B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with producer Jim Jonsin through his Rebel Rock Entertainment label in 2006. Two years later, he and Jonsin signed a joint venture recording contract with fellow Georgia rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records.[2] Following his major-label deal, Simmons quickly achieved commercial success when his 2009 debut single, "Nothin' on You" (featuring Bruno Mars), peaked the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
This article is about the American rapper. For the song by OutKast, see B.O.B (song). For the robotic film character called "Old B.O.B.", see The Black Hole. For other uses, see Bob.
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr.
November 15, 1988
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Decatur, Georgia, U.S.
- Rapper
- songwriter
- record producer
2006–present
His subsequent singles, "Airplanes" (featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore) and "Magic" (featuring Rivers Cuomo) peaked at numbers two and ten respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. All three preceded the release of Simmons' debut studio album The Adventures of Bobby Ray (2010), which was promoted by two extended plays (EPs) and several self-released mixtapes. The album was met with critical and commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 and receiving double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with critical praise directed towards its blending of genres including alternative rock, pop rap, and "hipster hop". Simmons was named the ninth "Hottest MC in the Game of 2010" by MTV on their annual list.[3] The following year, he guest featured on English singer Jessie J's single "Price Tag", which peaked the UK Singles Chart and reached number 23 on the Hot 100.
Simmons then released his dubstep-influenced single, "Strange Clouds" (featuring Lil Wayne) in late 2011. Becoming his fourth top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, it preceded and served as the lead single for his second studio album of the same name (2012), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. The album's follow-up singles, "So Good" and "Both of Us" (featuring Taylor Swift) both reached the top-20 in the US and received platinum certification by the RIAA. His third studio album, Underground Luxury (2013) explored darker subject matter and adopted a grittier tone, containing the club-oriented singles "HeadBand" (featuring 2 Chainz) and "We Still in This Bitch" (featuring T.I. and Juicy J); the album was met with a critical and commercial decline.[4] That same year, he guest featured on the platinum-certified singles "Paranoid" by Ty Dolla Sign and "Up Down (Do This All Day)" by T-Pain.
Dissatisfied with his lack of promotion from the label, Simmons released his twelfth mixtape, Psycadelik Thoughtz (2015) as his final project for Atlantic. His compilation album, Elements (2016)—released by his own label, No Genre—was compiled from four mixtapes which delved into political subject matter and conspiracy theories. His 2016 single, "Flatline" was a diss song aimed at astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, in which he attests credence of modern flat Earth beliefs. His fourth album, Ether (2017) served as his first independent album and narrowly entered the Billboard 200 while receiving critical praise. He has since further expressed anti-establishment views and disavowed the mainstream music industry.
Life and career
1988–2006: Early life and career beginnings
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. was born on November 15, 1988, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[5] He played the trumpet in his school band from elementary school through high school.[6][7] Although his parents wanted him to continue his education, B.o.B decided in sixth grade that he wanted to pursue a music career.[8] His father, a pastor, disapproved of his son's choices, until he realized B.o.B was using music as a form of therapy and a creative outlet. B.o.B later reflected on his experience, saying, "They've always supported me. They got my first keyboard to make beats on and they helped me out getting equipment here and there. But it was kind of hard for them to really understand what I was really trying to accomplish."[8] B.o.B attended Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia, where he played the trumpet in the school band, until he landed a record deal and decided to drop out of school in the ninth grade.
In 2002, after meeting his mentor and co-manager B-Rich at the age of 14, B.o.B sold his first beat to former Slip-n-Slide recording artist Citti, for the song "I'm the Cookie Man". B.o.B felt he had established a substantial career. "I went and blew all of my money on fast stuff like a chain and ballin'. Soon I was broke again, but I learned two important things from it; make sure I save my money and that I was hooked on music. He continued performing at open mics and underground venues to perfect his craft.[9] In 2006, because he was underage, B-Rich helped sneak B.o.B into Club Crucial, a night club owned by Atlanta-based rapper T.I. There, B.o.B performed a song titled "Cloud 9", a self-produced, spoken word-like ode to marijuana. In attendance was producer and industry veteran T.J. Chapman, chief executive officer (CEO) of TJ's DJ's. Chapman agreed to co-manage B.o.B, which only a month later led to B.o.B's signing with Atlantic Records and subsidiary imprint Rebel Rock, run by Florida-based producer Jim Jonsin. His first single for Atlantic, 2007's "Haterz Everywhere", reached the top five of Billboard's Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart.[9][10] Along with his solo production career, B.o.B is part of the production/rap group HamSquad, along with Playboy Tre, DJ Swatts, DJ Smooth, Moss B, B-Rich and TJ Chapman.[8]
Studio albums
Other commercial projects