Biography

Born in Mississippi but raised in Atlanta smooth RB crooner Bobby Valentino had a hard time convincing his skeptical parents that the music business was the place for him When the 16-year-old Valentino -- who was then known by his real name Bobby Wilson -- hooked up with the Organized Noize Productions team his parents knew he was serious and that his dream of a record deal was entirely possible With a group of friends Valentino formed Mista a Boyz II Men-styled singing group that made some waves with their Blackberry Molasses single The groups self-titled album appeared in 1996 but failed to match the singles success A second unreleased album was recorded with producer Timbalands help but management problems split the group and Valentino decided to focus on college After earning his degree in 2003 Valentino returned to demo work One of his demos ended up in the hands of Ludacris who made Valentino the first RB singer in the rappers DTP Disturbing tha Peace crew The sultry Slow Down announced the singers rebirth as a DTP member in early 2005 and soon became a BET and radio favorite As the ballad was landing numerous schools prom ballots Def JamDTP released Valentinos self-titled debut David Jeffries All Music Guide