Underground Luxury
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''Underground Luxury'' is the third studio album by American rapper
B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later, ...
. The album was released on December 17, 2013, by
Grand Hustle Records Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the lab ...
, Rebel Rock Entertainment and
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
. The album was supported by four singles "
We Still in This Bitch "We Still in This Bitch" is a song by American hip hop recording artist B.o.B, released on December 30, 2012 as the first single from his third studio album ''Underground Luxury'' (2013). The song, produced by Mike WiLL Made It and Marz, featur ...
", " HeadBand", "
Ready Ready may refer to: Film and television * ''Ready'', a 2002 British short starring Imelda Staunton * Ready (2008 film), ''Ready'' (2008 film), a Telugu film * Ready (2011 film), ''Ready'' (2011 film), a Hindi remake of the Telugu film * Ready ( ...
" and "
John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
". The album features guest appearances from
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
,
2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...
, T.I., Juicy J,
Priscilla Renea Priscilla Renea Hamilton (born September 14, 1988), known professionally as Muni Long (pronounced "money long"), is an American singer and songwriter. Under her birth name, her solo debut studio album, ''Jukebox'', was released through Capitol R ...
, Ester Dean and
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
among others. ''Underground Luxury'' received mixed reviews from music critics, that praised some of its production, but criticized its lyricism and the rapper's decision to move from the
alternative hip hop Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...
sound of his previous efforts, to a club- dirty south one. The album debuted at number 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 35,000 copies in its first week of release. The album was certified gold by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
August 5, 2016.


Background

On December 7, 2012, during an interview with
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,
B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later, ...
spoke about his third studio album, saying: "My album is basically a continuation of ''
The Adventures of Bobby Ray ''B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray'' is the debut studio album by American rapper B.o.B, released on April 27, 2010, by Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Production for the album took place during 200 ...
'' and '' Strange Clouds''. I feel like it kinda bridges the gap between where all my fans are and finally getting everybody up to speed on what my sound is and exactly where I’m going." In March 2013, during an interview with ''
Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...
'', he spoke about his third studio album being more effortless, saying: "This project is a lot more effortless than anything because I’ve really shown the full spectrum of what I can do musically, so now I’m just having fun with it. I’m 24 years old, so I’m partying." On April 4, 2013, B.o.B revealed he would release his third studio album before the rock EP he had previously announced. On May 12, 2013, 2013, B.o.B tweeted: "''Underground Luxury'' ... coming this summer... #staytuned", revealing the title of his third studio album. On May 23, 2013, during an interview with Power 105, B.o.B spoke about the album being the edgiest project he has ever done, saying:
"A lot of people didn't get to see the full spectrum of what I do. So it's kinda like a re-introduction of my roots. My album coming out this summer, ''Underground Luxury'', is really telling the story from...I grew up with very humble beginnings. ''Underground Luxury'' is definitely a lot edgier. Probably the most edgy of any project I've done. And I mean that on all levels from the cerebral tracks to the club tracks, to everything. The whole side of it, I'm just really being blunt with my thoughts I'm not holding anything back."
In September 2013, during an interview with ''Montreality'', B.o.B announced that the album would be released in December 2013. In the same interview he spoke about the plans for ''Underground Luxury'', saying: "I want to say that this project is a project that is kind of like a contrasting title, you know, ''Underground Luxury''. I would say, to paraphrase it, this is connecting the dots, from who I was as an artist before the major success to where I'm at now. And it's a lot more unfiltered and unedited than anything I've ever done. So I think it's going to be a great project, great, monumental, career shifting project. I'm actually done with it, but we're really just having fun with it, man. We're making a movie, you know, me and my team. We're just kind of sitting back and watching everything, watching how people respond to music." In October 2013, during an interview with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' he spoke about the album title, saying:
"To me, "underground luxury" is kinda like a contrasting title and the reason for that is because on this album I plan on introducing to people and reintroducing to people the side of me that they didn't see on the first album. On that album, I didn't really show my underground side and I didn't really tell my story as much and as vividly as I'm telling it now. Telling a story isn't always a linear thing that involves going from point A to point B -- it's about putting myself back in a mind state to when I was struggling and when I had to really go out of my way to make ends meet when I was coming out of high school and really struggling. It's really like a re-telling of the story from a different perspective."


Recording and production

On December 10, 2012, B.o.B revealed he would be releasing an
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
that consisted only of
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
; he also spoke lightly on his third studio album as well: "I think it’s really gonna be a phenomenal album simply because I’ve been recording it for so long. When you record 10 songs to get seven good songs and then you record twice as many to get a hit, so when you just spend time with the music, it’s inevitable." In March 2013, while on set for T.I.’s “
Memories Back Then "Memories Back Then" is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., featuring guest appearances from fellow American rappers B.o.B and Kendrick Lamar, as well as vocals from American singer-songwriter Kris Stephens. The song, produced Ma ...
” video-shoot, B.o.B gave insight on his third studio album for the second time and promised progression: "Musically really I think it’s what you would expect from the whole scope of a B.o.B project, but just more refined. As time goes on I’m getting older, but at the same time I’m 24, I’m still young, I like to party, I like to party. I think a lot of my experiences just growing up in the spotlight and being a man and enjoying life are reflected in my work." In the October 2013, interview with ''Rolling Stone'', B.o.B also spoke about why he decided to release "
Ready Ready may refer to: Film and television * ''Ready'', a 2002 British short starring Imelda Staunton * Ready (2008 film), ''Ready'' (2008 film), a Telugu film * Ready (2011 film), ''Ready'' (2011 film), a Hindi remake of the Telugu film * Ready ( ...
", as the album's second single, saying: "I feel like it's the season where everybody's going back to school and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is back in season, which is one of my favorite sports, so I just felt like it was a great song for the time. Then me and
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
, we're both from the east side
f Atlanta F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...
so it felt like a real necessary move to make. What Future brings to the song is just crazy. Future came up with the hook and brought it to me first. I heard it and I loved it and so I spent a couple of days just trying to live with it and letting the music flow. The way I write now, I just try and let the music come to me. I really don't try to force anything, so if I catch something like a vibe or a feeling then I catch something and go with it and let that direct me. I feel like it's a more natural way to finish songs." He went on to add how it was hard to narrow down all the material he recorded for the album, saying: "It's pretty much done. I got enough material to put out two albums if I wanted to but it's really hard to narrow it down 'cause there's so many good songs but I also want to make that overall great album." During the ''Rolling Stone'' interview, he spoke about if the first two singles were representative of the direction of the album, saying: "I feel like it's representative of the club side of the album but I'm really trying to give people all sides of me. So of course there's the side of me that likes going to the
strip club A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other Erotic dancing, erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or Bar (establishment), bar style, and can also ...
and likes
party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
ing but there's also the other side of me that's a lot more transcendental and a lot more cerebral that's on the album as well." He also spoke about the most cerebral song on the album, saying: "I got a song called "Coast Line." It's not out yet, and I can't really say too much on it yet, but it's a very abstract song. I don't want to spoil anything for the first time listeners, but that's the one. I mean, I haven't really figured out all the songs that are going to be on the album, but that one definitely will be going on there." He also revealed that American singer
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
would be featured on the album, saying: "I got Chris Brown on there. He's dope, man. We were at the studio and we always work in a lot of the same studios so he just stuck his head in the studio one day and I was like, "Yo, man, I got some shit that I need to play you." So he played me one of his records for his album and we both got on each other's album." In November 2013, B.o.B held a listening session in
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, to give
blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
gers, DJs and members of the media a first hand listen at ''Underground Luxury''. While there, B.o.B gave insight on the recording process of the album and revealed he produced the majority of it. When asked how his approach to song writing on this album is different from his past albums, the rapper said: "Well the songwriting process for me has been the same really. I think what has changed is the content because I have always pulled from my life experience. My life has changed, so the content has changed, and my perspective has changed. I am much older and I see things much differently than I did when I was a kid." In a December 2013, interview with '' The Source'', B.o.B spoke about why it took so long to release the album, saying: "I spent a lot of time on this project, man. I really wanted it to be natural. I started out doing a lot of club records cause I just wanted to be in the club. But as I had fun with it and grew with it, I saw what songs stayed jamming as the months went by. That let me and everyone know what records were the best records. And then other records came by like “
John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
”. I think that song took the longest to record because I had to go back and redo the verses cause they just weren’t right. They weren’t poppin’ with the song. A lot of it was just taking it serious and spending more time with it." In ''The Source'' interview, he also spoke about some of the features on the album, saying: "I feel like they added a lot. Of course, Future is gonna bring that East side energy. Tip, that’s Hustle Gang so hands down. Juicy J brings that trippy vibe. But Priscilla Renee, she brought this certain soul to the record that I really wanted to keep. I really fought for her to stay on the album cause I believed in her. Her soul just gave me chills on the record when you hear it, when the music drops. I made sure I produced my ass off on that. Records like “Cranberry Moonwalk” surprised me because people are really gravitating towards that record. When I ask people what’s their favorite song, I’m see this at least 7 out of 10 times. But I produced that with FKi. They added a lot of flavor to it. I came with the guitars on there. It’s really just all a balance. Everybody brings in key components to the projects. I just glue it all together." During ''The Source'' interview, he went on to discuss what sticks out the most about the album, saying: "The thing that stuck out to me about this album was that this would be the first time that I have an album that has the rawness of a mixtape, but still has the worldwide appeal of a critically acclaimed album. That’s a challenge because I feel like it’s a very hard thing to pull off because when you’re in the world of albums, it’s about so many more factors like numbers and politics get intertwined with it. But a mixtape, it’s like this is what I recorded, let’s put it out. So you gotta stay true to the integrity of the music."


Release and promotion

On November 15, 2012, B.o.B released his ninth
mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
, titled ''Fuck 'Em We Ball'', in promotion for the album. The mixtape features guest appearances from T.I., Juicy J,
Mac Miller Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper and record producer. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of fifteen. In 2010, h ...
,
Playboy Tre Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later ...
,
Snoop Lion Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
, Spodee and Iggy Azalea, with much of the production coming from B.o.B himself. The mixtape also spawned the single "
We Still in This Bitch "We Still in This Bitch" is a song by American hip hop recording artist B.o.B, released on December 30, 2012 as the first single from his third studio album ''Underground Luxury'' (2013). The song, produced by Mike WiLL Made It and Marz, featur ...
", which was released on January 8, 2013, and was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). In March 2013, while on set for T.I.’s “
Memories Back Then "Memories Back Then" is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., featuring guest appearances from fellow American rappers B.o.B and Kendrick Lamar, as well as vocals from American singer-songwriter Kris Stephens. The song, produced Ma ...
” video-shoot, B.o.B shared with
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
that he’d like his fans to help choose a title for his third album." On April 22, 2013 it was announced B.o.B would go on tour with fellow American rappers
Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...
,
A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
,
Trinidad James Nicholaus Joseph Williams (born September 24, 1987), better known by his stage name Trinidad James (often stylized as Trinidad Jame$), is a Trinidadian-American rapper. In 2012, he signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. The label d ...
,
Joey Bada$$ Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott (born January 20, 1995), known professionally as Joey Badass (stylized as Joey Bada$$), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, he is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro ...
, Pro Era and
Smoke DZA Sean Pompey (born February 8, 1984), better known by his stage name Smoke DZA, is an American rapper and songwriter. Biography 1984–2007: Early life and career beginnings Smoke DZA was born February 8, 1984 at Harlem Hospital in New York ...
, for the Under the Influence concert tour. The tour would then begin on July 17, 2013. On July 11, 2013, B.o.B released a teaser video, in which he is seen in the studio recording a song titled "That How You Feel." On August 19, 2013, B.o.B released a song titled "Missing". On October 17, 2013, during an interview on
BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
's ''
106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
'', B.o.B announced that the album would be released on December 17, 2013. On October 30, 2013, B.o.B posted a video on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
titled "The Road to ''Underground Luxury''". In the video, B.o.B talks about his life leading up to that point. On November 1, 2013, the
album cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...
was unveiled. On November 4, 2013, the track listing was released, revealing guest appearances on the album from
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
,
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
, Mike Fresh,
Playboy Tre Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later ...
,
Priscilla Renea Priscilla Renea Hamilton (born September 14, 1988), known professionally as Muni Long (pronounced "money long"), is an American singer and songwriter. Under her birth name, her solo debut studio album, ''Jukebox'', was released through Capitol R ...
, Ester Dean, T.I. and Juicy J. On November 26, 2013, B.o.B teamed up with DJ Drama, to release a sampler, an official preview of the album. On December 17, 2013, B.o.B released the music video for "Paper Route", the third track from the album.


Singles

On January 8, 2013, the album's first single "
We Still in This Bitch "We Still in This Bitch" is a song by American hip hop recording artist B.o.B, released on December 30, 2012 as the first single from his third studio album ''Underground Luxury'' (2013). The song, produced by Mike WiLL Made It and Marz, featur ...
", featuring T.I. and Juicy J, was released. The single managed to reach number 64 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On May 21, 2013, the album's second single " HeadBand", which features
2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...
, was released. On June 30, 2013, the music video for "HeadBand", premiered on
MTV Jams BET Jams is an American pay television network controlled by BET Networks and owned by Paramount Media Networks. The channel features hip-hop and urban contemporary music videos. The network, formerly known as MTV Jams, was rebranded under the ...
. The song has since sold 1,000,000 copies and peaked at number 53 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On September 10, 2013, B.o.B released "
Ready Ready may refer to: Film and television * ''Ready'', a 2002 British short starring Imelda Staunton * Ready (2008 film), ''Ready'' (2008 film), a Telugu film * Ready (2011 film), ''Ready'' (2011 film), a Hindi remake of the Telugu film * Ready ( ...
", his collaboration with fellow
East Atlanta East Atlanta is a neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, United States The name East Atlanta Village primarily refers to the neighborhood's commercial district. Geography East Atlanta lies entirely within DeKalb County and is bounde ...
-native
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
, as the album's third single. On October 15, 2013, the music video for "Ready", premiered on ''
106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
''. On December 3, 2013, the album's fourth single "
John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
" featuring
Priscilla Renea Priscilla Renea Hamilton (born September 14, 1988), known professionally as Muni Long (pronounced "money long"), is an American singer and songwriter. Under her birth name, her solo debut studio album, ''Jukebox'', was released through Capitol R ...
was released. "John Doe" was serviced to
rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...
radio in the United States on January 7, 2014. On January 16, 2014, the music video was released for "John Doe". The song has since peaked at number 69 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.


Critical reception

''Underground Luxury'' received generally mixed reviews from
music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...
s. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 51, based on 6 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Steven Goldstein of
HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...
gave the album two out of five stars, saying "''Underground Luxury'' does have its rare moments. “Paper Route” sees B.o.B. marathoning dissenting bars over rising synth and crashing percussion, and “John Doe” is an honest attack on infidelity and addiction. But neither do enough to buoy an album that starts and ends with unimaginative materialism. In post-Macklemore mainstream, burdening the position of alternative Hip-Popper or even nice-guy rapper is weighty, and it’s hard to blame B.o.B. for wanting to acclimate himself to a different scene. But the startling lack of creativity he exercises in doing so makes ''Underground Luxury'' easy to write off, and the duality that once powered crossover appeal is now hard to detect." David Jeffries of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
gave the album three out of five stars, saying "Cobble out the stellar EP inside or consider it a pre-mall mixtape because the puzzling ''Underground Luxury'' mixes mack daddy music with mall rat tracks, even if B.o.B's conviction throughout suggests he sees them as equals." Miranda J. of '' XXL'' gave the album an L, saying "Furthermore, it seems as though B.o.B has made a name for himself in being an hip-hop artist who can adapt to every genre his creativity explores. Every record on ''Underground Luxury'' possess a multi-atmospheric feel, as the beats dip in between many genres of music and really places him in another rap league. It’s apparent that B.o.B isn’t trying to intimate other MCs. Clearly, when he boasts that ''Underground Luxury'' is more “hip-hop heavy,” he isn’t lying. The album certainly delivers." Erin Lowers of ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' gave the album a six out of 10, saying "If ''Underground Luxury'' is the best representation of where Bobby Ray's sound stands, it's seems confused, but with luxury rap taking heed in hip-hop, B.o.B may just be the underdog worthy of an up-next title." Jon Dolan of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave the album two and a half stars out of five, saying "At times, his third LP goes for playalistic realism; "Paper Route" meditates on the perils of rapping about politics ("Look what happened to the Dixie Chicks"). But tracks with Future and 2 Chainz highlight his limitations on the mic, and without the Dr. Luke-assisted buoyancy of 2012's ''Strange Clouds'', the album falls flat – moments of well-meaning ambition not withstanding." Niki Gatewood of AllHipHop gave the album an eight out ten, saying "Overall, it’s the near balance of the thought-provoking, the party-educing, and the unabashed confident lyricism that constitutes the solid effort of, B.o.B.’s, ''Underground Luxury''." Ken Capobianco of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' gave the album a mixed review, saying "The multi-talented B.o.B sounds like he can’t figure out just what kind of artist he wants to be on his third record. The rapper/musician born Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. tries to recapture the pop success of his debut with smartly conceived hooky songs while also churning out overly familiar trap-informed grooves. The latter dilute his charm and vision. When he focuses on spinning his autobiographical tales about his early struggles and the lessons of success over tightly arranged melodic tracks (“Nobody Told Me,” “Paper Route”) he hits the mark."


Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 35,000 copies in the United States. This was a steep decline in sales from his first two albums which respectively sold 84,000 and 74,000 in their first week. In its second week the album dropped to number 30, selling 19,000 more copies in the United States. In its third week the album sold 9,000 more copies. In its fourth week the album sold 6,600 more copies in the United States. As of January 22, 2014 the album has sold 75,000 copies in the United States.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits for ''Underground Luxury'' adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
. Credits: ''Underground Luxury'' Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-11-07. *2 Chainz - Featured Artist *Kory Aaron - Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant *Wilner Baptiste - Viola *Black Violins - Strings *B.o.B - Executive Producer, Keyboards, Primary Artist, Producer *Del Bowers - Mixing Assistant *Chris Brown - Featured Artist *Bun B - Interviewer *Nathan Burgess - Assistant Engineer *Mike Caren - A&R *Elliot Carter - Engineer *Adam Catania - Assistant Engineer *Geoffro Cause - Producer *AJ Clark - Assistant Engineer *Ester Dean - Featured Artist, Vocals (Background) *Anne Declemente - A&R *Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine - Engineer *Detail - Engineer, Producer *DJ Mustard - Producer *DJ Toomp - Drum Programming, Engineer, Producer *Verne Emmanuel - Mixing Assistant *Finatik - Producer, Programming *Joe Fitz - Engineer, Mixing *FKI - Producer *Mike Fresh - Featured Artist *Future - Featured Artist *Chris Galland - Mixing Assistant *Chris Gehringer - Mastering *John Horesco - Mastering *Jim Jonsin - Keyboards, Producer, Programming *Juicy J - Featured Artist *Manny Marroquin - Mixing *Marz - Producer *Niko Marzouca - Engineer *Hannibal Matthews - Photography *Arthur McArthur - Producer *Mike WiLL Made It - Producer *J.P. "The Specialist" Negrete - Engineer *Nius - Producer *Stefhania Oval - Tributee *Doug Peterson - Associate Producer *Playboy Tre - Featured Artist *Priscilla - Featured Artist *Brian Richardson - A&R, Associate Producer *Rock City - Producer *Zane Shoemake - Mixing Assistant *Bobby Simmons - Engineer *Bobby Ray Simmons - Engineer *soFLY - Producer *Brian Springler - Engineer *Kevin Marcus Sylvester - Violin *T.I. - Featured Artist *Ty$ - Vocals (Background) *Virgilio Tzaj - Art Direction, Design *Joseph Valburn - Cello *Cam Wallace - Producer *Randy Warnken - Mixing Assistant *Finis "KY" White - Engineer, Mixing *Big Zar - Producer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


References

{{Authority control 2013 albums B.o.B albums Albums produced by B.o.B Grand Hustle Records albums Atlantic Records albums Albums produced by DJ Mustard Albums produced by Detail (record producer) Albums produced by Mike Will Made It Albums produced by DJ Toomp Albums produced by Jim Jonsin Albums produced by Rock City Albums produced by FKi (production team)