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Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. also known by his stage name as “B.o.B.” was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,
November 15, 1988, shortly after his birth his family moved to Decatur, Georgia. At the young age of 13 years old,
B.o.B. began to become interested in music during this time he started writing his own lyrics and rapping. With the
encouragement from family and friends, B.o.B. studied other musical artists of his time and continued his passion
for music by forming a musical group with his cousin called, “The Klinic”. During this time, the group performed
their own songs at open mics around the Atlanta area. Throughout this journey, they met other rappers and their
manager, B Rich introduced them to heavy hitters in the industry. Shortly after forming the group “The Klinic”
with his cousin, B.o.B. decided to go solo in 2006 once his cousin went off to college.
Once going solo, B.o.B. performed at Club Crucial where he met TJ Chapman, founder of the national DJ’s conference.
During the conference, the rap rookie performed “Cloud 9” and TJ was convinced that B.o.B. was a star. After
hearing the rapper perform, TJ linked up with B Rich and presented his demo to Jim Jonsin. After listening to
B.o.B. soulful vibes Jim Jonsin offered him a spot on his label. On October 3, 2006 B.o.B. was signed to
Atlantic Records through Jonsin’s Rebel Rock Label.
Since being signed in 2006, B.o.B. has shown the world that the Dirty South produces more than just “snap”
and “trap” music as he brings his eccentric vibes to the rap scene. Since the start of his career, B.o.B.
has gained major recognition for the success of songs like “Haterz Everywhere” featuring Rich Boy,
“I’ll be in the Sky” and “Nothin’ on You”. Once his debut album, B.o.B. presents: The Adventures of
Bobby Ray hit the streets in the spring of 2010 he was gaining fans that wanted a piece of this Georgia boy’s
artistic swag. Shortly after its release, B.o.B. went on to record “Don’t Let Me Fall”, “Airplanes” featuring
vocals from Hayley Williams and “I Bet” featuring T.I. & Playboy Tre. Now that B.o.B. has dropped such hits,
he has performed on MTV Unplugged, Lollapalooza and opened for major artists across the world. B.o.B is
now the latest shining star in the Adidas commercial which features his song “Magic”.
written by: Erica Caldwell
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