Bobby V.

He may not have the strongest voice, but Bobby V. has a sharply distinctive vocal delivery and a knack for picking great songs. Those talents have served him well through a tumultuous career. Born Bobby Wilson, he first hit the scene as the teenage lead singer for a group called MISTA, which scored a minor hit in 1996 with "Blackberry Molasses." The members went their separate ways, with Bobby relocating from Jackson, Miss., to Atlanta to attend college. After graduating in 2003, his demo tape caught the attention of Ludacris, who promptly signed the then-named Bobby Valentino to his Disturbing Tha Peace imprint. In early 2005, Bobby Valentino lit up airwaves everywhere with the banging love jam "Slow Down," setting the stage for his debut solo LP, Disturbing Tha Peace Presents: Bobby Valentino. A second album, 2007's Special Occasion, didn't do as well, and Valentino chose to part ways with D.T.P. After shortening his name to Bobby V., he launched his Blu Kolla Dreams imprint and issued 2009's The Rebirth. Debuting at No. 7 and featuring the hit single "Beep," it sold enough copies to reignite label interest in him, and he graduated to Capitol Records for 2011's Fly on the Wall.