At Blis.fm studios in Washington, D.C., Grand Hustle/Atlantic Record‘s rapper B.O.B., also known as Bobby Ray came to host a listening session on The Raheem DeVaughn Show. With WPGC’s DJ Heat on the tables, and visual artist Demont Peekaso producing a live painting, listeners were able to hear 10 songs off the newly released Underground Luxury, B.o.b.’s third studio album which was released on December 17th.

While a firm believer that no one of real musical appreciation and knowledge can review an album in a day, Underground Luxury receives major accolades from me for being authentic and creative, for the most part.  While your typical Atlanta trap-pop, 2 Chainz feature formula is heard on B.O.B’s radio single, the album boasts creative production (the rapper also executive produced this album,) candid confessions, and lap-dance-worthy hits without the usual, overdone “trap beat.” On the Throwback track, featuring Chris Brown, B.O.B. chops and cuts an Old Irish lord jig and provides pretty explicit instructions as to how a stripper should perform for him. I’m not sure too many people could have made that a success, and yet, it is one of my favorite songs on the album.

B.o.B boasts that it is this album that finally offers insight into who he is as a person.  More than smooth pop hits and consciousness, Bobby Ray is a young man, achieving , learning, and expanding business exponentially, and this can all be witnessed on his album. Check out the interview and more pics below.

On how he feels Underground Luxury is Different

All my albums were dope man. I feel like musically, they were phenomenal, but I never really opened up on an album like this…even “Paper Route’ and ‘Fly Mother Fucker’, I had a blank canvas. Felt like i was a new artist again.

On the preservation of Atlanta in the Music Business

Atlanta is a close knit community.Don’t nobody have issues with each other for real in Atlanta. We take pride of being from Atlanta. But At the same time, you know, if you just listen to Atlanta radio, you don’t get a full sense  on what Atlanta is about. It’s not just ratchet and strip clubs, although we do like that, don’t get me wrong, but it’s so much more to it…

On the transition from underground to star

That was an interesting moment as well, because a lot of the underground fans who had been following me…You know hip hop culture, urban culture, we are just territorial. So it’s like, ‘What’s Bob doing? Why is he going over there with those white people? What’s going on?’ You know what I mean. I really had to adjust to the change of pace, because I really was not trying to make no pop album.

Musical Influences growing up

I grew up listening to Hip Hop. I was a hip hop head. DMX, Nas, Outkast Eminem, Biggie, Pac all of it. My brother was a hip hop head, he got me in music. My brother was also a rock head. I wasn’t a rock head yet. I was like why is he listening to this… as i got older, i developed a taste for it. I started playing the guitar…It opened my mind up.

When is a song Hot?

Creative control is one thing…but if i make 12 songs, I’m going to like all 12 of those songs. But I’m only going to put on my album what I am getting good feedback on. Because I could like a song for a reason beyond a music consumer. I might like it because I put a guitar in it, or I stayed up all night trying to nail this guitar part, but it doesn’t mean the song is good. I just nailed the guitar part. So you have to know the line between when a song is good and when you just accomplished something.

Finding his voice

I really had to step out on a limb on this project and just say whatever I wanted to say. There was a time where I would say something, rap a verse, and then be like ‘Damn man, that’s kind of vulgar. We should clean that up some.’ Now I’m just like, ‘Man, fuck that. Just whatever. Say It.’ Even with things that are personal to me, things I need to be vulnerable and courageous to say, it’s on this album.