B.o.B has had a bizarre career trajectory. He broke out as a genre-hopping hitmaker. He then made a hard pivot into trap music and conspiracy theories. The rapper declared that the Earth was flat, and then dropped a diss track against astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Space Time, B.o.B's latest album, sees him continue his conspiracy theory wave. The rapper decides to throw a tinfoil hat on and take shots at the structures that he believes are holding the public back. The opening track, "He Who Remains," is a very fitting sampler of what's to come. A radio broadcast detailing a UFO sighting blurs into a catchy beat in which B.o.B references Ozempic and his outsider status in the rap game.
B.o.B is still charismatic as ever on the microphone. The musical variety of his earlier albums is nowhere to be found, though. Instead, the rapper opts for a batch of instrumentals that sound like leftovers from Ab-Soul's Do What Thou Wilt sessions. "Publicity" sports a trippy synth line reminiscent of an old scifi movie. B.o.B matches its off-kilter energy with a nimble flow. "Zoot" and "Bootstrap Paradox" are less pointed in their societal critiques than its the opening track suggests. That said, they are entertaining if taken on their own merits. "Like Me a Lot" is the best beat on the album, with a haunting vocal chant running throughout and an wistful horn riff. "Black Phillip" is a nine minute epic of a closer, with some inspired musical passages. It's a shame Space Time isn't as experimental as the song is overall, but it's still worth checking out.
B.o.B Does His Best Ab-Soul Impersonation On New Album
Space Time tracklist:
- He Who Remains
- Publicity
- Zoot
- Steve Harvey
- Bootstrap Paradox
- Thick Skullz
- Wit a Dance
- Like Me a Lot
- Bamboo
- Black Phillip