Album Review: MR. Universe by NASA BO

When it comes to making music there are a million artists on this planet to choose from. But maybe that's where the problem lies, we’re only looking for artists that are on this planet. It’s a big universe. So why limit yourself to just the Top 40. Go see the galaxy. That’s exactly what NASA BO’s latest album Mr. Universe is doing. It’s doing things on an intergalactic level. And passing up all the haters in the process. Let’s take a look at the latest project from NASA BO.

NASA Bo is an artist from Oklahoma City who has become known for his hardcore in your face delivery and his hard-hitting bars, and can you believe this is his first full-feature project of which comes in at 20 tracks. An album with this many tracks comes in handy if you’re planning to go across the universe. You’re gonna need a lot of music, and that’s just what this project provides.​

THE INTRO

Every album needs that first track to make an impression. That’s just what the "Intro" is. The intro makes an impression right out the gate and sets the tone for the album. That tone being slapping beats and NASA BO rapping, rapping. NASA BO ain’t just making words rhyme. He’s going in. I’m talking about bars. And this is just the intro. When you get to track 2 “Tesla”, you know that track 1 wasn’t a fluke. NASA BO can really rap and he knows his value. “If these rappers wanna feature, ima charge em like a Tesla.” It’s witty bars like this that aren’t sprinkled throughout the album, Naw forget that these witty bars are heavily poured like your grandma’s kool aid. But the intro ain’t over, NASA BO let’s you know just how to say his name on the next track ”Nasa not Nasha”. “If you speaking on my name then pronounce it right.” ​

THE SAMPLES

It’s clear to hear in the first few seconds of some of the tracks that NASA BO wasn’t afraid to dig deep in the crates and rap on some of the most iconic tracks. Track 4 for instance is this soulful sample of Deniece Williams song “Free”, which also happens to be the name of the track. It’s like the producer just gave NASA BO free range to murder the beat. Another classic sample is Tupac and Jon B’s “Are You Still Down”. Also is Bill Withers classic “Just The Two Of Us”. This track is more of a slower tempo with bars that reference what it means to really stay down. Most of the album goes deep in the sample crates which is a vision that was brought to life with the help of producer SAUCEMEUPGQ. Which we’ll talk about next.

SAUCEMEUPGQ

We had to take a second to give respect to the producer SAUCEMEUPGQ and Track 5 shows your why, because by the time that you get to this track you realize that SAUCEMEUPGQ has been mentioned numerous times already. And not only do you hear his iconic beat tag all over the album, he also executive producer over the project, so it’s only right that he gets a track inspired by the producer on the track called "SauceMeUpBO". “Fuccin with GQ got me sauced up.” The beat is on go and so is NASA BO. You really see the magic of this track at the 1-minute mark where the bass is stripped out and NASA BO switches up his flow as if he’s sprinting on the track. This track is definitely sauced up and is a high point of the album. SAUCEMEUPGQ even gets to shine as a featured artist on the track “Triple Double”. NASA BO goes in himself from the very beginning and then throws the assist to SAUCEMEUPGQ, who shines with some clever lines of his own. “Me and NASA on the beat, Houston we have a problem”. Another surprise about this track is that it's actually produced by his NASA BO's son Jamango. 

IRONIC BARS

Throughtout the tape there’s these ironic bars that stick out, some of them are really witty and some of them are bluntly rhetorical. For example, on Track 9, “Keke Palmer” he says the line, “How you real but you wear fake clothes?“. It’s a really bluntly rhetorical bar that makes you just think. On another track he spits the line, “How your baby momma love me, but mine don’t.”, that’s some irony for your ass. But this also shows NASA BO’s ability to make even the most sensical bars into a perfectly painted picture. You gotta give him his just do. 

THE FEATURES

When it comes to the featured artists this album only has 3. That’s something you wouldn’t expect from a project with 20 tracks, and surprisingly it’s well balanced. This is NASA BO’s project, so you gonna get NASA BO. But as far as the featured artist, we’ve already talked about SAUCEMEUPGQ who lends his production skills and bars to the project. Also, there’s Uno who lends his vocal talents on the last song of the project. He brings a softer side to the album which if you want to sale records you gonna have to have a few for the ladies to vibe to. And the track “No Lettin’ Up” does that with its infectious chorus. But our favorite feature of the project has to be on “Heart Breaker”, which samples Mint Conditions track “Breakin' My Heart”. NASA BO comes in so smooth with a pimp vernacular, then he switches up his flow up while calling out famous tv female co-stars from 90s tv that he had a crush on. The featured artist Tony D. just shines, his unique delivery and undeniable confidence makes him stand out. Listen to this bar, “Hittin licks with Jordans, blocks on blocks, DeAndre, Blueprint like Jay-Z, Irreplaceable Beyonce”. He’s in his pocket on this verse.

THE METHAPHORS

As you go through the album it’s clear that you’ll hear some crazy metaphors. NASA BO really be out here rapping. There’s so many lines we’ve already quoted but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The album is bar, after bar, after bar. For instance, on “Stuck N Love” where he spits the line, “She was black but now she Russian how she getting her cream on.” and not only that bar because throughout that track are so many more like, “Ain’t nobody got my back like this VLONE”, bars. Also on "Gilbert Arenas" he has this crazy wordplay where he says, “I be with my daughter teaching her ABCs, I got racks but they didn’t come from no EDD or no PPP, it was all on me, now we eatin like EBT.”, NASA BO is flexing on the beat. He has an undeniable talent. And it shows all throughout the album.

TULSA LINES FAVORITE TRACKS

When it comes to our favorite tracks, “Get Down” definitely is extra sauced up with the sample of Earth, Wind & Fire’s track “Reasons”. In this track NASA BO gives all the reasons why niggas can get down. And them 808’s by ADHD makes each bar hit harder. This a hit. "SAUCEMEUPBO" is another one of them ones that just goes. "Heart Breaker" for the reasons starred earlier. Another one is “Stuck N Love” because it has so many bars. Lastly, “Doe Party”, this is a straight to radio hit. This is a track that you’re gonna hear in the club. IT'S IS A STRIP CLUB ANTHEM! Like he said, "That nigga snappin'," So as you can see it’s hard to pick just one track. There’s just so many hits on this album which says a lot for a 20-track project. NASA BO did his job. 

So, there you have it. The album Mr. Universe by NASA BO, and executive produced by SAUCEMEUPGQ. This isn’t an Oklahoma City album. This is an album that can penetrate any market. New York, L.A., Atlanta, Detroit. It doesn’t matter. NASA BO has what it takes to get to that next level. The album is literally out of here. And next year we wouldn’t be surprised if NASA BO is out of here with it. 

THE VERDICT

JAM IT!

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