B.o.B. to Headline April 14 Spring Concert
Converse’s annual Spring Concert will feature the pop rapper and genre-bending artist B.o.B.on Saturday, April 14 at 8 pm on the back campus lawn. Tickets are on sale now via the Twichell Auditorium Box office or by calling 864.596.9725. Admission is $20 for college students with ID (to receive the college student rate, please call the Box Office) and $40 for the general public. All day-of-show tickets are $40. Gates will open at 7 PM.
B.o.B. is set to release his new album, Strange Clouds, on Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records on May 1. His single by the same title has already gone platinum and his latest single release, So Good, became #1 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart in February. National spotlight appearances at events such as VH-1/Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam have added to B.o.B.’s recognition as an up-and-comer on the pop rap scene.
The Atlanta, Georgia native – born Bobby Ray Simmons – became a rap phenomenon thanks to his anthem Cloud 9, and the energy of his song Haterz Everywhere.
B.o.B decided to pursue a career in hip-hop early in life. He started rapping age of 13 after studying classic albums from DMX and Eminem, and was signed by Atlantic Records in 2006. “I’m really focused on painting a picture of myself as a musician and an artist and not just a rapper,” says B.o.B. “I feel like I’m not just making rap music; I feel like I’m changing music, period.”
His genre-bending approach can be seen in singles like Not Alone, which he describes as an alternative rock chant and in which he shares his pain as a child who was unable to fit in with his own peers.
B.o.B gives audiences a window into his artistic intent on the single Trippin’. “I feel like I have a really different perspective,” he says. “When I grew up it was really hard for me to figure out why I felt that way, like I really felt like I was from another planet. Now, it’s the opposite. All of that time I spent developing my talent and really analyzing myself, now I feel like I can express all of that and give all of my energy and love to the world.”
His multi-dimensional talent grew through producing the majority of his first album by himself, and learning to play multiple musical instruments including the piano, trumpet and French horn. He weaves messages of creativity and empowerment through his music. “I just want to show people that there are endless possibilities of what you can do,” he 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.”