If You Like B.o.B, You’ll Want To Hear These Artists

Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1988 and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. immersed himself in music from an early age, playing trumpet throughout his school years. As a teenager, he began producing and selling beats, steadily cultivating a local following. His early momentum led to a deal with Jim Jonsin‘s Rebel Rock Entertainment, followed by a joint venture with T.I.‘s Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records. Early mixtapes and a spot on XXL’s Freshman Class list established his underground reputation ahead of his major label debut.

B.o.B entered the mainstream with his 2010 debut, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, a chart-topping album that spawned multi-platinum singles such as ‘Nothin’ on You’ featuring Bruno Mars, ‘Airplanes’ with Hayley Williams, and ‘Magic’ alongside Rivers Cuomo. His catalogue moves fluidly between melodic pop-rap, alternative hip-hop, rock-inflected tracks, and Southern rap, with B.o.B frequently singing and playing instruments himself. 

Atlanta roots, early comparisons to André 3000, and a persistent drive to blur genre boundaries have defined a career that now extends to independent releases on his No Genre label.

From crossover hits to Atlanta hip-hop foundations and the melodic, rock-leaning moments of his major label era, B.o.B‘s catalogue offers a wealth of directions to explore.

We’ve selected nine artists for you to check out.

Lupe Fiasco

​Lupe Fiasco is probably the most direct link to B.o.B‘s catalogue. They worked together on ‘Past My Shades’ from B.o.B‘s debut album and both have always managed to combine a very technically proficient lyricism with a very accessible, melodic kind of production. Lupe‘s strength is in his thoughtful storytelling and his ability to work across genres, so he’s a very good recommendation for people who like the more reflective or more varied moments in B.o.B‘s work.
Listen to: ‘Superstar’ featuring Matthew Santos.

Nasty C

One of the strongest parallels. His smooth flow, his strong hooks and his ability to shift seamlessly between the rap and the more melodic end of things gives him that very mainstream appeal. He’s worked internationally and has a back catalogue that really does transcend South Africa.
Listen to: ‘SMA’ or tracks from Strings and Bling.

Kid Cudi

If you like the more alternative/atmospheric side of B.o.B‘s music then Kid Cudi is a very good next listen. They were both around at the same time (both in the XXL Freshman Class and playing the same tours early on) and Cudi‘s more melodic delivery, his introspective songwriting and his more experimental production gives you a rather more atmospheric/mood piece, while still having the crossover appeal.
Listen to: ‘Day ‘n’ Nite‘.

Lil Yachty

​Lil Yachty has gone from trap to something more experimental and rock-influenced. He’s clearly embracing a different sound, incorporating live instruments and a range of alternative textures which is a very modern interpretation of B.o.B‘s own genre blending.
Listen to: tracks from Let’s Start Here.

Doechii

Doechii is all theatricality, sharp lyricalism and a real architect of moving between rap and singing. She’s very much the same in spirit as the off-kilter, multi-faceted B.o.B that we’ve heard on his catalogue.
Listen to: ‘Anxiety‘.

Jairic

Detroit born and Cannes based, Jairic is a completely independent rapper, producer and songwriter who does all the writing, production and performing himself. His sound is trap beats with a strong cinematic film score influence, classic funk and rock. The 2025 EP n=40 (featuring ‘Young, Old, Short & Tall’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Put A Track On You’) is a great example of his willingness to push the boundaries. He’s quite distinct from B.o.B and a very good discovery for those people who are looking beyond the mainstream.
Listen to: ‘Young, Old, Short & Tall‘ on PLAYY. Music.

YoungstaCPT

YoungstaCPT is one of the most influential voices in SA hip-hop. He’s always been very much about Cape Town and Cape Malay identity, history and the reality of life in the city. He’s got a huge back catalogue of mixtapes and projects (the 3T being the one that won an award) and they’re all very much about the detail, the local lingo and the specificity of the culture. His flow can go from aggressive to very reflective and he’s worked with a number of people in the scene over the years whilst still being very much rooted in Cape Town. He’s a very compelling listen if you’re after something that’s not going to be trying to cross over to the mainstream.
Listen to: tracks from Worldwide Wynberg

Central Cee

One of the closest modern parallels. He built his reputation on a very melodic form of UK drill, combining the street level storytelling with a great deal of catchiness and hookiness which is absolutely perfect for getting the song out there. ‘Day in the Life’ and the Dave collab ‘Sprinter’ are both great examples of the range he can achieve, going from the rawest of street level narratives to a much more polished, radio ready record. He had a number of international features (Lil Baby, Drake etc) which has certainly helped in terms of exposure and he maintains a very distinct British flavour in both the writing and the production.
Listen to: ‘Day in the Life’

Little Simz

Little Simz is one of the most critically lauded artists in the UK right now. Her style is very much one of the more alternative, with a huge amount of lyrical intelligence and a willingness to experiment. She’s equally at home with dense, conceptual writing as she is with more melodic/soulful themes and will often incorporate live instrumentation and all sorts of experimental sounds. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and Grey Area are both excellent examples of an artist who is quite clearly pushing the boundaries of the form while still being very much in the hip-hop sphere. If you’re a fan of the more artsy/alternative side of B.o.B‘s output she’s definitely one of the essential names.
Listen to: ‘Woman’

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