BOBBY VALENTINO’S ‘THE REBIRTH’ DEBUTS IN ALBUM CHART TOP 10 ‘Beep’ Single Bullets To Urban Radio Top 5; Album Debuts at No. 7 on Billboard Top 200 And No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart
BOBBY V. and EMI Music Services Partnership
Demonstrates Success of New, Flexible Artist / Major Label Relationship
RIAA gold-certified Blu Kolla Dreams/EMI R&B star BOBBY VALENTINO’s winning way on the national sales and digital charts is resurfacing in the release week of his third studio album, THE REBIRTH. With total physical and download sales of nearly 65,000 units, the album debuts at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, and at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This marks Bobby V.’s third consecutive national Top 10 album debut.
THE REBIRTH is also Valentino’s first release on his own Blu Kolla Dreams label, through his innovative deal with EMI Music Services, in which EMI is distributing the album in the US and in international territories, as well as providing a suite of services such as promotion, publicity and access to digital platforms.
Meanwhile, the album’s irresistible kick-off single, “Beep” featuring Yung Joc, vaults to No. 5 in national radio play at the Urban format, and is the third-fastest growing song this week in Urban format airplay. A special “Beep” remix features step-outs by Bobby’s long-time superstar collaborators Ludacris, Lil Kim and Lil Wayne.
In online sales and stream traffic, “Beep” remains among iTunes Top 20 best-selling songs in the R&B format, and in the top half of the Top Ringtones chart. The album is Top 10 in iTunes’ R&B album sales chart. The “Beep” video – a Top 10 fan favorite on both Music Choice and BET’s 106th & Park daily Countdown – approaches 1 million plays on YouTube.com, and the song generated over 7.2 million audio streams on the official Bobby Valentino MySpace.com webpage. He is a No. 2 Top Artist on MySpace Music, with over 12 million profile views and 36 million total song plays.
Alongside “Beep,” produced by in-house Blue Kolla Dreams talent Big Fruit, THE REBIRTH, released February 10th, also features production work by L.O.S. (J. Holiday, Usher), longtime Bobby V. collaborators Tim & Bob, and a special team-up with Raphael Saadiq on a remake of “Just Me & You,” Saadiq’s classic song from the groundbreaking urban film Boyz N the Hood. In an album that celebrates romance, fun and genuine, real-time, hands-on musicianship, Valentino also makes his own production debut on the track “Make Me Say,” inspired by Bobby V.’s step-out part on Lil Wayne’s album highlight and Top 5 smash “Mrs. Officer.”
BOBBY VALENTINO first charted as a member of the group Mista (“Blackberry Molasses”) at age 13. Bobby hit No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop album chart and No. 3 on the national Top 200 Albums chart with the RIAA Gold-certified album Disturbing tha Peace Presents Bobby Valentino in 2005. In 2007, Special Occasion also debuted in the No. 1 position on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums.
Valentino’s 2004 RIAA gold single “Slow Down” was No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, and No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Aside from “Beep,” Valentino’s Top 20 R&B/Hip-Hop hits also include “Tell Me” (2005) and “Anonymous,” featuring Timbaland (2007).