B.o.B

Background

B.o.B, whose legal name is Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His zodiac sign is Scorpio and his ethnicity is African-American. He is the son of Karen and Bobby Ray Simmons, and he has a brother named Jamaal and two sisters named Arielle and Victoria. From elementary school through high school, he played trumpet in his school band and decided in sixth grade that he wanted to pursue music, a decision his parents weren’t supportive of at first. However, they then realized that B.o.B was using it as a creative outlet and form of therapy and decided to help him out.

When he was 14, B.o.B met B-Rich, who would become his mentor and co-manager, and sold his first beat. He also began performing at open mics and underground venues. After producer and industry veteran T.J. Chapman saw him perform, he agreed to co-manage B.o.B and got him signed to Rebel Rock, a subsidiary imprint of Atlantic Records. After landing the record deal, he dropped out of school in ninth grade. In 2007, B.o.B released his first single, ‘Haterz Everywhere,’ which featured Wes Fif and gained the rapper some attention. The following year, he released his second single ‘I’ll Be In The Sky,’ and collaborated with renowned rapper Ludacris in ‘On Top of the World,’ off of T.I. ’s album “Paper Trail.” In 2010, he released his third single, ‘Don’t Let Me Fall.’ In 2012, he released his second studio album, titled “Strange Clouds,” which debuted at number five on Billboard 200. That same year, he released the single ‘Both of Us’ featuring Taylor Swift. Also in that year, B.o.B released a mixtape featuring Snoop Dogg and Mac Miller, among others.

In 2013, B.o.B released his third studio album, titled “Underground Luxury,” which debuted at number 22 on Billboard 200. In 2014, he announced his record label imprint No Genre. In 2015, B.o.B released an experimental project in the form of a mixtape titled “Psycadelik Thoughtz.” He then split up with Atlantic Records, venturing with his own label and a partnership with Empire Distribution. In 2017, he released his fourth studio album, which was titled “Ether” and featured Lil Wayne, Usher, and Ty Dolla Sign, among others. In 2018, he released his sixth studio album, “Naga.” In 2020, he released his seventh studio album, “Somnia.”