Black Bobby @ Sweatstock PHOTO: Antisteez.com

Aren’t you tired of turning on the radio and hearing the same beat, lyrics and ideas? In 2001 I stopped listening to the radio and haven’t looked back. The airwaves in Miami are saturated with artificial, shallow and materialistic music. You have to dig for the good music in this town. It shouldn’t be like that way, but reality is- great music isn’t played on the radio. That is why you have us [Antisteez] to point you in the right direction.

Amongst all this fog of commercialized radio-friendly music, is a breath of fresh air: “Black Bobby”. Born and raised in Washington D.C., Black Bobby is making some serious noise right in your own backyard of the 305. Negro Dialect is the name of his most recent mixtape that dropped Thursday, June 17, 2010. Fittingly, Miami’s beloved Sweat Records held a block party for the release of the mixtape. Nowadays MC’s have to really bring some strong content in order to keep the attention of a listener. The music you listen to shapes you in some way or form. Black Bobby is no ringtone rapper; he is articulate, witty and has a message to get across.

Lyrical stamina plus an educated mind makes for a deadly combination! I say this because while attending Tufts University Black Bobby eventually became school president. After college he had a hand in setting up a national nonprofit organization, United Leaders, dedicated to reforming politics by training courageous kids to run for public office. As if that wasn’t enough he then graduated from Harvard’s Kennedy’s School Of Government with a master’s degree in public policy. The man even organized for the Obama Campaign; in my opinion that is an extremely interesting background which leads to music of content, culture, questions and answers. Black Bobby was working at an elite firm consulting on management and strategy when he decided to quit, start writing rhymes, and preserve this Hip-hop Culture. If that isn’t love for the art I don’t know what is.

Negro Dialect has choice cuts for the hip-hop heads, the nerds, the dancers, and the philosophers. While displaying skills as a wordsmith he pays homage to the pioneers by choosing vintage beats and rapping over them in the same style his predecessors did. Black Bobby’s flow is like water… bending & adjusting to every classic hip-hop beat your ears will recognize. Quite the feat!

Diversity is key; it is needed so that the artist can touch every soul. Miami needs Black Bobby and more artists like him. Nothing against Flo-rida, Pitbull, Rick Ross and that scene but most of us aren’t “ballers poppin’ bottles and bangin’ models”. We live in the real world; we need substance in our music. So stop hitting up the clubs hoping to take a picture with these guys when you should be at Vagabond, WhiteRoom, Tobacco Road, Transit Lounge, Churchills and any other venue that supports true local talent.

Get this mixtape, start your summer right and get your thoughts flowing. Get Black Bobby’s mixtape Negro Dialect for FREE here on his official site where you can find out more info on Black Bobby including music, show dates, merchandise and photos.