Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. (born November 15, 1988), better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American hip hop recording artist, singer-songwriter and record producer from Decatur, Georgia. In 2006, B.o.B was discovered by Brian Richardson, who then brought him to TJ Chapman, who then brought him to American record producer Jim Jonsin. After hearing his music, Jonsin subsequently signed B.o.B to his Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint. A couple of years later, Jonsin and B.o.B signed a joint venture deal with Atlantic and American rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records.

B.o.B quickly rose to fame after his commercial debut single "Nothin' on You", reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom. He would later release his third single "Airplanes", which also topped several music charts. His fifth single "Magic", became his third top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. B.o.B's debut studio album The Adventures of Bobby Ray, which was preceded by two extended plays (EPs) and several mixtapes, was released on April 27, 2010. The album reached number one on the US Billboard charts and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Later that year, B.o.B was named the ninth "Hottest MC in the Game of 2010" by MTV, on their annual list.