Yesterday, B.o.B’s debut LP, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, was released and if you have been around these parts in the last month or two you will know that our appreciation for his music almost instantly skyrocketed.

Bobby Ray Simmons is no one new to the music scene. He has been releasing consistently great material in the form of mixtapes and has been featured on a few established artists’ songs. Now it’s his time to shine and the light started to gleam with the release of his first single, “Nothin On You” featuring Bruno Mars which managed to become the #! on the Billboard Hot 100. With the major success of the single, his debut LP was even pushed up, another rare thing in the music industry.

B.o.B. is considered a rapper but with this album he will be considered as an artist, to say the least. His resistance to conform with his perfect mix of crooning and rhyming further takes the style of mixing Indie and Hip-Hop to higher levels.

“Don’t Let Me Fall” begins the adventure and sets the tone of the whole entire album; the hybrid style of rapping and singing over not-so-urban beats. The album progresses very smoothly reaching the potential Billboard Hot 100 #1, “Airplanes” featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore. Part 2 features Eminem and is just as strong or stronger than the original. A futuristic melancholy vibe is felt on “Ghost On the Machine” as B.o.B raps/sings the obscure lyrics. Label boss, T.I., makes an appearance in “Bet I.” It is one of the few songs on the album that is undiluted urban. The rest of the album continues the adventure switching up between eclectic, rapping, singing and urban which makes for a beautiful sonic ride.

B.o.B Presents… will attract many in the hipster crowd; those with an ear for something a little left-field. Consumers looking for a concentrated urban fest will most likely leave this one alone. The album only goes 12 tracks deep but there are a handful of bonus tracks to make up for the empty space. With a few adjustments this could be an album of the year but is still still an incredibly strong debut. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM! View “Bet I” video after…

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