Acclaimed ATL-Based MC to Accompany Asher Roth and Kid Cudi on Major U.S. Itinerary; Hip-Hop Sensation to Perform Live on Upcoming ESPYs, Set to Air on July 19th; "B.o.B PRESENTS THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY RAY" Coming Soon
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - July 9, 2009) - Rebel Rock Entertainment/Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist B.o.B aka Bobby Ray has announced plans to join Asher Roth and Kid Cudi on the upcoming "Great Hangover Tour." Bobby Ray is set to kick off the tour at Cleveland's House of Blues on July 17th, with dates then continuing through early August (see itinerary below).
Bobby Ray has been hailed as one of hip-hop's most inventive and exciting young artists. Named among XXL's "10 Freshmen of 2009," the ATL-based rapper's hugely anticipated debut album, "B.o.B PRESENTS THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY RAY," is coming soon.
In other news, Bobby Ray will be among the artists performing at the 17th annual ESPYs, which will be taped Wednesday, July 15th at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre and televised Sunday, July 19th at 9 pm ET on ESPN/ESPN HD (check local listings).
The MC recently teamed up with Reebok on a unique reinterpretation of A Tribe Called Quest's classic "Bonita Applebum" in celebration of the Reebok Classic Remix collection. The track -- titled "Put Me On" -- is available for download exclusively to customers who purchase styles from the Reebok Classic Remix collection at Foot Locker stores nationwide. In addition, the companion video for "Put Me On," directed by Issac Klotz, premiered yesterday, July 8th, online at MTVu.com and MTV2.com, as well as MTV2, MTV Jams and MTVu. For further details, please visit www.footlockerunlocked.com/classicremix.
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, a city known for its outcasts, B.o.B aka Bobby Ray is truly out of the ordinary. The rapper -- born Bobby Ray Simmons -- is already a significant force in Southern hip-hop, having captured underground interest with a variety of mixtapes and his smokers anthem, "Cloud 9."
In 2006, while he was still attending high school, B.o.B came to the attention of renowned producer/songwriter Jim Jonsin (Lil' Wayne, Pretty Ricky, Twista, Danity Kane, Trick Daddy), who promptly signed the young MC to his Rebel Rock Entertainment label.
An accomplished musician and producer, Bobby Ray scored a breakthrough hit in 2008 with the smash single/video, "Haterz Everywhere," which was an MTV "Jam of the Week" as well as a top 10 hit on the network's "Sucker Free Countdown." A wide range of media attention greeted the talented young rapper's arrival on the hip-hop scene, with features and reviews appearing in such national publications and online outlets as The Source, Complex, Spin, URB, XXL, Fader, Rolling Stone, and Murderdog. Vibe recently hailed Bobby Ray's leading role in the emerging ATL sound, noting that "a musical renaissance has begun to take shape, and locals like B.o.B are putting a new movement in motion."
Bobby Ray also established a major presence online, having now logged over 15 million total plays at his official MySpace page, www.myspace.com/bobatl. In addition, B.o.B's official website, www.bobatl.com, has been recently launched with tons of exclusive tracks, videos and user-generated features.
Now Bobby Ray is focusing all his substantial energies on creating the upcoming "B.o.B PRESENTS THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY RAY," producing the majority of the album by himself, while also learning to play multiple musical instruments, including piano, trumpet and French horn. The result is a funky and fascinating journey into a gifted new artist's far-reaching imagination.
"I just want to show people that there are endless possibilities of what you can do," Bobby Ray says. "You don't just have to be a rapper, you don't just have to be a trapper; you can be anything you want to be and whatever you do, just love it and it will show."
For up-to-the-minute news and information, please visit www.bobatl.com, www.myspace.com/bobatl, or www.imeem.com/bobatl.
(TOUR ITINERARY BELOW)
B.o.B AKA BOBBY RAY
ON TOUR 2009
All Dates w/The Great Hangover Tour featuring Asher Roth & Kid Cudi
JULY
17 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
18 Detroit, MI Royal Oak
20 Kansas City, MO Voodoo Lounge
21 Denver, CO Ogden
22 Salt Lake City, UT Harry O's
23 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
24 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
26 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
27 Phoenix, AZ Marquee
29 Dallas, TX House of Blues
30 Austin, TX Stubb's
31 Houston, TX House of Blues
AUGUST
2 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
3 Norfolk, VA The Norva
4 Baltimore, MD Ram's Head
5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Contact:
Sydney Margetson
212.707.2262
Sydney.margetson@atlanticrecords.com
