Best of What's Next 2009: B.o.B [Musician]

Photo by Frank Mullen

Hometown: Atlanta
Album: B.o.B Presents the Adventures of Bobby Ray
For Fans Of: Andre 3000, Wale, The Pharcycle

At 11:30 on a Wednesday morning, loopy Atlanta rapper Bobby Ray Simmons is just waking up to his Cinnamon Toast Crunch. He recently released his fifth mixtape, B.o.B Vs. Bobby Ray, and he says that tomorrow he’s leaving the ATL to perform in Scandinavia. He’s already had at least two radio hits in the U.S. (“Haterz Everywhere” and “I’ll Be In The Sky”) and he’s now on his second stage persona (moving from B.o.B to Bobby Ray), but one thing he still doesn’t have is an old-fashioned album. He’s working on it, though, comparing his many mixtapes to a cinematic sneak preview. “An album, it’s kinda like a movie,” he says. “Will Ferrell can do skits on YouTube and put them on his website all day, but there’s something about a movie.”

What’s Next? “As far as I can see, in August I will have a release date. And the release date will be one that people can live with and not feel like, ‘God that’s a long time away.’ And I also feel like I may end up on a reality show. I don’t know. I’m not really a reality-show type of guy. But I just feel like some kinda way it’s gonna work. And I’ll definitely be on a tour between this August and next August. And I think that’s pretty reasonable. And I want to executive-produce somebody’s album. And I’m gonna win a Grammy. And hopefully it’ll be plural instead of singular,” he says. “I think that’s it.”

Listen to B.o.B's "Put Me On" on the PasteStation.

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