
| Born | 27 February 1980 (age 46 years), Jackson, Mississippi, United States |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bobby Marcel Wilson |
| Net Worth | $4 Million |
| Religion | Christian |
What religion is Bobby V?
Bobby V is an American R&B singer and songwriter who is a Christian.
Bobby V first gained recognition as a member of the R&B group Mista, whose 1996 hit “Blackberry Molasses” reached the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the standout R&B songs of the decade. After the group disbanded, he signed with Ludacris’ Disturbing tha Peace label under Def Jam Recordings, launching a successful solo career. His 2005 debut solo single, “Slow Down,” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and led his self-titled debut album to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA and also produced the hit single “Tell Me” featuring Lil Wayne. His follow-up albums, Special Occasion (2007) and The Rebirth (2009), both debuted at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with “Anonymous” featuring Timbaland and “Beep” featuring Yung Joc among his biggest singles. In September 2017, Bobby V signed a new deal with SoNo Recording Group, distributed by Universal Music Group, releasing Electrik (2018), which debuted at number seven on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and featured a collaboration with Snoop Dogg on lead single “Lil’ Bit.” In June 2022, he participated in Verzuz alongside Ray J, going against Sammie and Pleasure P, a pairing that went viral and led to the formation of the R&B supergroup R.S.V.P., currently in development.
Early life
Bobby Marcel Wilson was born on February 27, 1980, in Jackson, Mississippi, and later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He was raised by his parents Margarett Wilson and Bobby L. Wilson and is the younger brother of his sister Michelle Wilson. He attended North Atlanta High School and later graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2003 with a degree in mass communications. Bobby V grew up listening to Michael Jackson, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Marvin Gaye, Jodeci, and The Isley Brothers, who influenced his decision to become an R&B singer.
Early career with Mista
In 1996, Bobby Wilson entered the music scene as a member of the R&B youth quartet Mista, using his real name Bobby Wilson at that time. Under the production of Organized Noize, Mista released their self-titled debut album on EastWest Records in 1996, which included the hit single “Blackberry Molasses” that peaked at number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album did not match the success of the single, failed to impact major charts, and the group disbanded in 1997 after management issues and an unreleased second album produced by Tim and Bob. Following Mista’s split, Wilson enrolled at Clark Atlanta University and continued recording music in his free time while focusing on his education.
Solo success with DTP
Eight years after Mista’s disbandment, Bobby signed with rapper Ludacris’s label, Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings, becoming the label’s first R&B artist. His debut single under Disturbing tha Peace, “Slow Down,” was released in 2005 and became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a number one R&B single on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. That same year, his self-titled debut studio album, Disturbing tha Peace Presents Bobby Valentino, was released, certified gold by the RIAA, sold over 708,000 copies in the United States, peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, and spawned the follow-up single “Tell Me” featuring Lil Wayne. His second album, Special Occasion, was released in 2007 and achieved similar chart success, after which he left Def Jam on good terms and signed with EMI. Under EMI and his own boutique label Blu Kolla Dreams, he released The Rebirth in February 2009, featuring productions from Tim & Bob, Carlos McKinney, and Raphael Saadiq. He later released independent albums such as Hollywood Hearts in 2016 and Electrik in 2018, and in 2020 he launched his own label, Veltree Music Group, through which he has continued to sign artists and release new music.
Collaborations
Bobby V has collaborated with producers and artists including Organized Noize, Tim & Bob, Timbaland, Raphael Saadiq, Carlos McKinney, Plies, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and Yung Joc across his albums and singles. He appeared on Nicki Minaj’s song “Sex in the Lounge” from Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and on the track “Mirror” from his 2012 album Dusk Till Dawn, which also featured Lil Wayne. In June 2022, Bobby V participated in a Verzuz event with Ray J against Sammie and Pleasure P, which led to the formation of the R&B supergroup R.S.V.P. with those singers, a project that is still in development as of 2026.
Personal life
Bobby V has been in relationships with Bella Montana and later with Jhonni Blaze in 2015, and he is a father to a daughter born in 2017. He has also been involved in public legal disputes, including a 2017 case involving allegations from a transgender woman that was later dismissed, and in 2018 he was under investigation in Georgia regarding rape allegations. An unidentified woman filed a police report alleging the assault took place over a weekend, prompting police to launch an investigation. Bobby V continues to perform, record, and operate his independent label while maintaining a presence in the R&B scene through new singles, albums, and live performances.
