Bobby Wilson, better known as Bobby Valentino, was born in Mississippi and raised in Atlanta. As a teenager, he joined the vocal group Mista, which found success with their 1996 hit song “Blackberry Molasses.” However, despite recording a second album, the group disbanded in 1997 due to management issues, as noted by the Gazette Review.
After finishing high school, Bobby went on to study mass communications at Clark Atlanta University. During his college years, he dreamed of pursuing a music career. In 2002, he auditioned for the first season of American Idol. Although Simon Cowell didn’t think he had what it took to be a star, Bobby shared on Noel Phillips’ website that he could have given up then and there but decided to keep pushing forward.
While finishing his college classes, he recorded three demos. These eventually caught the attention of Ludacris, who shared them with his manager Shaka Zulu, co-founder of Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace label, under Def Jam. They were impressed and offered Bobby a recording contract, which he eagerly signed. His breakout single, “Slow Down,” was released on Valentine’s Day 2005, capturing the hearts of music lovers and earning him an ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award. Two months later, his self-titled debut album dropped, featuring smooth vocals and impeccable songwriting. Thanks to the hit song “Tell Me,” featuring Lil Wayne, the album went platinum.
Despite being signed to Ludacris’ label and even featuring on his song “Pimpin’ All Over the World,” Bobby clarified that Ludacris was not his mentor. In an interview with Urban Daily, Bobby shared that working under a star like Ludacris sometimes overshadowed his own potential. He ended up taking charge of many aspects of his career, from choosing producers to overseeing his projects’ creative and commercial development. For those unfamiliar, A&R stands for Artists and Repertoire, a department in most major labels that helps develop artists both creatively and commercially.
He went on tour and started recording music for his second album, “Special Occasion,” which came out in 2007. The album included the song “Anonymous,” featuring Timbaland, but it only reached number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. During this time, Bobby got hit with a copyright lawsuit from a British violinist also named Bobby Valentino. They reached an agreement allowing both to use the name, except in the UK.
However, Bobby’s label messed up and released his album “Special Occasion” under the name Bobby Valentino in the territories they weren’t supposed to. This mistake breached their deal with the violinist, and Bobby shared on “Unsung” that he and his label had to pay a significant amount of money. Feeling down and defeated, Bobby decided to drop the name Valentino entirely and move forward as simply Bobby V.
As he added the final touches to his third album, Bobby found himself lending his voice to the catchy hook of Lil Wayne’s 2008 hit “Mrs. Officer.” However, just before his album could hit the shelves, Bobby made a surprising decision to part ways with Disturbing Tha Peace, prompting speculation about his departure, with some suggesting it was due to his alleged difficult demeanor. Yet, Bobby set the record straight in a 2008 interview with “Singersroom,” emphasizing that the split was amicable. “I sat down with Ludacris and Shaka Zulu and explained that it was time for me to venture out on my own. They were cool with it. No beef at all,” he revealed.
In subsequent interviews, Bobby expressed his frustration with the larger label, Def Jam Records, citing the intense competition among its roster of talented artists, which made it challenging for him to stand out. Feeling it was time to chart his own course, Bobby was prepared to seize control of his career, leveraging his experience and education. He struck a deal with EMI Records to establish his own imprint label, Blue Kolla Dreams.
In 2009, Bobby released his much-anticipated third album, “The Rebirth,” which soared to the top of the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. One of the album’s standout tracks, “Beep,” featuring Yung Joc, garnered significant attention. “Beep beep beep beep beep. She’s going to let me beep beep beep beep beep,” echoed Bobby’s confident and catchy lyrics.
Two years later, he made a comeback with his fourth album, “Fly on the Wall,” hitting the shelves in 2011. Following closely on its heels was his fifth album, “Dusk Till Dawn,” which dropped in 2012. However, the excitement was short-lived as “Dusk Till Dawn” only managed to sell a mere 5,000 copies in its first week. And then, well, everything went downhill from there in Bobby’s life. You know the drill, folks: buckle up, because here we go!
But hey, before we jump back into this whirlwind of a story, don’t forget to grab some snacks over at rrg-snacks.com, our trusty online concession stand boasting an array of beef and bacon jerky, blue raspberry licorice, and sour peach rings. Alright, back to the juicy details.
Fast forward to 2013, and Bobby found himself parked in his Bentley outside an Atlanta recording studio when suddenly, two shady characters approached, armed to the teeth. Bobby, wisely, complied with their demands to exit the vehicle, watching helplessly as they sped off into the night in his beloved Bentley. Talk about a punch in the gut. After promptly alerting the authorities, Bobby’s Bentley was eventually recovered, abandoned at a commuter train station. And the cherry on top? One Robert “Unrico” McFarland was nabbed and slapped with charges of robbery and carjacking. As for the outcome of the legal proceedings, updates were few and far between. However, a sobering reminder of the ordeal came in the form of footage from Robert’s 2022 funeral, which made its way online.
In 2013, Bobby found himself in the middle of some serious drama on an episode of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” You remember that scene where Kirk Frost and Benzino were caught up with some ladies in a hot tub, and Kirk ended up betraying his wife, Rasheeda, who was pregnant at the time? Well, Bobby got pulled into the chaos because Kirk’s shenanigans happened at Bobby’s place. When social media came down hard on Kirk, Bobby had to set the record straight to VH1, saying, “I can’t control what others do. I wasn’t trying to mess up anyone’s family. I was just chilling at home, and things got out of hand when they showed up.”
After laying low for a few years, Bobby made headlines again in July 2017 over a video allegedly showing him dodging payment to someone. Hold up, wait a minute. Did that really happen at my place? Bobby V, running off? The person in the video turned out to be a transgender woman named Reima Houston. Bobby denied claims that she was a sex worker and insisted he had no idea about her gender identity. His spokesperson clarified that once Reima realized who Bobby was, she started recording their interaction to extort him. Bobby reported the incident to the authorities and promised to take legal action.
Reima was surprisingly forthcoming about her version of events, and wouldn’t you know it, BET, always in the thick of things, offered her a seat for an interview. According to Reima, Bobby had been keeping tabs on her socials even before they bumped into each other at one of his club gigs. He graciously invited her and her crew to his VIP area, leading Reima to believe that perhaps he could help her break into the industry, given their business discussions. It seemed like a classic networking opportunity. She confided in Bobby about being transgender, and he reassured her that he was open-minded. Later, Bobby dropped by her studio apartment, and assuming they’d continue their business conversation, Reima politely asked her friend to step out. Looking back, maybe that was overly optimistic.
Alone together, Bobby allegedly became overly curious about Reima’s physique. Can you believe it? She recounted how he brazenly began undressing in front of her. That’s when Reima pulled out her phone and started questioning him. Bobby quickly made his exit, leaving his shoes and keys behind. “Want these back, Bobby? Well, it’ll cost you. Give me a call, and we’ll discuss the price. It’s Bobby V, not Cinderella leaving his Timberlands behind.”
Bobby followed through on his promise to take legal action by filing a lawsuit against Reima. In the court documents, Bobby claimed that Reima had surreptitiously recorded him during their encounter, and when he confronted her about it, she allegedly threatened to release the video on social media unless he paid her a hefty sum. Amidst this legal battle, another transgender woman named Shauna Brooks emerged with fresh allegations, accusing Bobby of soliciting intimate activities. Quite the twist, right? Shauna even shared a screenshot showing a missed call from Bobby, though she didn’t clarify whether they spoke or met up.
And if that wasn’t enough drama, Lil Scrappy found himself caught up in Bobby V’s mess. An Instagram account called My Mixtapes posted a video of Scrappy and Bobby partying with women described as transgender. Scrappy quickly distanced himself from Bobby, emphasizing that their collaboration was purely musical. He also made it clear that he hadn’t been romantically involved with transgender women and suggested that the women in the video were likely cisgender, albeit possibly unattractive, implying they were misrepresented. “They might’ve been unattractive, but they were genuine. They didn’t want to involve me. Keep me out of it. I have no part in this.”
Then, out of the blue, Bobby dropped a bombshell: he announced the arrival of a newborn baby. A baby? Whose? Some speculated that Bobby orchestrated the announcement to deflect rumors about his sexual orientation. However, he later confirmed that he is indeed the proud father of a baby girl named Lilac. As his court date with Reima approached, Bobby failed to show up for the proceedings. Reima took to Facebook to announce the case’s dismissal, captured by the Straight from the A website, citing Bobby’s absence as a waste of everyone’s time.
In January 2018, Bobby found himself in a social media storm when his child’s mother claimed she caught him in a compromising situation with someone who appeared transgender. She even admitted to giving him a black eye in the heat of the moment. But Bobby opted not to escalate things legally, seemingly to avoid further scrutiny about his sexuality. In another post, she expressed disappointment, claiming she had tried to accommodate his preferences but felt deceived by what she labeled a secretive pansexual. However, she later retracted her statements, alleging her account had been hacked. Seriously, spreading rumors online? Just stop.
Bobby shifted his focus back to his music career, dropping his sixth studio album, “Electric,” in 2018. Around the same time, he found himself embroiled in a legal tangle in Georgia involving allegations of exploiting a woman. His rep vehemently denied the accusations, suggesting they were motivated by financial gain. Bobby himself cryptically tweeted, “Can’t nobody tear down what God built.” Comedian Lil Duval chimed in with a now-deleted tweet suggesting Bobby needed to find salvation. Bobby’s rep told TMZ they were gearing up for legal action against the accuser, but details about the case’s resolution remain elusive.
Fast forward to May 2021, and Bobby once again stirred controversy by criticizing women for their Instagram nudity. His comment, suggesting curiosity about how they’d look clothed, drew swift backlash from users who dismissed him as irrelevant and uninspired. Bobby later defended himself in a video, questioning why his critics cared so much about his actions. Perhaps it’s not that they care; you’re just too hard to ignore.
In this recent video clip, Bobby’s been busy not just with his own music but also nurturing other artists. But there’s been a bit of a stir after a March 2024 concert where he hit the stage apparently missing something important—his drawers! Fans online were quick to comment, wondering what was going on there.
Bobby’s also been teaming up with some big names like Ray J, Sammie, and Pleasure P to drop tracks as part of a group called RSVP. Plus, he’s been making waves in the acting world, scoring roles in movies like “Video Girl” and “Demons of Jack County.”
When it comes to his love life, Bobby spilled the beans during a 2023 interview with Ugly Money TV, admitting it’s tough to settle down when you’re constantly on the move and meeting new people. But that doesn’t mean he’s given up on finding that special someone. According to an interview with XO Nicole’s website, Bobby’s looking for more than just looks in a partner—he wants someone who’s mentally strong, curious, and driven to chase their dreams.
Despite what some might say about him falling off the radar, Bobby’s not backing down. In fact, he’s more determined than ever. In that same interview with XO Nicole, he made it clear that he’s just getting started and sees this phase of his career as the beginning of something big. Do you think Bobby’s got what it takes to make a full-blown comeback, or is his time in the spotlight fading away?