Rapper Bobby Ray Simmons, otherwise known as B.o.B., has been a smashing success ever since he started up his music career. B.o.B has been one of the most successful rappers in the past couple years, after releasing his first album, “B.o.B presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray,” in 2010, which included one of the most popular songs of this decade, “Airplanes.”
In B.o.B’s sophomore album “Strange Clouds,” he does not disappoint. With well known musicians such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Trey Songs,T.I., Chris Brown, and many more, the album does not fail to give a diverse style of music, ranging from Taylor Swift’s country aspect to T.I.’s raps. B.o.B. even had actor Morgan Freeman in the introduction of the opening track, “Bombs Away,” which shocked listeners.
One big difference in “Strange Clouds” is that B.o.B. is more pop-oriented, shying away from the rapping which he is known for. This risk, however, pays off greatly, as the pop genre of the album compliments rappers T.I. and Nicki Minaj, in their respective songs “Arena ” and “Out of my Mind.” The change from rap to pop shows the maturity in B.o.B. and shows, likewise, how he is ready to change his music for the sake of becoming more recognized and popular.
The diversity of the album is what separates “Strange Clouds” from the competition. The album has all kinds of genres on it, mostly rap and pop, with a little country mixed in. The diversity should draw people to the album, because every song is different, and the album, as a whole, never gets old. One example is that the song “Ray Bands” which is an average pop/rap song that has a catchy chorus, differs greatly from the song “Both of Us,” which includes country singer Taylor Swift and adds a county perspective to the album.
“Strange Clouds” is an album that could make B.o.B. one of the most popular rappers in this day and age. It is already one of the top albums sold on iTunes, and it will only get popular as time passes. B.o.B. is one of the most talented rappers in this decade, and this album is a prime example of why he is so popular among young people.
