class ft. Wale, Big Sean and B.o.B
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Couple of days off on this, but with 15 rappers on one song, I think you’ll probably let it slide. For those that aren’t familiar with Racks, it’s essentially one of those infectious mainstream hip-hop tracks that comes out of nowhere and takes on a life of its own, helped in part by various rappers jumping on the beat (don’t worry, I’ve labelled them in order for you!).
14 of them join YC here, some having released remixes prior to this official all-star compliation, with most being very well known names. It’s hard to pick a winning verse from the bunch, though B.o.B, Trae Tha Truth and Nelly (surprisingly) made enjoyable contributions.
YC-Racks Remix ft. Young Jeezy, Wiz Khalifa, Waka Flocka Flame, CyHi Da Prynce, Bun B, B.o.B, Yo Gotti, Wale, Cory Gunz, Dose, Cory Mo, Nelly, Twista, Big Sean, Trae Tha Truth and Ace Hood
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Not to be confused with George Orwell’s somewhat more macabre view of the number 101, we roll on past the magical 100 with this week’s episode. Be sure to catch up with my top 30 from episodes 1-100 if you haven’t already.
Short recap from the last week: Raheem DeVaughn follows up his enjoyable Jackin’ 4 Beats mixtape with a sequel, Beyonce returned with her latest high-octane video, and a (highly-praised) remix of Mike Posner’s Falling.
→ Continue Reading R&B Fridays: Episode 101
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Lupe Fiasco let loose a free song earlier on Twitter today (a sign of the world coming to the end!?) featuring B.o.B. He also revealed this to be a leftover track from Lasers that he didn’t end up finishing. I have absolutely no idea why, as this is better than almost everything on the finished version of Lasers. A pulsating beat, followed by a decent chorus and some fun raps from both Lupe and B.o.B, both of whom flow to the track superbly. It’s not even overly a conscious record, and sounds fittingly like the type of song Atlantic Records would have wanted on the album.
According to Lupe, this was meant to be a peace offering (or a STFU) to those who think he doesn’t put out free music or cares about his fans: instead, it raises more questions and confusion over the direction he took with Lasers. To add some salt to the wounds, Lupe had planned to put Cee-Lo or Janelle Monáe on the third verse of this rather good track. Lupe Fiasco – Who Are You Now ft. B.o.B
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It’s crazy how quickly the Odd Future hype-train has gained momentum, they’ve become somewhat of a phenomenon. Tyler from Odd Future in particular has been causing waves all over the industry with him speaking his mind no matter how controversial. It was only a matter of time before he genuinely offended someone.
Though B.o.B mentions no names in this scathing track, it’s not reaching too far to imagine this to be directed at Odd Future…especially if you recall the line Tyler directed at B.o.B in his recent Yonkers track (go listen to that track to hear the line, as it’s far to venomous for myself to repeat here!).
I must admit I do love it when Bobby Ray goes in on a track.
B.o.B – No future
Click here to see Tyler’s reaction to this song.
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Very underappreciated track from B.o.B, from his No Genre mixtape. Many feel Bob ‘sold out’ with his tracks (despite praising them on release, and only panning them after they caught on), and it was this very mixtape that showed beyond doubt that he hasn’t totally turned pop, and can still get it done on the mic.
The track is a somewhat dark storytelling effort, with some incredibly poignant and rather controversial lyricism at times. Particularly, the (ever popular) accusation that AIDS was spread to ‘control populations’ gives this track a frightening realism that makes for gripping listening.
The video is enjoyable too, expanding on the Dr. Aden story and having a sinister undertone that adds even more depth and credence to the audio. Certainly worth a look.
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Very interesting track here from the vaults. I couldn’t tell you why/how this emergd, but it’s not too difficult to guess when it was recorded, as Eminem seems to switch between the controversial accent used on Relapse and his ‘regular’ style, suggesting this was probably recorded in between Relapse and Recovery.
Regardless of questionable accents, the lyricism here is a throwback to a more old-school Eminem, bringing that edgy and controversial lyrical style that wasn’t too prevalent on Recovery. It makes for a nice throwback in that sense, though the lack of his angry, driven flows from those early 00′s to match the lyricism makes it feel a little diluted. B.o.B comes through with a decent verse of his own, and with a simple, uninterfering production holding things together, this makes for a fairly enjoyable listen. It’s not classic material by any means, but is a relatively enjoyable mini-throwback to Eminem’s earlier days. Maybe I’m just hankering a little too much for that 1998-2001 Eminem…
(Edit: Link re-upped) Eminem-Things Get Worse ft. B.o.B
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These Game Changer videos are seriously becoming music highlights of my week. The last two episodes were extremely captivating, and both offered insights into different aspects of each artist’s personalities.
This week’s delves into self-esteem, misconceptions of success/confidence, and even more. It ends on a very inspirational note too, and surely offers a lot of hope to artists who are coming up right now through many of the same struggles these shining lights have faced.
Sadly, this seems to be the last ‘episode’ of this particular series, but hopefully we’ll get another roundtable with some different artists soon, as this was a genuinely enlightening mini-series that probably got more good PR for Atlantic than anything else they’ve ever done!
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I really enjoyed part 1 of the Game Changers series, offering us an insight into the minds and motivations of four globally successful, and critically-acclaimed artists. Definitely worth a watch.
Part 2 continues in the same vein, offering a further look into the ways in which they feel they’ve changed the ‘game’, with each artist giving very different accounts: from Estelle’s more descriptive process to B.o.B philosophical musings, this roundtable discussion is a very refreshing watch that really fleshes out the ‘characters’ we see on TV or hear on iTunes. Another good video, and hopefully there are more of these to come!
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3 of the most diverse and talented acts around the music scene at this moment in time (2 of whom feature in this video) combine to give us a truly sensational performance.
First off, we have B.o.B combing with both Janelle (backing vocals) and Bruno (keyboard) to give an enchanting rendition of Nothin’ On You. Bobby Ray then jumps onto the keyboard as Mars, whose vocals are once again utterly superb, breaks out into an amazing 50′s inspired performance of Grenade (grab the latest remix here). We then get treated to Janelle Monáe singing her brilliant single, Cold War, as B.o.B gets on the guitar and Bruno smashes it on the drums.
Somehow, both Bobby Ray and Janelle Monáe managed to walk away from the Grammys with nothing, though Bruno Mars managed to pick up the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance award. Props to Ajay for spotting Bruno’s talent way back in November ’09
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Atlantic Records present a very interesting roundtable discussion series, kicking with four of their most prominent artists. I’ve definitely got appreciation for all of them too (albeit to varying degrees), and it’s a fantastic insight into the motivations, artistic directions and individuality of each of the artists.
It’s so rare to find such detailed, honest discussion, and it certainly results in an eye-opening look at the power of the industry, the drive it takes to follow your own directions and a whole lot more. In particular, Janelle Monae comes across incredibly well, articulating her studied and measured approach superbly and really embellishing her artistic integrity.
Normally I don’t have the patience for these long videos, but I can’t recommend this one enough. You’ll definitely be left wanting part 2!
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To me, any time between midnight and 4am counts as the ‘night before’, so by my reckoning this is still a Friday night and hence on time. Don’t question it, just embrace it.
Short recap this week, with just the three noteworthy and relevant posts from the R&B/pop world: Tinie Tempah and Ellie Goulding’s collaboration got some visuals, a pretty interesting electro remix of Diddy-Dirty Money’s I Hate That You Love Me was liberated, and finally Musiq Soulchild came through with one of the better tracks of January, with his first single from his upcoming sixth album.
Formalities are now dealt with, commence your clicking as of right…now.
→ Continue Reading R&B Fridays: Episode 85
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No recap this week thanks to a temperamental hard drive, but R&B Fridays actually makes it out on a Friday for the second consecutive week, which is a pretty big victory.
Lots of remixes and rappers popping up this week, with some huge names coming through with some very unexpected pop and R&B remixes. More than enough original material too though, making this a very diverse episode that’ll satisfy the vast majority of you grubby little folk.
Click on and let me be the Snoop to your Cameron, though R&B/pop probably isn’t the same as marijuana…probably.
→ Continue Reading R&B Fridays: Episode 84
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Originally dropped a few months back as Problems, the track resurfaces with B.o.B providing a harmonic hook to accompany J. Cole’s intricate and introspective lyricism.
Big fan of this track, as the playful production makes for a slightly different style we’re used to from Cole, and hence adds a nice bit of diversity to his catalogue. Bobby and Cole seem to have a good chemistry together (first noted in the superb Gladiators), and that’s carried over here as they mesh together nicely. I expect Cole tracks will already be very familiar with the earlier version of the track, be sure to click below and grab what I assume is the final version.
J. Cole-Pass Me By ft. B.o.B
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Fans of The Script will recognise the title of the track from their most recent album Science and Faith. However, as part of the US release, they’ve grabbed B.o.B for a remake of the track, adding his genre-bending spin to the pop-rock anthem.
The remake boasts contributions from B.o.B throughout, as he adds three short verses to the track in addition to those provided by The Script, giving this a more ‘duet’ feel. Bobby comes on his rapping tip, and hence adds a more mainstream pop feel to the track, with that vibe being further enhanced by adjustments to the instrumentation of the original: the guitars are rolled back a little, and instead the piano and string melodies are pushed forward slightly more to remove the edgier alternative feel of the original. Certainly makes the song more accessible, and has some similarities to The Fray in terms of its sound. Decent remix, and worth picking up for those after something a little different.
The Script-Walk Away ft. B.o.B
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What’s the consensus on this tape? I’ve not got to it yet on account of a hefty backlog, but I’ve heard mixed reviews. Personally, I’m expecting big things on the basis of the few tracks I’d heard before release, but we’ll see how the full thing pans out.
If you’ve already listened to the tape, I suspect the below interview (shouts to XXL) with B.o.B will be quite enlightening and may help you to enjoy the mixtape even more. Not enough artists do this, and I’m not sure why: surely explaining and fleshing out your tracks will make the fans understand your work more?!
B.o.B Breaks Down No Genre
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B.o.B gives us another video from No Genre just as he releases the full tape, and it’s another great track. He comes through with a more conscious lyrical message on the track, running through lots of issues and questions in captivating manner that is aided by his variety in the flows.
Really enjoying the video too, as his lyrics are brought to life with the a thought-provoking set of still images that certainly add their own messages to Bobby’s.
Most importantly, the full mixtape is now available below. Really looking forward to this as the two tracks we’ve caught from it thus far have been superb. Tracklist is available after the jump below.
B.o.B-No Genre (Mixtape)
→ Continue Reading B.o.B-No Genre Mixtape and The Watchers Video
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EDIT (Murray): Audio added below. For what it’s worth, this is my December anthem.
Wow, Bobby really snaps on this one! It’s been a while since we’ve heard from B.o.B, and even longer since we heard him on this fast-paced, passionate tip.
From his upcoming No Genre mixtape (due December 7th), B.o.B comes through with some cutting raps that put to bed any concerns that he’d ‘sold out’ or couldn’t still satisfy his original mixtape fans: ‘they say that I went pop, and the streets say I ain’t hip-hop‘…
The video is really well produced too, interspersing live clips from Bobby’s tours with close-up shots to strengthen the intense raps. Good all-round effort, and looking forward to that mixtape.
B.o.B.-Beast Mode
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In contrast to last week’s bumper episode, this week is a little shorter. However, that’s not to suggest it’s been a quiet week for R&B, as we’ve seen the release of plenty of videos/singles, and no less than 4 full-length mixtapes from R&B Fridays favourites.
Firstly, Bei Maejor came through with Upside Down 2, Chris Brown delivered In My Zone 2, Keri Hilson released her riskiest video to date and Trey Songz’s let loose of #Lemmeholdatbeat. After that, we got an enjoyable effort from the Dirty Money album along with the visuals for their latest single, Raheem DeVaughn’s latest mixtape and steamy new video, a full stream of R. Kelly’s new album, and finally the enjoyable video for the Lloyd and 50 Cent collaboration. Click below for the rest of this week’s R&B/pop.
→ Continue Reading R&B Fridays: Episode 77
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A great video for what was (for me) one of the strongest tracks on B.o.B’s The Adventures of Bobby Ray. It’s probably one of the only songs I haven’t grown bored of listening to from the album actually.
The video fits in perfectly with the lonesome vibe of the track and hints at how his world has been turn upside down, in B.o.B’s case for the better, whilst everything else passes him by as normal. There’s also a few great little ‘docu’ clips of Bobby Ray on tour, this gives the video a much more personal feel which suits the song perfectly. Great video for a brilliant track.
If you haven’t got the audio, you can grab it here
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I assume this is from Quincy’s upcoming Soul Bossa Nostra album, which seems to be packed full of huge collaborations. This one samples Quincy’s own Sandford & Son theme song, which is probably best known within our generation for featuring in The Simpsons.
It’s given a very hip-hop twist for the verses, with Tip and Bob coming through with decent, if unspectacular, verses. Mohombi delivers a hook that opens this track up to a mainstream audience, which will certainly be the key feature of this track. One for the pop fans.
Quincy Jones-Sanford & Son ft. T.I., B.o.B., Prince Charlez & Mohombi
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Some decent visuals here for a track I’ve been bumping a lot. Just goes to show you don’t need a mega expensive video, or some crazy concept to make an interesting vid, (some flashy camera skills will suffice).
Grab the audio over here folks.
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This list loses more respect year-by-year. If you’re not familiar, they pick the ‘top 10′ mainstream MCs based on ‘rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence’.
Realistically, they don’t. Some extended thoughts on the list are available after the click, as well as a revised list using the line-up they picked. I’m not going to dare to go into who I think should be on the list, as we’ll be here all day…
→ Continue Reading MTV Announces The ‘Hottest MCs In The Game’
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Ever since the All City Chess Club was announced, there’s been a lot of hype as to what their first project/track would be. Many expected it to be the official I’m Beamin’ remix, and they would be right as Lupe gets some of the today’s better rappers together to improve an already superb track.
There is just too much to go through here, but from a quick listen I enjoyed Asher and Blu’s verses a lot. That’ll inevitably change with more listens, but you can’t go wrong with this collection of rappers.
Lupe Fiasco-I’m Beamin Remix ft. All City Chess Club (Asher Roth, B.o.B, Blu, Charles Hamilton, Diggy Simmons, Dosage, The Cool Kids)
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I am partial to a bit of Slim Thugga, here he is collaborating with OTU favourite B.o.B. They both combine very well to deliver us a track that B.o.B fans will certainly enjoy. Superb chorus that will have you singing along, either out loud or in your head!
Slim Thug – So High ft. B.o.B
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