+ May 25th Comes Early

Via Wesley Ambrecht | 02.03.10

A year ago Bobby Ray Simmons was named one of XXL’s Freshman Class, an honor bestowed upon 10 of the most promising stars in Hip Hop. In the time since Bobby Ray has changed his name from B.O.B. back to Bobby Ray and now he is vacillating between both. He uses Bobby Ray for tracks that he’s singing on and B.O.B. for his raps. It is this mix of Soul and Hip Hop that’s garnered Simmons comparisons to Andre 3000. The comparison is nice but it undervalues the unique nature of B.O.B.’s rhymes.

Yesterday, B.O.B. released his much anticipated mixtape, May 25th. The name is misleading at first but it’s the date that Simmons plans to release his debut album on T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records. In the meantime, May 25th provides a great appetizer. It shows off the multiple sides of Bobby Ray who actually produced the majority of it himself. On “Cool Side” B.O.B. appeals to a very special lady with a cocky swagger that you have to admire. Shortly before this, on “Surprise Me,” he bodies an Infinity beat.

The mixtape also has a nice share of features including J. Cole on the track “Gladiators” and Tre on the song “Bet I.” Charles Hamilton, a fellow XXL Freshman drops in on the dance friendly “Fool For Love.” But the standout feature comes from Asher Roth on “Fuck The Money;” the song was produced by Kanye West and has a sick sample of the Joni Mitchell classic “River.” Roth and B.O.B. trade verses on the song, reflecting on the price of frame. The mixtape closes with the lead single from B.O.B.’s debut album, “Nothing On You,” which features Bruno Mars. The track has been gaining traction with radio play lately, and rightfully so. You can download the tape here courtesy of Daily Tunez and listen to “Fuck The Money” down below.

“Fuck The Money”:

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