★★★★★
Emcees who blend rapping with singing are commonplace nowadays, but aside from contemporaries like Drake and J Cole, no one excels at the style quite like B.o.B when he is at his best. His ability to switch his flow over any beat with seamless, charming southern drawl - not unlike his protege T.I. - is Bobby Ray's strongest quality. His weakest: building an album consistent enough to match up to tip's reputation. A certified star the second 'Nothin On You' hit radio waves the world over, B.o...
- www.theaureview.com
2014-01-26
★★★★★
At least B.o.B's downtempo 2010 radio hit, Airplanes, matched its melodramatic lyrics. Similarly, in 2012, So Good's jaunty piano jibed with its upbeat joie de vivre. You might hate them for being the most pop-radio form of pop-radio rap, but at least these songs made sense. The opening track on the Georgia rapper's third album, however, is perplexing to the point of hilarity...
- nowtoronto.com
2014-01-09
★★★★★
At least B.o.B's downtempo 2010 radio hit, Airplanes, matched its melodramatic lyrics. Similarly, in 2012, So Good's jaunty piano jibed with its upbeat joie de vivre. You might hate them for being the most pop-radio form of pop-radio rap, but at least these songs made sense.
The opening track on the Georgia rapper's third album, however, is perplexing to the point of hilarity...
- www.nowtoronto.com
2014-01-10
★★★★★
The multi-talented B.o.B sounds like he can't figure out just what kind of artist he wants to be on his third record. The rapper/musician born Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. tries to recapture the pop success of his debut with smartly conceived hooky songs while also churning out overly familiar trap-informed grooves. The latter dilute his charm and vision...
- www.bostonglobe.com
2014-01-07
★★★★★
Swaggering has always been a key element in mainstream hip-hop, and during its golden age, the gold chains and money love were often talked about over the artistry, but B.o.B.'s third studio effort kicks off with a cloud-rap shopping spree called "All I Want," twisting the whole come-up concept into more of a "net worth" song...
- www.allmusic.com
2014-01-17
★★★★★
B.o.B is a gifted crossover artist - a fluid rapper, a fine singer and a skilled piano and guitar player who stuffs his albums with diverse cameos (Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Rivers Cuomo). But his lyrics have never been worthy of his wide-ranging sound or rich drawl. At times, his third LP goes for playalistic realism; "Paper Route" meditates on the perils of rapping about politics ("Look what happened to the Dixie Chicks")...
- www.rollingstone.com
2014-01-04
★★★★★
B.o.B Displays His Well-Rounded Artistry In 'Underground Luxury'
Dec 20th, '13 • Music • by Miranda J. • 5 Comments
After facing a substantial amount of heat from rap fans for his past pop-oriented catalog, B.o.B was adamant to provide a balancing act on Underground Luxury.. On his third studio album, one certainly finds the Atlanta rapper migrating into new territories...
- www.xxlmag.com
2014-01-04
★★★★★
B.o.B has come a long way since the , but by no means does that make his music any less good. The 15-track boasts production from the likes of DJ Toomp, DJ Mustard, Arthur McArthur and B.o.B himself, creating an eclectic cross-genre soundboard. While it may seem that B.o.B is "trying to fit in" on tracks like the explicit "Headband," which features 2 Chainz, and the Future-assisted "Ready," his actual talent supersedes the accusations. Though B.o...
- exclaim.ca
2014-01-18
★★★★★
Amongst a bevy of creative souls, AllHipHop.com enjoyed the exclusive New York, listening event for, B.o.B.'s, Underground Luxury. Upon descending the narrow staircase to the lower level of ACME restaurant, the intimate ambiance of the cocktail bar was heightened with the tasteful décor and the black and gold balloons which lined the ceiling. An endless array of spirits, courtesy of Hennessy and Vitamin Water, were freely shared with the attendees, as B.o.B...
- allhiphop.com
2013-12-18