Bobby V

Robert Marcel Wilson, known as Bobby V, was born on February 27, 1980, in Jackson, Mississippi, and later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. His musical journey began in 1996 as Bobby Wilson, a member of the R&B group Mista. Under the production of Organized Noize, Mista released their self-titled debut album, which featured the hit single “Blackberry Molasses.” Despite this success, the album globally underperformed, and due to management issues, the group disbanded in 1997. Following Mista’s dissolution, Wilson enrolled at Clark Atlanta University, pursuing a degree in mass communications, while continuing to record music in his free time.

In 2003, Bobby V embarked on a solo career, signing with Ludacris’ Disturbing tha Peace label, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. His debut solo single, “Slow Down,” released in February 2005, became a Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. This success led to his self-titled debut album, “Bobby Valentino” (2005), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA, selling over 708,000 copies in the United States. He joined the Scream Tour IV in 2005, sharing the stage with artists such as Bow Wow and Omarion. His second album, “Special Occasion” (2007), also achieved commercial success, supported by the single “Anonymous” featuring Timbaland. In 2008, following a legal dispute with British musician Bobby Valentino and album delays, he left Def Jam and Disturbing tha Peace, subsequently signing with EMI to launch his own imprint, Blu Kolla Dreams. He officially changed his stage name to Bobby V and released his third album, “The Rebirth” in 2009, which featured the single “Beep” with Yung Joc. Each of his first three albums debuted atop the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, marking a consistent presence in the R&B genre.

Bobby V continued to release music, including “Fly on the Wall” (2011) with its lead single “Phone #” featuring Plies, and “Dusk Till Dawn” (2012), which included the single “Mirror” featuring Lil Wayne. In 2013, he released the project “Peach Moon.” Throughout his career, he has collaborated with various artists, appearing on Nicki Minaj’s “Sex in the Lounge” and Snoop Dogg on his album “Electrik” (2018), which debuted on the Billboard R&B Album Chart at number 7. In 2016, he released the soundtrack for the BET film “Hollywood Hearts.” In June 2022, Bobby V participated in Verzuz, which led to the formation of the R&B supergroup R.S.V.P with Ray J, Sammie, and Pleasure P.