underground_luxury
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B.o.B isn’t going to deny that he has the best musical album of 2013. “I feel like nobody can do what I can do. If I were just a rapper, if that’s all I did, if I didn’t produce or sing, I’d be the best rapper,” he tells XXL during a private session of Underground Luxury earlier this month. “That’s just all I would do. But, nobody can really do what I can do. I just feel like I am in my own world.”

B.o.B exudes this confidence because he considers Underground Luxury his finest work. Produced almost entirely by him, the 2009 XXL Freshmen allowed song ideas and concepts to flow naturally during the recording process. It began with a string of club songs, before moving on to experiment with soundscapes that pushed him as an artist. Much like his sophomore effort Strange Clouds, the Atlanta representative pulls from all genres--pop, hip-hop, dubstep--to tell his story once again on his third studio LP.

Underground Luxury is a lifestyle. It is culture,” he says. “It’s anybody who grew up having nothing and take what they had and make it luxurious. Make it something enjoyable. That’s really what the whole theme of the album is centered around.”

The ATLien is making a strong case for his new direction in “All I Want.” The track closely deals with chasing success and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. In other parts of the album, Bobby Ray took his production to bigger levels, exploring beats that sound perfect for his hip-hop love songs and nights partying in the club. “John Doe” is one more highlight that fans should pay attention to, mainly for newcomer Priscilla Renea’s stunning vocals. B.o.B rides the melody with his signature singsong rhymes, leaving listeners in awe.

Though B.o.B is officially putting out an album preview mixtape on Tuesday, he believes Underground Luxury is worth the wait and will give an accurate statement of his progress as an artist. “Regardless of what people are saying, I knew the feedback I was going to get when I put out “Still In The Bitch," “Headband” and “Ready,” he says. "I knew people were going to be like, 'Aw man, he’s changing. He’s talking about what a 24 year olds talk about.' Because I am 24 [Laughs.]"

"But, you know, I allow myself to be in any point," he continued. "As you can see from the album, I still have the records. The people who discovered me from “Airplanes” and “Nothing On You” can still connect with that side of me. I am going to give you that side. But, this is the whole picture. This is who I am in totality.”

Tracklist:

1. All I Want
2. One Day
3. Paper Route
4. Ready (Feat. Future)
5. Throwback (feat. Chris Brown)
6. Back Me Up
7. Coastline
8. Wide Open
9. FlyMuthaFucka
10. HeadBand (Feat. 2 Chainz)
11. John Doe (Feat. Priscilla Renae)
12. Cranberry Moon Walk (Feat. Mike Fresh)
13. Nobody Told Me
14. Forever
15. We Still In This Bitch (Feat. T.I. & Juicy J)

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