By Brandon Michael Dunlap
Crooning sensation, Bobby Valentino is a no fix-it man, yet he possesses all of the tools necessary to restore the magnetism to R&B, not associated with catchy hooks and gimmicks. Like his debut hits “Slow Down” and “Tell Me,” Bobby fills tracks with soulful flavor regardless if the topic is pleading for forgiveness, social issues, or a woman’s pretty round thing.
With his first digital EP
Come With Me – fully-downloadable from iTunes and his third studio album this summer, V-Tino going free-agent from Disturbing tha Peace Records could make him more of a threat to corn-pop hybrids than previously conceived.
“Underdogs are the hottest people to me; I consider myself an underdog in the music game,” he said. “I think people were really sleeping on me because I wasn’t completely doing me.”
This time around, Bobby is taking no prisoners – writing and co-producing his own material, Bobby V wants to be the center of attention. After the split between him and DTP/Def Jam being a mutual consensus, he felt his growth was being hindered. He admits there are no hard feelings with Ludacris and Chaka Zulu, but the former soul of DTP wants to establish himself before any other artist.
“It was difficult because at DTP it’s all about Luda; it’s really his label,” he said. “Obviously there is still loyalty – they are always going to be family. But in this business, if you’re not setting yourself a part in a different direction, you’re never going to compete.”
Not that he considers the aforementioned club bangers from his self-titled debut anything but timeless contemporary classics. But Bobby has always wanted to do him before “Anonymous,” daring back when the publishing checks were diced four ways during his beginnings with Mista.“That’s why you will notice Ludacris wasn’t on any of my singles,” he said. “Because another person is not going to break you, you have got to come out and do your own thing.”
Learning from the mediocre acceptance from his 2007 sophomore effort Special Occasion, Bobby admits there was a lack of publicity and support for the LP.
“When you’re trying to sell an album, it is all about visuals,” he said. “Only a few artists can sell and album by just having an album out without somebody pushing it.” With many artists in the game taking drastic measures outside of music to gain popularity, Bobby wants to go in the exact opposite direction as them. He doesn’t need publicity stunts or gossip to propel his career further.
“If I wanted to do a tape with like five girls at one time I could and would get a lot of publicity,” he said. “But I want people to love my music because it comes from my heart.” Where his last album’s production credits read like a star-studded menu of Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, Bryan-Michael Cox and long-time collaborators Tim & Bob, Bobby V is cooking up some different stuff for his indie release.
“This is for my true fans. I wrote everything and helped produce this project. So this has a lot of me in it,” he said. With the help of producer Bill Jabar, Bobby is offering a different glimpse into his talent, seemingly progressing from his days of bedroom talk and booty-chatter, which claimed his fame.
The latest single “Your Smile” featuring Lil Wayne, showcases Bobby’s side-affects from big-boy pills, focusing on another delightful attribute to the opposite sex. Although he is expanding his reach across R&B into soul alternative, nothing has changed.
“I am still the same dude. Believe me I will always love a girl with a nice backside that fills out a pair of jeans,” he says. “But I have grown up a bit.”