Considering that his life as a teenager was unusually full of ups and downs, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray is the probably most apt name for Bobby Ray Simmons’ (B.o.B) debut album. This is basically the soundtrack of his entire life.

For those of you who still don’t know who B.o.B is, shame on you! After all, given all the hype that he and his song(s) are getting, surely these lyrics

beautiful girls/all over the world/I could be chasing/but my time would be wasted“

are familiar to you?

Those are the first few lines of his hit single “Nothing On You” that basically shot B.o.B, 21, to fame. “Nothing On You” features Bruno Mars, who co-wrote Flo Rida’s “Right Round”.

On April 27, 2010, B.o.B released his debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray that was highly anticipated by the public after the release of his hit single.

According to TheChronicleHerald.ca, the album claimed the #1 spot on the Billboard the first week it was out after his hit single “Nothing On You” claimed #1 position on the pop charts the week before.

Even though B.o.B is marketed as a rapper, he definitely is not a one trick pony. You can hear a diverse range of genres, from rap, RnB, pop, soft rock to even ballad. No matter what kind of music you’re into, you’ll definitely be able to find a song from this album that you  will like.

B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray starts off with “Don’t Let Me Fall”, featuring a mellifluous tune and together with B.o.B’s amazing rap abilities, this song is one of the best in the album.

“Lovelier Than You” and “Ghost In A Machine” are two sweet-sounding ballads in the album, which reveals the rappers’s sweet and talented song-writing side beneath his tough rap exterior. It is amazing how a rapper can write such a romantic love song, which again, goes to prove how creative and all-rounded he is.

His version of “The Kids” featuring Janelle Monae, sampled Vampire Weekend’s “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance”, is one of the few songs where a re-make is actually much better than the original.

The best collaboration on this album is undoubtedly the last track, “Airplanes, Part II” featuring multi-talented rapper Eminem and Paramore’s most prized possession Hayley Williams. Eminem’s godly and natural rapping skills together with Hayley’s melodious voice made this song a must-listen.

However, the only downfall about this album is that it featured one too many collaborations. True, the collaborations are good – with tracks featuring Bruno Mars, Lupe Fiasco, T.I, Playboy Tre, Janelle Monae, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, and Ricco Barrino but B.o.B hardly had the chance to make his mark as a solo artist with only four out of 12 songs that he can truly call his.

The UrbanWire gives B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray 3.5/5 stars.

Album: B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray

Artist: B.o.B

Language: English

Record Label: Atlantic

Release Date: 27 April 2010

Track list:

  1. Don’t Let Me Fall
  2. Nothing On You ft. Bruno Mars
  3. Past My Shades ft. Lupe Fiasco
  4. Airplanes ft. Hayley Williams of Paramore
  5. Bet I ft. T.I & Playboy Tre
  6. Ghost In The Machine
  7. The Kids ft. Janelle Monae
  8. Magic ft. Rivers Cuomo
  9. Fame
  10. Lovelier Than You
  11. 5th Dimension ft. Ricco Barrino
  12. Airplanes, Part II ft. Eminem & Hayley Williams of Paramore