The Early Years
Rapper B.o.B was born Bobby Ray Simmons in North Carolina, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. From an early age he appreciated rappers Eminem and DMX, and dreamt of making music on his own. When he was only 13 years old he began rapping and writing his own lyrics. “From seventh grade up to 10th grade, I just started filling up notebooks with lyrics,” B.o.B says. “Then it got to the point where I was just writing them in my head."
When Bobby Ray Simmons was in junior high he formed a band called The Klinic with his cousin. The two began to attend open mic nights and reaching out to local rappers. In 2006, B.o.B performed solo at an Atlanta club and piqued the interest of TJ Chapman, an important guy in the rapping world. The two soon formed a partnership and got B.o.B. a record deal with Atlantic Records.
Airplane
B.o.B’s debut CD B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray was released early 2010, and the album has produced four chart-topping singles: “Don’t Let me Fall,” “Airplane,” “Bet I” and “Magic.” On August 18, B.o.B performed at the 2010 MTV Music Awards and on September 12 he performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. B.o.B began his first North American tour shortly after.
B.o.B Says
"I just want to show people that there are endless possibilities of what you can do. You don't just have to be a rapper, you don't just have to be a trapper; you can be anything you want to be and whatever you do, just love it and it will show."
