B.o.B.

There was a time when the term “rapper” was an instant typecast. Artists who wore that name tag were expected to walk and talk a certain way and never conform to the status quo. But now, as music sheds definitions and genre lines continue to be erased, the climate is ripe for “rappers” to redefine that job title and make the world conform to them. Leading that charge is Winston-Salem born, globally-raised B.o.B aka Bobby Ray. B.o.B introduced himself to the world in 2006 with his mixtape Cloud 9, and has since traveled the world, topped the charts and broken invisible barriers that the music world didn’t know existed. Since then, B.o.B has gone from earning stripes to having stripes by means of a national Adidias endorsement campaign, along with being recognized by every award show from the American Music Awards and Grammys, to the BET Awards and NAACP Image Awards. With a well-balanced offering of genre-defying songs and a world view to match, B.o.B proves that living with your head in the clouds, isn’t such a bad thing after all.