Life and career

1988–2006: Early life and career beginnings

Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. was born on November 15, 1988 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
[3]
 He played the trumpet in his school band from elementary school through high school. [4]
[5]
 Although his parents wanted him to continue his education, B.o.B decided in sixth grade that
he wanted to pursue a music career.[6] His father, a pastor, disapproved of his son's choices, until
he realized B.o.B was using music as a form of therapy and a creative outlet. B.o.B later
reflected on his experience, saying, "They've always supported me. They got my first keyboard to
make beats on and they helped me out getting equipment here and there. But it was kind of hard
for them to really understand what I was really trying to accomplish." [6] B.o.B attended Columbia
High School in Decatur, Georgia, where he played the trumpet in the school band, until he
landed a record deal and decided to drop out of school in the ninth grade.
In 2002, after meeting his mentor and co-manager B-Rich at the age of 14, B.o.B sold his
first beat to former Slip-n-Slide recording artist Citti, for the song "I'm the Cookie Man". B.o.B felt
he had established a substantial career. "I went and blew all of my money on fast stuff like a
chain and ballin'. Soon I was broke again, but I learned two important things from it; make sure I
save my money and that I was hooked on music. He continued performing at open
mics and underground venues to perfect his craft.[7] In 2006, because he was underage, B-Rich
helped sneak B.o.B into Club Crucial, a night club owned by Atlanta-based rapper T.I. There,
B.o.B performed a song titled "Cloud 9", a self-produced, spoken word-like ode to marijuana. In
attendance was producer and industry veteran T.J. Chapman, chief executive officer (CEO) of
TJ's DJ's. Chapman agreed to co-manage B.o.B, which only a month later led to B.o.B's signing
with Atlantic Records and subsidiary imprint Rebel Rock, run by Florida-based producer Jim
Jonsin. His first single for Atlantic, 2007's "Haterz Everywhere", reached the top five of
Billboard's Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart.[7][8] Along with his solo production career,
B.o.B is part of the production/rap group HamSquad, along with Playboy Tre, DJ Swatts, DJ
Smooth, Moss B, B-Rich and TJ Chapman.[6]

2007–08: Rise to fame and mixtapes

B.o.B performing in Atlanta in 2008

B.o.B first began to gain recognition at the start of 2007. The underground single, "Haterz
Everywhere" featuring Wes Fif, gained the rapper attention by peaking at number 5 on the
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.[9] The remix to "Haterz Everywhere" featuring Rich
Boy, was included used in the video game Fight Night Round 4, and a music video was later
released for that version. Another single, "I'll Be in the Sky", was released in 2008 and it has
reached at number 15 on the same charts. About.com called the song a "smart, funky artrap and
a strong prelude to