Don’t Bother with B.o.B’s “Strange Clouds”

B.o.B is generally dismissed as a pop artist. I wouldn’t disagree, in fact that’s a very apt description. However, I really like to give every artist a chance. So, this week, I’ll be reviewing his latest LP, Strange Clouds.

The album kicks off with “Bombs Away”, which oddly features a few spoken pieces from Morgan Freeman. B.o.B’s lyrics are a little pretentious and silly. He says things like “And it seems like, in the grand scheme of it all / The world’s run by a few people and we never seen them at all / How do they exist if we don’t know who they are?”. Which, to me, is trying just a little too hard. The production is nothing special either.

“Ray Bands” brings it back to a more typical hip hop subject, bragging. B.o.B talks about his mustangs and porsches, and his lady that wants his “Ray Bands”. It’s simple and just lame. I don’t dig this track much at all.

“Hard to Breathe” is a track that caught my attention when I heard B.o.B talking about when he was struggling trying to find a home, and how hard it was to get by. First of all, this track is right after one where he’s talking about partying with models and his imported cars. Second of all, B.o.B was born Bobby Simmons in South Carolina. He went to college. He was broke maybe once in his life. This song was clearly written to make it seem like he went through some tough times, but I don’t buy it. This track is disappointing, and just humiliating.

“Strange Clouds” has a dubstep production, and more of a Wiz Khalifa sounding hook. B.o.B continues to be just overall poor on the mic, and Lil Wayne’s verse is laughable. This song really wants you to like it, but it’s not accomplishing that very well.

“So Good” is a radio-ready pop rap track that includes a blend of mediocre verses and a weak, upbeat hook. At this point in the album, it’s just too tiring to even try to enjoy these songs.

“Let You Go” is a little different, with a folky acoustic guitar incorporated into the production. However, it’s still just too bland and tasteless to even produce a drop of enjoyment.

Generally, across the whole album, B.o.B’s lines and verses are far from impressive. I like his voice for the most part, but his lyricism all together pales in comparison to a large amount of today’s rappers. The production is stale, and hardly unique. The songs don’t have much personality, or a defining factor to each of them. Overall, it’s just more radio trash with no substance whatsoever. Overall this album can only get something like a 2 out of 5 from me.

Listen to this album and my future reviews on Spotify! – http://spoti.fi/IqlygE