"B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad)" is released

Why it matters

"B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad)" came out September 19, 2000, as the lead single from OutKast's Stankonia. Big Boi and Andre 3000 co-produced with Mr. DJ. The tempo is 155 bpm, which is unprecedented territory for a rap single. Most rap in 2000 sat between 85 and 100 bpm. "B.O.B" runs at the speed of drum-and-bass. The song is structured around overlapping vocal layers, a gospel-rock guitar riff, a fundamental tempo, and Big and Andre racing across the top of all of it in three-minute verses. It is one of the few rap singles that actually had to be slowed down for radio. The video, directed by Dave Meyers, is also one of the most visually distinctive rap videos of the early 2000s. The song peaked at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is not the metric that matters; the metric that matters is that "B.O.B" is the song that announced Stankonia had no interest in what 2000 rap was supposed to sound like. The album would prove it. You should play "B.O.B" loud. It was made to be played loud.