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Standout Tracks

Bombs Away
Ray Bands
Both Of Us
So Good
Arena

B.o.B comes out swinging on this first track, “Bombs Away”.  Anytime you can get Morgan Freeman to narrate a song on your album, you know you’re doing something right.  The prolific actor provided two short soliloquys at the beginning and the end of the track that added to the gravitas of the song as a whole.  Backed by the sultry sounds of violins, the billowing voice of an opera singer and a synth playing a looping arpeggio, B.o.B proceeds to paint a picture of a Darwin-esque world whose time is drawing close to an apocalyptic event.

B.o.B keeps the heat coming going straight into the second track, “Ray Bands”.  The song tells the story of a girl who wants to get close to B.o.B because of his newfound wealth and status.  The song title alludes to the notion that she wants to see and experience a life through him; a double entendre playing off the name of the designer sunglasses known as Ray-Bans, and the “Ray” in B.o.B’s name.  The chorus of the song is pretty self-explanatory:  

She wanna pop bottles and chill with all the folk
Hang with all the models and all the centerfolds
Showing off her body now watch her strike a pose
Tryna get beside me so she can get a hold of them ol’
Bobby Ray Bands
She want them Ray Bands

“Both Of Us” features vocals from country music superstar Taylor Swift.  The powerful song depicts the story of two people going through the hardships of life together, with both of them wanting to be strong for and uplift the other.  The song has a broader reach which can be interpreted as going beyond the two protagonists, and translates to society as a whole, and how we all need to uplift one another in tough times.
“So Good” is the second official single for this album, and it was definitely a good choice.  B.o.B raps and croons over a snappy up-tempo beat, attempting to woo an unnamed woman with promises of exposure to the finer things in life, of which she hasn’t seen before. Now you might classify that as standard hip-hop fare, but the difference here is 1) It’s not done in a condescending and/or disrespectful way, and 2) the “finer things in life” in this song has nothing to do with material things, but rather life experiences.
“Arena” is a mid-tempo track which features T.I . and Chris Brown.  While B.o.B. and T.I. provided good verses, the stars of this track are, hands down, Chris Brown and the piano riffs that are prevalent throughout.  The subject matter of the song itself tells the story of the feel good moment after one reflects on the hardships they have come from, and appreciating where they are now.  Chris Brown flows effortlessly on the chorus of this track; backed by an equally epic piano riff.

Honorable Mentions

Chandelier
Circles
Just A Sign
Castles

Quotables

These are a few quotes and lines that stuck out to me:

“As the war between light and darkness continues, heroes and villains become harder to identify.  Kindred spirits separated at birth, fighting for their place in time to be solidified.  The clock ticks faster and faster while time runs a marathon, in this Babylon.  But see, the end is only the beginning.  The beginning of the calm, before the storm” Morgan Freeman – Bombs Away

“As the mask of deception falls off the face of humanity, unveiling the grim reality, of duality, in which everyone is a causality.  No one will be exempt.  Truth has many shades. It’s not a matter of black and white, but gray.  Although many, we are one. So in the final analysis, could it be we are fighting a war that can’t be won?”  Morgan Freeman – Bombs Away

“It’s like, people only see it, the way it appears / But they never see the ropes and the pulleys and the gears / Blood sweat and tears, we cry but always swear there’s tears”  B.o.B – Where Are You

“Ballin' from the baseline, bottom to the top / Got bullets on speed-dial, yeah I call shots”  B.o.B - Castles
Verdict

I thought this album was very well put together.  It had a nice sequence to it, making the correct transitions from slower tracks, to more mid-to-up-tempo ones.  One could easily listen to the entire album straight through without skipping tracks, and that is one of the hallmarks of a good album. 
I see this album as definitely being a contender for Best Rap Album at the 2013 Grammys.  I’m going to go out on a limb and say it could even find its way into the Album of the Year category (If Rihanna’s “Loud” can get nominated for that award in 2012, then certainly an album such as this one stands a chance). I’m going to give this album a 9 out of 10.  You hear people complain all that time (and often using arbitrary examples) that “hip hop is dead”.  This album is proof positive that that notion is not true, and that good music is still out there.  There are those artists out there who are more than capable of bringing it; however it is up to the consumer to support those artists.  Otherwise, the same fluff and nonsense that you love to complain about, but yet still support, will be continually shoved down our collective throats.
**Side Notes**

It may be just me, but at times it definitely feels like B.o.B is channeling Kanye West in his delivery and sound.  To me, this seems most evident on the last track “Where Are You”.

I know that people are going to complain that B.o.B brought in Nicki Minaj for “Out Of My Mind”, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.  Like it or not, she is one of the hottest artists out in terms of popularity.  Secondly, the track’s off the wall nature fits her to a tee.  I could see why people would be upset if she was just randomly thrown on any song, but in this case, she actually fit the track.

After almost a month on the Billboard 200 charts, and after coming in second to Madonna’s MDNA during its debut week, Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee is finally number one.  The tenth studio album from the R&B / Pop crooner topped the charts this week by selling an estimated 127,000 copies.

It was good week for Nicki Minaj and all of her personalities/alter egos. The First Lady of YMCMB easily cruised to the top of the Billboard 200 charts with the release of her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. She sold an estimated 252,000 copies this week, a far cry from the almost 400,000 copies her debut album, Pink Friday, sold to capture the number one spot last year.
Coming in at number two, and unbelievably still holding strong on the charts after more than a year, is Adele. Her wildly successful Grammy award-winning sophomore album, 21, racked up another 152,000 copies sold. As of April 2012, her album has sold over 8 million copies in the U.S. alone, and over 20 million worldwide.
New to the charts this week is the country music trio, Rascal Flatts. Their eighth studio album, Changed, sold 131,000 copies, enough to snag the number three spot.
In at number four is singer-songwriter, record producer, and former Commodore, Lionel Richie. His tenth studio album, Tuskegee, sold an estimated 104,000 copies this week. The album had a strong debut at number two on the charts last week, getting beat out by Madonna’s MDNA.
Rounding out the top five is British boy band, One Direction. The quintet, born out of the combination of five solo acts from The X Factor music competition, sold an estimated 91,000 copies of their debut album, Up All Night. The group made history three weeks ago when they became the first British group to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 charts with their first album.

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