Sooooo, this is a fairly old mixtape, about a year old to be exact, by Atlanta artist B.o.B. (real name Bobby Ray Simmons). Simmons plays guitar, piano, produces his own tracks, sings and raps. The first half of the mixtape is more or less generic hip-hop. It's pretty good, but nothing to really write home about. The second half of the mixtape is where it's at. It is THE MOST PSYCHEDELIC HIP HOP I HAVE EVER HEARD. Honestly, calling it hip-hop doesn't really do it justice, it's awesome music from start to finish, defying genre boundaries in more ways than i can attempt to describe. In themes, in styles, in lyrics, it's the real deal. I will be surprised if he ever surpasses this half of the mixtape at any point in the future because, tbh, he set the bar so freaking high.
The second half of the mixtape is essentially a mushroom trip, in my opinion. The themes and styles as well as the lyrics reflect this in a very obvious way if you are familiar with the experience. Give it a listen and see what you think. The mixtape is at the bottom of the post.
Here's a short analysis I wrote up and sent to him after listening to the mixtape. I kept it somewhat brief as I didn't want to send him a document saying, well this is what you meant here, here, and here, but tried to give him my take on what I got from that part of the mixtape. I only commented on the Bobby Ray produced tracks, there's a random one in there that I could never figure out how it fit in with the rest, if you see something, let me know.
Art, as to your pm the other day, the quote in my signature comes from "Already There"
Satellite - the initial stage of beginning the trip, the countdown and repeated references to blasting off are kinda obvious, but the lyrics as a whole are all pretty thinly veiled references to tripping esp. "a dream is never a dream is never a dream, yall" near the end
Wonderland – like the hour mark of the trip, until this point everythings been normal, but now visuals truly begin “welcome to the land of wonder, the land of make believe” and you begin to enter reality as seen through the mushroom, thought loops also kinda begin, at this point you’re past the initial body/mind rush of the come up and truly in this crazy land . The lyrics all espouse psychedelic values, the first verse hard core.
Mr. Bobby – Ego dissolution, not necessarily full loss but could be, Opening lyrics of “everything that I say is gonna be allright” represents the anxiety at entering more fully into this altered consciousness as the ego starts to become unrecognizable/alien and the way the “you” that now exists comforts itself. Verse lyrics are slightly suggestive, best evidence is the lack of imitation from the responding voices in the call/response section and the chorus.
Trippin – the peak/plateau of the trip, the airy exhale at the beginning is
totally reminiscent of yawning or deep breathing that mushrooms induce. The lyrics are full on explicitly about tripping and also contain psychedelic references and undertones. The "What you doin? Shroomin, shroomin, shroomin" is well masked in the breathing effect at the end and took a while to decipher, despite being lyrically explicit.
Goodnite – It’s the comedown, the hardest part for many people is truly meshing body/soul back together in an unstressful manner. The chorus on this track is entirely about the exhaustion on the soul/mind from tripping and explains for the upbeat rhythm and jittery aspects of the song despite it being about being weary and nite because both body and mind can feel uppity/quick/fragmented unless you time bedtime right.
Camera – produced by Big Toombs
No Man’s Land – past the stage of goodnight, if you didn’t fall asleep or didn’t have problems coming down you’re now probly chillin with a couple friends drinkin a brew. The lyrics are fairly suggestive and the mood set by the song is incredibly on for the manner in which you feel like chillin/celebrating, the lyrics “sweet dreams I hold on to, memories I hold on tooooo” are evocative of remembering lessons learned on the trip.
Put Me On – The recharged/refreshed/envigorated feelings that mushrooms leave you with the next morning. Both tonally and lyrically this song is right on for afterglow
Already There – Lingering thoughts/lessons from the trip, the fact that something makes sense about what you see on mushrooms, the opening synth has a quiet voice over that states “Don’t be afraid when I die” most psychedelics ease peoples anxiety over death, the whole feel of the song is psychedelic, along with lyrics like “Some people don’t ask why but I ask why I ask why and half the time I try to act right so I don’t catch a bad vibe. Up in the sky like an aeroplane but no I aint talking about mary jane and yes its only a few people that know what I mean when I say im everything”
Happy Listening
SB
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The OHTIn New York, we wrote the legal number on our arms in marker...To call a lawyer if we were arrested.
In Istanbul, People wrote their blood types on their arms. I hear in Egypt, They just write Their names.
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