If you think that listening to The Adventures of Bobby Ray gave you an accurate picture of who Bobby Ray Simmons (B.o.B) really is, think again. In an age where more people are becoming familiar with what a mix tape is, the divide is still great. Many fans became detractors, citing a sell out mind for more commercial appeal. Sadly, those people don’t realize, while music is about making people happy and appealing to people’s auditory senses, it’s also a business, that if you’re not smart enough to recognize will put you out on your ass relatively quickly.

B.o.B recognizes his faults from the last record and attempts to rectify them on Strange Clouds, working with a slew of guest artists including Taylor Swift (the new Hayley Williams?), Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, TI, Lil Wayne, and even Morgan Freeman. Still remaining is the high production value from the last LP, only it’s more honest, heartfelt, endearing than that previous effort.

“Bombs Away” opens the album and set’s up a wild ride. Here, B.o.B addresses selling out (“I used to dream of success/now success is inadequate/it seems the bigger I get, it’s  the more they get mad at me.), politics (And it seems like, in the grand scheme of it all/the worlds run by a few people and we never seen them at all.), and aliens (some say that we’re slaves, an alien race created us all/From a distant star some say through evolution we evolve.).

“Both of Us” is this summer’s soundtrack about not having money to live but buying shit to stay cool anyway. The song features Taylor Swift on the chorus; I’ve criticized her in the past, but here she is flawless. The delivery is endearing and heartfelt, as Bobby Ray’s is emotional and brutally honest. “Ray Bands” is a great play on B.o.B’s name, seeing him as those pair of sunglasses that the ladies just have to get their hands on. In a way, the song is an update on “Gold Digger:” a really playful, witty, and smart take on it, right on down to the club beat. The song also features a nice organ sampel that flies in out of nowhere, and is gone just as fast.

The albums stand out track, and I hate to say it is “Out of My Mind” featuring Nicki Minaj, and we all know how I feel about her. The samples and beat to this song feel like a robot overload, like you’re mind can’t comprehend what just happened, especially after the recent passing of MCA (RIP Adam Yauch). Nicki Minaj’s parts are fucking insane, and include a slight tribute to B.o.B’s hit song “Airplanes.”

Bobby Ray has improved upon the blueprint that was The Adventures of Bobby Ray. Fans of his first mix tapes and that last album will find a great compromise here. If the production is still to much for you, than I dare say that you don’t know what B.o.B is trying to accomplish. In short, he’s the most underrated musician in the rap game; fuck, the guy can play all these instruments, write the shit, and he could fucking making you a sandwich while he’s doing it. Don’t let hype overlook a really great album.

Album Rating: Stream It or Digitally Download It.

Listening Co-efficient: Active Listen

If you’d like your music reviewed on teamhellions.com email recordreviewsonhellions@gmail.com