Bobby V

Bobby Marcel Wilson (born February 27, 1980), better known by his stage name Bobby V (formerly known as Bobby Valentino), is an American R&B singer. Born in Jackson, Mississippi and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he formed the R&B group Mista in 1994, prior to signing with Ludacris' record label, Disturbing tha Peace, in 2005. Mista became best known for their 1996 single "Blackberry Molasses", which peaked at number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded their eponymous debut studio album (1996), released by EastWest Records that same year. Narrowly impacting any music charts, the album underperformed commercially and led to the group's disbandment the following year. Wilson furthered his education for the next several years, and 8 years later, signed with rapper Ludacris' record label Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint Def Jam Recordings. His 2005 debut single, "Slow Down", peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and led his self-titled debut studio album (2005), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned a follow-up single, "Tell Me" (featuring Lil Wayne). His second album, Special Occasion (2007), was met with similar success and supported by the single "Anonymous" (featuring Timbaland). His third album, The Rebirth (2009), was released by EMI; all albums thus far have debuted atop the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.