B.o.B AKA BOBBY RAY INTERVIEW JUNE 2009

"My love for music will never go away even if I take a year off to act I would not stop doing music. I just can’t stop"

In June 2009 I caught up with B.o.B aka Bobby Ray as he toured with Asher Roth and Kid Cudi on “The Great Hangover” tour at the House of Blues.

INTRO: So how did you end up on the tour?

B.o.B: I ended up on the tour because it seemed like the most logical thing to do. My affiliation with Kid Cudi and Asher Roth. We are on the cover of XXL Magazine for the “Freshman Issue”. I am real cool with Asher. We really didn’t have anything to do this summer. We didn’t have any tours lines up so it just seemed like the most productive, proficient, and proactive thing to do, so here we go.

INTRO: You are very different from other rappers. You are an artist not a rapper. How did you become an artist?

B.o.B: (laughs) I became an artist basically from circumstances and what I have been thru. Basically I became an artist thru life. The type of inspiration that you receive from this industry you can make it negative or positive energy but I always wanted to do it. When I was a kid I used to play and write songs on the piano and sing. I didn’t know what The hell I was doing but finally after all these years I finally got it right. I play the guitar on my set. Whenever I can I bring my whole band and my back up singers. I have my back up singers on tour with me right now. I try to keep it as musical as possible. Its really a growth process. Growing into being a musician and a musical artist and you really have to learn the music. You can’t imitate it. It has to come from the soul
and when it doesn’t it just looks like you are trying to be something.

INTRO: Do you find that more artists are more appreciative of you because you are opening doors for the type of music that they want to create.

B.o.B: Definitely. I definitely feel that a lot of artists are fans and its kind of humbling. A lot of artists can take that and respond to it with a cocky type of perspective. Its really humbling because you realize that the influence you have to be able to inspire millions of people to or correction I don’t know how many people. You never know but to inspire people in general whether its just one person or a billion you inspire them to do more than what the norm is. If It wasn’t for artists that inspired me like Gnarls Barkley, Andre 3000, Mos Def, and other artists that grew out the norm and said “fuck it I’ma do what I want to do” I would not have that audacity to do something.

INTRO: what happen at the ESPY Awards. What was the experience like?

B.o.B: ESPY Awards (laughs). Samuel Jackson said whassup . It seemed like he was paying attention to the performance. The ESPY was crazy because there is a lot of preparation that goes into producing these shows. I did the BET Awards for two years but I didn’t realize that there was so much money in sports. The hotels were branded ESPY. The hotel decals said ESPY. They gave out gift bags with hundreds of dollars worth of gifts. Its just crazy how much they put into it but the overall experience was great. I got a lot of priceless exposure.

INTRO: I know that you have been doing this for awhile but where do you see yourself in the next two years?

B.o.B: I see myself in a movie. I see my self winning a Grammy or a couple of Grammies if GOD desires.

INTRO: Do you do any acting?

B.o.B: Yeah videos require acting but I want to really act. My passion for my music is greater than my passion for acting. I want to see how deeper I can go with my music before I aspire to do something more. My love for music will never go away even if I take a year off to act I would not stop doing music. I just can’t stop.

INTRO: What artists would you like to work with that you haven’t yet?

B.o.B: Seth Gold, M.I.A, Janelle Monet. Its a lot of female artists that but its because they are very unique and very bold. I feel like the feminine energy in this day and age is really balancing out. For so long its been a man’s world or perceived to be a man’s world for such a long time. Like James Brown said “This is a man’s world, but it would be nothing without the touch of a woman or a girl”. I feel that because this feminine energy is balancing out on this planet a lot of female artists are aspiring to be something greater than just a sexual image or sex symbol. Its nothing wrong with that because we are sexual beings but when everything gets the same it gets monotonous. I want to do a track with Cee-Lo. I don’t want to do it where we email tracks to each other. I would rather get in the studio with you or not do anything at all. Its more organic when you actually there with that person.

INTRO: So I understand that you are going to be working on tracks later.

B.o.B: Yeah me an Asher are talking about doing a mixtape together. He has a studio on his bus so I am going to roll with him and kick it on his bus. We are just going to have some fun. Even though this is my job you still have to keep that balance between work and play so you don’t go stale. You know what I mean?

INTRO: I don’t know what you mean?

B.o.B: You know what I mean!

INTRO: I don’t know what you mean. I work all the time.

B.o.B: You gotta have fun sometime. You deserve it.