On and on the conversations went. But there was also another conversation taking place simultaneously. Despite the enormous potential of the artist now known as B.o.B, there was also a very real concern that he might be too eclectic for the mainstream. In a music industry where different isn’t always appreciated — particularly on the hip-hop scene — some openly wondered if B.o.B’s brand of artistry could expand past the underground and reach the masses.
But then lightning was caught in a bottle … or to be more specific, B.o.B’s artistry caught the attention of T.I. and his Grand Hustle record label. With the power of the King of the South behind him, the guitar-wielding dynamo could now set his sights on achieving global greatness. Thus far, the results have been astounding.
Now that could all serve as the official CliffsNotes version of B.o.B’s biography — a North Carolina native who went from a diamond in the rough, to one of the music industry’s most talked-about artists. But like his music, his story is just as dynamic and compelling. From his No. 1 “Nothin On You,” song to detailing his trips around the world, B.o.B let it all hang out in this exclusive interview with rolling out.
You are a certified superstar now. How has life changed for you since your song shot to No. 1?
In the past few months, my life has changed a lot in terms of the schedule, and in terms of how much I travel. The album came out a few months ago, but it feels like it came out a year ago, because of how fast things are moving, and how fast things have changed once I put something out that the masses can grab ahold of and that people across the world can listen to. It has created a bigger web, and the music has become a larger catalyst, so I spend a lot more time traveling, and it’s amazing really.
When you pictured your career, is this what you envisioned?
I always envisioned the music reaching as many people as possible. And I think that out of all the things that I intended on doing, I think that that’s one of the main visions that I can see taking shape. Just from traveling and seeing different places and different countries within the past few months, it’s just amazing how many people the music has reached — and that’s from me never going to a country, never doing an interview or anything. And then going to that country and seeing how people react to the music … I think that’s one of the most amazing parts.
Describe your impression of celebrity status, and how it’s changed your life.
As your celebrity status changes, or becomes more relevant to your lifestyle, it’s something that you really just adjust to naturally. You have to roll with the punches. It’s really like an ongoing improv, and it’s really what you make it. The level of fame doesn’t necessarily matter, as much as what you make of it — whether you’re famous in your state, your high school, your country, your galaxy, or wherever … it’s all about what you make it. So it’s fun when I make it fun.
Does the business side of the music industry affect your creativity as an artist?
The business side and the creative side are like the siblings that have a hard time getting along. They’re both very necessary in terms of being proactive, and making a plan for the creative side. The creative side just wants to [lie] around all day and make music, and that’s about it. It just wants to keep producing something, keep defining something, and keep making something. The business side wants to make a plan — regardless of whatever else is going on; it wants to make a plan so you can be efficient. The two balance themselves out into one system that works.
Did you ever have any doubts that this success was going to happen?
I wouldn’t say that I ever started to doubt myself, but I will say that I didn’t think that my career would take the shape that it’s taking now as soon as it did. Definitely not. But I’m grateful to see things develop into what I now see before me.
Let’s talk about your partnership with Grand Hustle. How has it been working T.I.?
Working with T.I. is a very creative environment … it’s a very creative space. When we’re in the studio, there are so many different directions to go in, so we just have to pace ourselves. We have all the time in the world, so it’s no rush to really try to make good music. We just kind of let it flow.
Speaking of collaborations, why did Keyshia Cole sing the hook to ‘Airplanes’ at the BET Awards instead of the original singer, Hayley Williams?
Hayley really wanted to make the BET Awards to sing the hook to the song, and we really wanted her to do it. It was really a tough decision. We didn’t know if we should just let the track play, or get someone to sing it … we just didn’t know. So BET came up with the idea to get Keyshia Cole to sing it, and we were cool with that, so that’s the idea that we ran with. The feedback that I got was on both sides of the fence. There were people that were real fans of the record who really wanted Hayley to sing it, and the fact that she wasn’t there disappointed them. But then there were a lot of people that liked the fact that Keyshia was singing it. So I experienced both sides of that argument.
What types of music inspire you?The type of music that inspires me is music where I can tell that the person [who] was making the music was really adamant and passionate about what they were saying — like for example, Waka Flocka Flame’s ‘Hard in the Paint.’ I like to see the passion … I like to see the sincerity. Even though I have a real eclectic taste, I just like the passion. I guess I’m like an emo artist, so it’s all about the passion.
Speaking of emo artists, talk about artists like you and Wale, and how hip-hop is featuring more artists that are about the music and good lyrics.
There’s like a movement now, and I guess it has an emo element to it, because I feel like the hip-hop community has taken a strong liking to rock music. And it’s not just the rock electric head-banging music; it’s the sincere emo music. And I think that’s incorporated into the newer hip-hop movement because of the fact that it’s sincere. I think that a lot of the artists coming up now have a real goal and a real passion to be sincere and to speak out. It’s a real revolution going on, but it’s not like protesting in the streets. The revolution is now on wax, and I think that the youth have realized how influential hip-hop can be. So it’s like a tool or a weapon that can be used, and whose effect can be measured.
And finally, talk about your family and how that plays a role in your life.
Family is very important. Family is all about maintaining a unit and maintaining a structure. Family is your foundation — whether that’s the family that you grew up with, or the family that I have, which is the family that I travel with on the road. Even though we aren’t blood, we are family, and they are very necessary in this industry since I’m now moving at the speed of light. They are the hub and the command station that I can always go back to and connect to as I continue to move around in the manner that I am.
