B.O.B.

A pastor’s son from Atlanta, Georgia, Bobby Ray Simmons, aka B.o.B., started rapping at age 13 and landed his first record deal while still in high school. His debut album, The Adventures of B.o.B., was released in 2010 on T.I.’s Grand Hustle label, and the success of his single “Nothing On You” (featuring Bruno Mars) put the eclectic hip hop artist on the fast track, and won the award for “Best Song” at the 2010 Soul Train Awards. A passionate artist who plays many instruments, including piano, trumpet, French horn, and guitar, produced much of the critically acclaimed album himself, teaming with forward-thinking talents like Janelle Monae. Another single, “Airplanes” was nominated for a Grammy. Simmons has since landed an Adidas contract and released a new mixtape, No Genre.