Of all the rap artists who emerged from Atlanta during the late 2000s, B.o.B is one of the most unique. His eccentricity and artistic mind, belied by his music’s conventional Dirty South sound, raised his stock and welcomed comparisons to artists like OutKast. B.o.B also chose his partners wisely, scoring a handful of Top 40 singles during 2010 by collaborating with vocalists like Rivers Cuomo, Hayley Williams, and Bruno Mars. His first single, 2007’s Haterz Everywhere, reached the Top Five of Billboard’s Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart. Before long, XXL, Spin, and MTV, among others, took notice of the Atlanta rapper, running “Artist to Watch” features and tagging him as the next Atlanta rap artist to blow up nationally. B.o.B’s second single, “Grip Your Body,” featuring Amy Winehouse, also fared well. B.o.B’s official breakthrough came in 2010, though, when he topped the charts with “Nothin’ on You” and reached number two with “Airplanes,” the latter song featuring special guest vocals from Paramore’s Hayley Williams. Both songs appeared on his full-length debut, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, which was released later that year and quickly went gold. His sophomore effort, Strange Clouds, followed in 2012 with Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, and Nicki Minaj all included on the album’s guest list. In 2013, he released Underground Luxury. B.o.B continues to draw huge audiences around the world.
