S. Samuel
Grand Hustle rapper B.o.B. recently talked about teaming up with Eminem for their "Airplanes Part 2" record and why the Shady Records head appreciated his content.
From B.o.B.’s perspective, Em shared microphone time with him because he could relate to the song’s concept.
“When we started working in the studio for the ‘Airplanes [Part II]’ things sort of grew from there,” B.o.B. said in an interview. “Eminem doesn’t work with a lot of people, so when he does, he has to feel the project. And that’s how I am as an artist. I really have to feel it. I think the reason why Eminem collaborated with me is because he related to the song. He took to the story I was telling on ‘Airplanes’ and brought it home. But you know what? … Everything moves so fast that you never get the chance to sit and really think about what’s going on.” (VIBE)
In April, B.o.B. said Eminem listened to his past mixtapes before linking up for their collaboration.
“[His manager] Paul Rosenberg played him the Cloud 9 mixtape and it kind of gave him an idea of my music,” B.o.B revealed in an interview. “Eventually he started playing Em more of my stuff and was keeping him updated on my progress and eventually he wanted to get in the studio with me, so that was a gift. It’s really reassuring to know that every artist has a way of working but it’s all … the essence of it all to get in that vibe and to get in that zone, and everybody has a different way to get in that zone…It’s good to see a different way, because you know, ‘OK, I can do this or I can do that.’ It kind of showed me where I was thinking inside of a box and where I can open up even more.” (MTV)
Recently, B.o.B. producer Alex da Kid spoke with SOHH about working on the rapper’s debut, The Adventures of Bobby Ray.
“I met B.o.B. about two years ago in LA, it was like a last minute session and we actually didn’t really do anything in that session, we were just talking and then I went to the strip club, [laughs],” Alex told SOHH about befriending B.o.B. “He’s a super cool guy, but we didn’t speak for a little while because we were so busy but obviously I’m just super proud of him. He was on the label for a while and you see that so much where an artist will get signed and then kinda left on the label and then he did the deal with T.I. over at Grand Hustle which made people kinda stand up and pay more attention. He’s got a great team around him and what I love about him is he does something different, he’s not just a regular rapper. He’s super talented, he can play guitar and sing and do something different.” (SOHH)
Having released the chart-topping Adventures of Bobby Ray last spring, the rapper recently opened up about making hit records without financial backing.
“I made the best music when I didn’t have a budget. And when I say best, I mean more organic music when I had a smaller budget, and that’s something that I’m trying to stay in touch with,” he states, reflecting on the days when he would go so far as to record himself tap dancing into a mic to produce a unique beat. “It’s like, who’s to say what sounds right? If it sounds good to me, then that’s cool because I’m the artist. You have so many people who are forcing the hand of artistry. And I think that’s what I don’t want to lose [as] the budgets get bigger.” (YRB Magazine)
Check out Eminem & B.o.B.’s “Airplanes Part 2” down below:
