Robert "Bobby Valentino" Wilson first entered the music scene in 1996 with the now-defunct youth quartet Mista. The Boyz II Men-styled group had a hit in 1996 with the single "Blackberry Molasses", but the album didn't follow in the same success and despite a second album being produced by Tim & Bob it was never released.

Due to management issues the group decided to split and the members decided to go their separate ways. Despite the short-lived success of the group Bobby still believes it wasn't a bad experience but a "learning experience".

Some years after Mista disbanded, he enrolled in Clark Atlanta University where he majored in Mass Communications, graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Bobby Valentino attempted to jumpstart his career by auditioning for the first season of the hit reality show American Idol, but was rejected by judges, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. However, armed with three albums of demos, he continued to pursue his music career dream. The demos reached Poon Daddy, who then forwarded them onto Ludacris and Shaka Zulu. "The rest is history," as Bobby says. He signed with Island Def Jam music imprint and is a member of Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace label.

His first single, 2005's "Slow Down", from his "Bobby Valentino" album became a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, receiving a huge amount radio and TV airplay. In 2005, he joined other R&B/hip-hop acts including Bow Wow and Omarion on the Scream 4 Tour. Valentino released a second single from his debut album, the remixed "Tell Me" featuring Lil' Wayne.

Bobby got the nickname "Valentino" because his parents expected him to be born on Valentine's Day, but he was born thirteen days later.

A long-running legal dispute between Bobby Valentino and the UK violinist of the same name has apparently been settled, with the U.S. artist allowed to use the name anywhere except in the UK.

Notable songs include --

 

Years active:
   ..00s

Born:
   Feb 27, 1980
      ..in Mississippi
         ..in Jackson

Raised:
   ..in Georgia
      ..in Atlanta