R.A.P Ferreira & Scallops Hotel — Bob’s Son — Album Review
Hip-Hop | Alternative Hip-Hop | Poetry
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Rory Allen Phillip Ferreira is a very colourful character indeed, not to mention an incredible wordsmith. Having created music under a multitude of different names, such as his former title Milo, and as part of Nostrum Grocers, my first exposure to this talented individual was when he had released his sophomore album, Sovereign Nose Of Your Arrogant Face, the first album I had listened to in 2018, and also the very first album ever that I wrote a review on.
I enjoyed that album, mainly for its sense of abstraction and artfulness, that felt especially clear in the production that album carried, along with its swarve sense of luxury that really immersed me into Rory’s interlinked musical world.
In August of the same year, I stumbled across the debut, self-titled album from Nostrum Grocers, a collaboration between Rory (under the name of Milo), and E L U C I D. I was once again impressed by its sense of artfulness, but felt a personal preference towards Sovereign Nose, most likely for the fact that it had been release over half a year earlier, giving me way more time to properly warm to it.
The following year of 2019, saw Rory Ferreira release the debut single, under the more true re-branding of his name, R.A.P Ferreira. Named “Respectdue”, this track veered towards a far more grounded and jazz-inspired approach to the production that backed his flawless lyrical delivery. This revamped aesthetic would later translate into his 2020 album Purple Moonlight Pages, the debut album under R.A.P Ferreira. And while it received some well-deserved praise. I personally felt that it could’ve done with just a bit more of a unique edge.
Released on New Year’s day of 2021, a year which feels like a cleaned slate, it was fitting that I would find myself attributing the first actual album of 2021, to the same artist who provided me with the first album I had written a singular review for. But serving as another example of Rory’s unique self, the brand new album, Bob’s Son, essentially sees Rory Ferreira collaborate with…well…himself. Or to put it into a more creative frame, we see two parts of Rory’s musical universe come together for the first time.
What I felt would’ve been the ideal outcome of this album, was if it successfully fused both the artistic abstraction of Scallops Hotel, and the raw and jazzy quality that Purple Moonlight Pages carried. And I found that Bob’s Son not only delivers on fusing both of these aspects, but arguably surpasses the aesthetics of both projects in the process.
This project also finds an ingenious way to divide the majority of singles into halves; one that feels more reminiscent of Scallops Hotel, while the other feels more similar to R.A.P Ferreira. And with that said, it captures that essence of a collab album very well. However, these two different styles don’t clash with each other, not even with the frequent flow changes. Thanks to the absolute mastery of the production, and the aesthetic that has been injected into it, Bob’s Son still manages to feel consistent throughout.
I also feel like this album feels like one of the clearest representations of Ferreira’s dedication to poetry, and through his lyrical deliveries, his poetic heart feels clear as day. With sound-clips scattered throughout this project as well, it strengthens that narrative a little more.
And I must say, that this feels like this album carries a highly unique sound, even by Rory Ferreira standards, and it is beginning to come into fruition, that Bob’s son may just be my favourite project that Ferreira has ever put out, under any of his musical titles.
Carrying the abstract sentiment that I affiliate with Sovereign Nose, and the awesome engagement and rawness that I originally felt with “Respectdue”, I believe that Bob’s Son is the best of all worlds.
Favourite Tracks: yamships, flaxseed | diogenes on the auction block | skrenth | abomunist manifesto
Least Favourite Track: bobby digital’s little wings
Ruby Yacht
Enjoyment: 9/10 | Memorability: 10/10 | Atmosphere: 8/10
Uniqueness: 9/10 | Satisfaction: 10/10 | Narrative: 7/10
