Bobby V
A smooth-voiced R&B hitmaker from Atlanta who evolved from boy-band beginnings into a solo star with chart-topping slow jams.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American R&B singer·Birthday: February 27·Generation X
Biography
Bobby V's career is a testament to the enduring power of a great melody and a velvet voice. Born Bobby Wilson in Mississippi and raised in Atlanta, he first found his footing in the mid-90s as part of the R&B group Mista, which scored a minor hit with 'Blackberry Molasses.' When the group disbanded, he didn't fade away; he recalibrated. Signing with Ludacris's Disturbing tha Peace label in the 2000s, he reintroduced himself as Bobby Valentino (later shortening it to Bobby V) and struck immediate gold with the platinum-selling, slow-burning single 'Slow Down.' That song, with its effortless groove, became an anthem and defined his signature style: intimate, polished, and irresistibly catchy. Over the next decade, he consistently delivered R&B that felt both contemporary and classic, building a catalog of loyal fans who turned to his music for romance and rhythm, proving that soulful persistence could outlast fleeting trends.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bobby was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His debut solo single 'Slow Down' reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and was certified platinum.
- Released the successful album 'Bobby Valentino' in 2005, which debuted in the top 5 of the Billboard 200.
- Was a founding member of the R&B group Mista, which had a charting single with 'Blackberry Molasses.'
- Signed with Ludacris's Disturbing tha Peace label, launching his successful solo career.
Did You Know?
He originally performed under the stage name Bobby Valentino before shortening it to Bobby V.
He attended Clark Atlanta University on a music scholarship.
The group Mista was discovered by Organized Noize, the production team behind OutKast and TLC.
He is a skilled pianist and often incorporates live instrumentation into his music.
“I build my sound from soul, from church, from the streets of Atlanta.”
