An Early Review Of “The Lone Star” by Bo Bundy

From going godspeed to being against the world, Bo Bundy has become one of Texas's shining examples that there is more to the Lone Star State when it comes to artistry being alive and well. Bo Bundy announced his long-awaited and heavily anticipated sophomore album, “The Lonestar,” slated to drop on January 27, 2023, with the blessing that we get to be the first outlet to pen the project before its release. The album is packed with surprises and features from the likes of Paul Wall, Maxo Kream, Southside Hoodlum, Izzy93, Le$, Matthew McConaughey, Koe Wetzel via voicemail and more. Now even with that packed list, you still don’t know what your in store for; Bo Bundy has devised a project on biblical proportion since your going to be amazed at every single track you come across. The album is extraordinary; Bo Bundy sought to transition in different sounds throughout the project. He showed so much tenacity to perfect it and give his fanbase so much versatility that it helped him create what I believe will be his magnum opus to begin the new year.

Side A:

Separating the project, I’m sure had some people confused on why Bo would do this but let me say first hand I’m glad he decided to do it this way. The project has no dull moments and no fillers in between, Side A comes together so powerful yet with a somber feeling in some of the last fitting records. It’s easy to find yourself in a vibe where each record comes with a surprise, not knowing if you will get the same sound as the last or something brand new. The intro is brief, which has Bo waking up from the night before, possibly being under the influence of the vices hence the title of the following record, “El Drogadicto,” which is an insane start to the project and instantly becomes a feverish hit to enjoy the more he gets in the groove with it. It’s the classic cumbia sound you enjoy hearing from Bo that gets repeated throughout the album but more on that later. For those in Bo’s comment section sharing the excitement to listen to Bundy going over the SPMex’s “High So High” instrumental, you are in for a treat since that’s not the only South Park Mexican track to have Bo delivering his Spanglish flow over. He places a verse over “Mexican Heaven,” which sounds like he’s picking up where SPM left in being the Latino representation in rap on a broader scale. Bo Bundy specializes in multiple things when it comes to music, especially in this album, and his Spanglish flow is right there on the top. Still, it’s not heard much on Side A after since the following tracks like “Pa Los Hombres” & “Nave 687” are all Spanish records before getting to the Rozay-featured track “Tonta.” This is the part in Side A that had me in a whirlwind of emotions due to the surprises of the remaining record, which is where fans will be enlightened to see the growth from Bo. “135” is something special, not because it’s in Spanish, but because the production is not the typical type of beat we would hear from Bundy. You had to expect Bo to throw a lot of unexpected curveballs our way, and this would be the first of many. This is the first joint on the project that had Bo in unfamiliar territory as he flowed his way over a boom-bap beat. It’s strange to hear, but man, if he doesn’t perfect the record to the T. I get chills hearing Bo go over this soulful production with ease, you think he has been doing this for years, but this begins the transition we expected to hear on the project, which goes more profound. I didn’t expect myself to come into any track off the album and end it with tears, but here we are on the following track where Bo channels his inner Freddy Fender on the cover record for “Before The Next Teardrop Falls.” In a mixture of country & corridos, Bo serenades the listeners with the heartfelt tale of someone he once loved moving on. While he doesn’t have her heart anymore, he’ll be there forever with her, so if god forbids the next man in her life hurts her, she can always go back to him and have a shoulder to lean on as he wipes the tears from her eyes. It’s a wholesome record and one that I can see plenty of fans, especially the women falling head over heels for it. The following record is a familiar hit and one that initially caught my attention as Bo had shared a clip of his rock rendition of Hombres G’s “Devuélvame Mi Chica,” which, when hearing the full audio, makes it even more captivating. Bo Bundy ends Side A with a dedication record to his heartbreak in “Intentamos,” where he sings his soul out. On his predecessor project, “El Único Desmadre De Mi Madre,” you can sense Bo Bundy revealing more of his heart on the tracks. I think on “ The Lone Star,” he shows so much more of it, and this single is the tearjerker of all the releases you will come across. It’s pretty potent with wanting to forget the past to make a better future with the person you love. The feeling won’t go away, and the memories won’t end; he knows he did wrong but will do anything to make it right again. It’s the perfect track to capitalize on Side A that will surely show you a different side of Bundy by showcasing this monumental sound.

Side B:

From the looks of the tracklist, it appears Side B would be heavily rapped influenced just by the track titles alone. Yet, there are still surprises throughout the side that will strongly impact your listening experience. The first track, titled “Ridin On 6s,” brings back the Spanglish flow from Bo Bundy, with him swanging through in the cut, chopping up the city streets of Houston. Along with him is the People’s Champ Paul Wall, whose diamond-studded grill shines a reflection of supreme raps throughout his verse as he stays poking in the turning lane, sliding on candy painted rhythms that still hasn’t lost its touch over all these years. Again, surprises throughout the release are a highlight of the project; even after giving it an initial playthrough, the replay value is always promising. I will say this much if you paid attention to who Bo Bundy associated with during the recording of the album, then finding the features was not hard, but then again everything is possible when it comes to Bo Bundy. “25 Lighters” on the dresser, yessah, is the staple saying for all of Texas rap; sampling the legendary track is like a right of passage, and Bo does it the best while he uses previous lyrics to construct the chorus and double cups the flow as he leans into the release with some syrup-induced raps. The record continues with Maxo Kream taking the second half of the record and applying deep pressure with the prestigious bars he’s known to produce over prominent production like this here & it’s what makes this track a hit. He takes the tempo down a bit for “Fast Speeds & Nose Bleeds,” which again has him leading the direction with the Spanglish flow and crooning a bit into the record. It pours over into “Texas HoldEm,” bringing back the upbeat, preparing you for the upcoming records. “Mexicanos” has Bo Bundy walking the beat down with vicious intent, “I’m a Big Boy With A Big Boy Bank” is going to be my quote for the new year, especially with SZA saying she needs them in her life. Bo Bundy is sizing up the raps with boastful energy, and it’s fitting since he has Izzy93 accompanying him, doing the exact same thing. Throughout the year, Izzy has been on the come up, making more moves by putting the Southside of San Antonio on his back so why not link with Bo Bundy, who’s making the same impact in Houston and watch the Latino representation continue to rise. Speaking of Southside & San Antonio, Hoodlum can be heard in the intro to the next track titled “Big Chains,” where you can hear him heating the stoves up with his raspy vocals before he gets to whipping up the dope in his flow. From there, Bundy picks up where he left off by getting his vocals right and cooking up a heap of eminent bars. Last but not least, DIOS head honcho L-E-Muthafuckin $ comes through in something slick and clean, revving up the engines and hitting the gas at the finishing line of the track, doing what he does best by giving out some immaculate game in his raps. Now the next joint is not a track but an interlude, and I’m sure right now your thinking this isn’t the real Matthew McConaughey speaking, but I have confirm that it is; & that makes it an instant legendary achievement. At this time, in Side B, “Tourin’ TX” hits, and I’m assuming if we’re following the rules from Side A, then this is where we will be getting to the outside genre type of content. At the end of the first half, I mentioned Bo is wearing a lot more of his heart on his sleeve, and in “Remember,” he reveals the pain he’s had to endure dealing with mental health taking over his life. He wished for peace being under six feet of dirt and wanting to turn his riches into the cure for his disease. I’m glad he didn’t do it but when we need a voice of reason or just someone to talk to, Bo Bundy feels comfort in confessing this side of him. He uses the listeners as his venting session as most artists do. The next four tracks are exactly what I hoped for from Bo Bundy, especially because he’s been expressing more of the rock sound in some of his first releases outside of rap. “Easier Said” & “Ruby” are more of the alternative sound of rock where he has love on the brain when it comes to vocalizing his emotions and sounding so powerful. He doesn’t sound like he’s new to the genre; it almost feels like he was made for it to expose his true feelings to be heard instrumentally. The last two records, “Cocaine Cowboys” & “Lonestar Outro,” sound heavily influenced by Kid Rock’s “Devil Without A Cause,” album which is a compliment since it was one of my favorite albums growing up. It has that wrath feeling that he doesn’t give a fuck about anything except the destruction that feeds his appetite. The album name “The Lone Star” was what I believe to be his representation that he’s alone in Texas; artistry-wise, he’s set the bar far ahead that there ain’t no touching him, and I agree. The album has cemented his status. He is now the blueprint that makes any releases he does confidently enough, while his competition needs something major even to scratch his surface.

I mentioned on the post we did for Bo on his “Tourin’ TX” single that many people felt like Bundy was being comical with including himself in different genres; I don’t believe that to be the case anymore; Bo Bundy delivered something insane to the fact that many people doubted his success, they questioned him as a person, and I can’t see why. He’s proved to be the greatest; hands down, I can’t see any artists doing what he did in taking all your favorite genres and making hits in all of them. I found myself playing this album numerous times in the last week and finding a new favorite, I still do matter, and I think that’s an incredible takeaway. Bo Bundy didn’t come into recording this album to please people's interest but to make the music he enjoys listening to and if it had the same outcome, then so be it. The main goal was to make this project with the lasting effect that he did it his way and to get him out of the placement where he could only make one particular sound. He walked into multiple genres on the album, and it’s safe to say he did a hell of a job by kicking down the door and making himself at home. Bo Bundy is an artist, not a rap artist, not a country artist but an artist who can do it all. You can’t box him anymore; the larger-than-life personality that is Bo Bundy is not a gimmick, is not a character; he is who he says he is, and begin to see him as the person changing the game without having a comparison. January 27 can’t come any faster, but when it does, be sure to play it and support it.