For the lead single to their fourth album, Stankonia, OutKast took the space funk of their sophomore album ATLiens along with the heightened consciousness of their third album Aquemini and advanced to another level with this rapid fire, psychedelic bass-pounding monster of a single known as “B.O.B.” Despite the political nature of its title—"B.O.B.“ being an acronym for “Bombs Over Baghdad”—it’s more of a commentary on the condition of the ghetto that incorporates a few political references to get its point across. However, with the occurrence of the September 11th attacks one year after its release, "B.O.B.” became an anthem during the Iraq War, which lasted from 2003 to 2011.
In a 2019 interview with Rick Rubin on his Broken Record podcast, André revealed that the music of Rage Against the Machine—who later remixed “B.O.B.”—gave him inspiration to make the song:
I wouldn’t have done “Bombs Over Baghdad” if it wasn’t for Rage Against the Machine. Because I felt urgency in their music, so I was like, ‘How can I add urgency to what we’re doing?’ It doesn’t sound like Rage Against the Machine…it’s the energy.
“B.O.B.” peaked at #69 on the Billboard US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the single was certified platinum. The song received critical acclaim, making its way onto a number of “best of” lists, as Rolling Stone ranked “B.O.B.” as the 50th greatest hip-hop song of all time and Pitchfork called it the greatest song of the 2000s.
The RATM remix still slaps too