TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With B.o.B

"Smoking Sessions With..."    By TSSCrew on December 30, 2008 at 2:19 pm

“I am most conscious about my moods. Sometimes you have to be careful what type of mood and what type of lyrics you put in your songs.” - B.O.B.

B.O.B. is a fresh breath, not just in Hip-Hop but for music period. His lyrics are deep and thorough. He has the ability of painting a vivid picture in your head with verses bound to take you on a rollercoaster ride.

In 2006 his first record, “Cloud 9,” garnered the attention of industry taste-maker TJ Chapman of TJ’s DJs, who agreed to co-manage the young artist. It’s been nothing but notches on B.O.B’s belt ever since.

In 2007 he signed with Rebel Rock/Atlantic, and Grand Hustle was recently added to the mix as well. He appeared on city billboards as the face of LRG, his recent single “Created A Monster” was featured in the latest Nintendo DS commercial and he’s preparing to release his debut album The Adventures Of Bobby Ray in summer 2009. His portfolio is impressive for an artist with no album in stores and no major singles on air.

Conquering his fans with countless YouTube videos of performances, studio sessions, and behind the scenes clips, B.O.B. is pure entertainment. His songs are stories and his charisma is enchanting. I had a chance to catch up with B.O.B. for a thorough phone interview a few days before his fantastic Unplugged show at Sugarhill in Atlanta. Check out what Bobby Ray had to say about his adventures in music so far. You won’t be disappointed.

TSS: Let me just rewind back to when you were younger before talking about the now. Even though your popularity grew exponentially in the past year, you are not a new artist. You have been making music…your own music since you were younger. Matter of fact you sold a beat when you were 14 years old. Why did it take so long for you to breakthrough? Or was it just about timing?

B.o.B.: It took so long for me to break through because I’m not really a conformist type of person. I’m not really looking to perform or fit in. It wasn’t that I was trying to be different, but over the years I have been slowly what I could be. It’s crazy because I used to be an engineer and people used to come over the house and record. The hype would be all about them and then eventually people starting taking more and more notice of the music I was making. Then I set out to just be B.O.B. and I performed at an open mic one night, slowly branding myself. People got to know me more and not just what I do in the industry.

TSS: What is your brand? Is there another way to describe you…besides exceptional?

B.o.B.: (Laughing) I leave the door open so that I can do a lot of things. Like with the “AutoTune” video. I want to do different things; whether it’s comical or serious or whatever it may be. I just want to be me, and I don’t want to limit it to just music.

TSS: In your latest song “I’ll Be In The Sky” you say “Nowadays folk would rather rap than go to school/cause they feel that if they black they gotta have it too.” It’s a real quote. A lot of people start rapping because of the stereotype of what rappers should be. How did you know rapping or making music was more for you than school or any other profession?

B.o.B.: School is not designed for the thinking…Wait, let me rephrase that. I just knew what i wanted to do…(both laughing) and I just knew that school was definitely not the road I wanted to go down in order to do that. I express myself…my intelligence creatively. I could have done math and algebra; I understood it well, but it was boring as hell to me. I couldn’t see myself spending the rest of my life with numbers. I’m going so deep in life in doing music and understanding the art of it all. I got to a fork in the road where I had to decide between music and school, and didn’t hesitate to chose music.

TSS: “I’ll Be In The Sky” makes reference to committing suicide in order to cope with things, thinking that will make it better. When i first heard the song, it reminded me a lot of a Billy Talent song called “There’s Nothing To Lose” where they talk about a similar concept. Music is a way of expression, but also relation, because people can relate to what you say. How do you think lyrics as honest as these affect young kids who are often put in those situations?

B.o.B.: I think it adds a realistic perspective on things. And the actual image of a lot of ideas in different types of projections. The song really placed a lot of the things that are really glorified into perspective. I tried to depict the lyrics in the video, but at the same time I didn’t want to get too preachy, so I had to keep it fun. So i think it speaks from a lot of different dimensional levels to the viewer.

TSS: Right but do you think that sometimes putting things out there that vividly, may make kids who are already depressed more suicidal or do you think it helps them meditate and get through it, knowing that other people in the world are going through the same thing?

B.o.B.: I feel like the spirit in the song, aside from the lyrics, is more uplifting. I am more conscious about the mood that I put into a song and sometimes you have to be careful what type of mood and what type of lyrics you combine in a song. Sometimes it can have certain effect on people. People are more sensitive to music now and I do have to take some sort of responsibility because music goes wherever it goes.

TSS: Even though you are classified as a hip-hop artist, your sound is really diverse. From one song to another you could give the impression that you are three different people. Songs like “I’ll Be In The Sky,” - where many comment on your similarity to Andre 3000 - “Lovelier Than You” - where you play a live instrument, and then you have a heavy rhythmic song like your first single “Haterz Everywhere.” Did you at any point think or feel that by throwing all these different sounds at the public, that you would confuse the audience as to who you really are, or you felt they would be more drawn to you?

B.o.B.: I think it’s better because I think that, I feel like I don’t want to bore myself. I don’t want to be that one sided, one dimensional character or persona to people. So I really just try to dish out the different things in me. It does take a sense of vulnerability, but I don’t push myself too far or try to hold myself back. It just kind of comes natural.

TSS: How do other rap artists feel when they see you playing the guitar? Do they trip out?

B.o.B.: One thing that made me feel good…I’m going to go ahead and toot my own horn. I was in the studio with T.I. when we were doing the “I’m Dat Nigga” song and I was just showing him some footage on my blog. Then when “Lovelier” came on and I was just playing, he was quiet. We figured the video had done its job so we were going to stop it, but he said to leave it. Then at the end he was like: “Man I wish I could do that” so that made me feel really good (laughing). So yeah, it does have a type of effect. Regardless of the song, the fact that I’m doing it sort of speaks for itself.

TSS: In ‘08 alone you released three mixtapes and have flooded YouTube with videos of studio sessions, trips, and other things you go through on a day to day basis…

(Phone ringing in the background) Did you want me to give you a minute?

B.o.B.: No it’s okay I just threw it down the hallway.

(Both laughing)

TSS: This gives the fans a chance to relate not only to your music, but to your character as well. Do you think it’s important in your career for your fans to be able to hold on to you as an individual, or rather your image as an artist?

B.o.B.: Hmm that’s a real….I’ve never really been asked in depth questions like these before. This is good (laughing). Just because you asked that question, I have a certain level of comfortability. But you are right a lot of artist do keep it very surfaced, but sometimes it’s so surfaced that it doesn’t even seem real. I don’t want to just open up fully, but I think you have to kind of open to what is necessary. Like for example “AutoTune” didn’t really open up information, but at the same time I went on a limb to be kind of comical. So I think you have to reach a level of comfort where you can open up about things without it having a backlash on you.

TSS: Right and I’m asking because once you start letting the public into your life, it can take a toll on you and it can become less about your music and more about your personal life.

B.o.B.: Well…I’m going to get on a whole new level with you. Fame is not fake. The more people that know you and the more people are watching you, the more energy they are sending to you…because thoughts have energy. So fame is only fake in a surface aspect of it. But when you’ve got a million people looking at you, the energy that you put out there and the energy that they send back to you is real. Like I have dreams at night and I’m not even like a world renowned artist or anything, but just the energy that I get…I wake up because of my dreams sometimes. You know when Kanye West was like “These dreams, they’re waking me up at night…” I definitely know what he’s saying. I can only imagine just a small percentage of it and you have to be cautious with what you put out there. And it’s so ridiculous now-a-days with what you were saying like Britney Spears, pop culture and Michael Jackson, people are quick to turn on you. So you just have to be very careful. I have to keep it fresh, have to keep a fresh aura.

TSS: It’s all about the aura

(Both Laughing)

TSS: You were featured in the cover of XXL’s Class Of ‘09 issue alongside other artists like Asher Roth, Mikey Factz, Blu, Corey Gunz and Ace Hood. Even though this is music and it’s creative, at the same time it’s also a business. Which one of those artists do you feel is your biggest competition?

B.o.B.: I just feel like…honestly I don’t feel like anybody is my competition. I feel like I’m just on a league of my own. The cover of the XXL magazine for me….well for some people it might have been like “Oh man I just got drafted to the pro’s”, but for me…I mean it was definitely a monumental cover because it brought more attention to what I was doing, so I’m definitely grateful for that. But at the end of the day, it’s just another side of me. I don’t think I was thrown into a competitive arena.

TSS: Right but when someone looks at this cover and says: “This is the class of ’09. Someone is going to come out on top.” Everyone wants to sell more records. You want to go diamond with your first album. So you don’t find anyone your competition?

B.o.B.: Not on that cover. And that’s not with disrespect to anyone else. It’s just that what I’m aiming to do is bigger and greater… I look at it more of an accomplishment than anything.

TSS: What about in general? Which artists who you feel will always be competition?

B.o.B.: You know who I look at and say “Man I need to get better at what I’m doing?” Someone like Denzel Washington and Will Smith.

TSS: You completely threw me off with that one. A lot of artists look up to other artists, so that was way …way out there (laughs).

B.o.B.: Way out there (laughs) Well you know it takes a certain level of selflessness to be like that, so I try to, you know…stay…stay with the aura! (Laughs) It’s all about the aura.

TSS: You are very talented musically because you can rap, sing, play the guitar, arrange, mix, and in your bio refer to yourself as a one-stop shop. When working with other people such as producers, engineers etc, is it hard to be just the artist and follow someone else’s vision?

B.o.B.: It definitely is a job because I can do so much. Whenever I create a vision is like a project that I just bring upon myself. So when someone wants me to do a verse, it’s not just a verse, it’s so much more.

TSS: Ok, but when you’re in the studio with other producers, say Timberland or Swizz, and they have a particular vision of how they want their beat to sound, do you ever see a conflict because you may have a different vision from you as a producer?

B.o.B.: I’ll give you a particular example. Jim Jonsin is on his grind right now and recently I got in the studio with him. It took a while to feel each other out and see where we could go, because we both have such vivid visions. And we had to get on the same ground and on the same page, and sometimes it takes a while to do that. Whereas with other artists it may be like ok, cool it’s whatever.

We actually got some good tracks. Eventually when you do combine it, you can get some good stuff. You just have to be patient.

TSS: That’s what I meant. Cool. Ok, so let’s talk about the album The Adventures Of Bobby Ray. It will be released via Grandhustle/Atlantic/Rebel Rock.

B.o.B.: Yeah. It will be release under the three. You know when we initially made the venture we all had to get together for a big meeting. And everyone flew in and met at the Grand Hustle offices. It was like a big Godfather meeting (laughs).

TSS: Did each person have a different vision for the album for you?

B.o.B.: You know the hardest thing for me to do was to draw the lines of what I wanted to do. Because the vision for it was so huge, I had to figure out what it was that I wanted. Even now it’s still defining itself. The more press and awareness I get, the more I’m like “Ok, well I may need to go back to the drawing board and work on this one.”

TSS: So how did the two situations, RebelRock and Grand Hustle, come together? I think you signed with Rebel Rock first right?

B.o.B.: Well, both of them were prospects before I even signed, I just got with Rebel Rock first. TJ knew Jim Jonsin and we flew to Miami to meet with him.

TSS: Did you get in the studio with T.I. before or after you signed to Grand Hustle?

B.o.B.: Well we got in the studio after, but I wanted to get a vibe from him and get to know him as a person first. I wanted anything we did to have the right energy and effort into it.

TSS: Did he give you any good tips?

B.o.B.: Oh yeah. He definitely put the workload into perspective for me. He really taught me how to keep a positive attitude because the workload gets so crazy. The day that I went to his house he had flown in from LA, went to a photo shoot for his clothing line, and went to Yung LA’s video shoot for “Ain’t I.” He had to do some studio for that night. Then after he was done recording, he had to go to a flight back to LA. But the type of person I am, I feel like I am cut out to do a lot of things.

TSS: Is there a final release date for the album?

B.o.B.: We’re thinking summer of 2009, although I’m not rushing it because I want it to meet my expectations. I’m myself worst critic. I’ve got people to bounce ideas back and forth, but yeah we’re thinking summer of 2009.

TSS: You have said you’ve wanted to go diamond with the album, how do you plan to accomplish that?

B.o.B.: Honestly, I don’t know. I’ll get there though. Either way, just the name…people will know the name.

TSS: You have already conquered the billboards, the internet, the print, and you don’t even have an album out. What is next for B.O.B.?

B.o.B.: The movies?

TSS: Ok so who would be your all-time favorite cast to star in a movie with?

B.o.B.: You know what would be a dope cast? Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino…and I’ve got to throw some ladies in there. Why not Jada Pinkett and why not Kerri Washington and (pauses momentarily) Uma Thurman?

(Both Laughing)

TSS: Just throw Uma in the mix.

B.o.B.: Yup. Just put her in the mix. Oh and you have to add Will Ferrell. The movie would be called Phenomenal. (Both laughing)

TSS: Well that’s all the questions I had for you. Thank you for being so easy to talk to.

B.o.B.: No, thank you. You really made the interview an interview. It was fun.

The Adventures Of Bobby Ray, coming early 2009. For more info, visit www.myspace.com/bobatl.

Listen To — DJ Scream, MLK & DJ Spinz - Who The F#@K Is B.o.B Mixtape | LRG Presents “Hello My Name is B.o.B” by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban

Previously Posted — Video: B.o.B - “I’ll Be In The Sky” & “Haterz Everywhere” Live | B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray | B.o.B. Talks “On Top Of The World” | “The Freshman 15…” - Charles Hamilton, Asher Roth & B.o.B.

Posted in "Smoking Sessions With...", ARTIST INTERVIEWS, GENERAL — Tags: "FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH...", B.O.B., Grand Hustle, The Adventures Of Bobby Ray, TJ's DJs