B.o.B

21-year-old rapper, singer and musician B.o.B is the first new hip-hop star of the decade, thanks to his hit single, “Nothin’ On You,” and debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray. Born Bobby Ray Simmons in Decatur, Georgia, he was first discovered as a teenager by Jim Jonsin, the Miami producer best known for hits like Trick Daddy’s “Let’s Go.” After signing with Jonsin’s Rebel Rock production company in 2007, B.o.B built a huge buzz through mixtapes and regional hits like “Haters” and “Cloud 9”. However, fans grew impatient when he signed deals with Atlantic Records, and even T.I.’s Grand Hustle imprint, but only had modest singles like “Autotune” and “I’ll Be in the Sky” to show for it. The arrival of “Nothin’ On You,” a song originally written by Bruno Mars of upstart production duo the Smeezingtons, finally brought B.o.B a mainstream hit, reaching number one on the charts in early 2010. The Adventures of Bobby Ray, which debuted at number one upon its release, added a second major hit in “Airplanes.”