B.o.B
B.o.B performing on June 29, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr.
Also known as	Bobby Ray
Born	(1988-11-15) November 15, 1988 (age 23) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.[1]
Origin	Decatur, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop[2]
Occupations	Rapper, record producer, singer-songwriter,
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, drum machine, synthesizer
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Grand Hustle, Rebel Rock, Atlantic Records, Web
Associated acts	T.I., All City Chess Club
Website	www.bobatl.com

Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. (born November 15, 1988),^[1] better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom. His second single "Airplanes" too peaked at number one in the United Kingdom and at number two in the US. His third single, "Magic", became B.o.B's third consecutive top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. B.o.B was named the ninth Hottest MC in the Game of 2010 by MTV.^[3] On April 27, 2010 his debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray was released, reaching number one on the US charts.

Biography[link]

1988-2006: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Simmons was born November 15, 1988 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He played the trumpet in his school band from elementary school through high school.^[4][5] Although his parents wanted him to continue his education, Simmons decided in sixth grade that he wanted to pursue a music career.^[6] His father, a pastor, disapproved of his son's choices until he realized that Simmons was using music as a form of therapy and a creative outlet. Simmons later reflected on his experience, saying, "They’ve always supported me. They got my first keyboard to make beats on and they helped me out getting equipment here and there. But it was kind of hard for them to really understand what I was really trying to accomplish."^[6] B.o.B attended Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia.

After meeting his mentor and co-manager, B. Rich, in 2002 at 14 years of age, B.o.B sold his first beat to former Slip-n-Slide recording artist Citti for a song titled "I'm the Cookie Man." Meanwhile B.o.B felt he had made it: "I went and blew all of my money on fast stuff like a chain and ballin'. Soon I was broke again, but I learned two important things from it; make sure I save my money and that I was hooked on music." Back to square one, B.o.B continued performing at open mics and underground venues to perfect his craft.^[7] In 2006, because he was underage, B. Rich helped sneak B.o.B into Club Crucial, a night club owned by Atlanta rapper T.I.. There, B.o.B performed a song titled "Cloud 9", a self -produced, spoken word-like ode to marijuana. In attendance was producer and industry veteran, T.J. Chapman, CEO of TJ's DJ's. TJ Chapman agreed to co-manage B.o.B, which only a month later led to B.o.B's signing with Atlantic Records and subsidiary imprint Rebel Rock, run by Florida producer Jim Jonsin. His first single for Atlantic, 2007's "Haterz Everywhere", reached the top five of Billboard's Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart.^[7][8] Along with his solo production career, B.o.B is part of a production/rap group called HamSquad, along with Playboy Tre, TJ Chapman, and B. Rich.^[6]

2007-2008: Rise to fame and mixtapes[link]

B.o.B performing in Atlanta in 2008.

B.o.B first began to gain major recognition at the start of 2007. The underground single, "Haterz Everywhere," featuring Wes Fif, gained the rapper recognition and peaked at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.^[9] A remix featuring Rich Boy was included in the video game Fight Night Round 4, and a music video was later released for that version. Another single, "I'll Be in the Sky," was released in late 2008 reached #115 on the follow chart. About.com called the song a "smart, funky artrap and a strong prelude to his album" and included it at #13 on its subjective ranking "Top 100 Rap Songs of 2008." This was followed by another single called "Don't Let Me Fall" which was more of an R&B song than the usual rap.^[10] He was also featured on T.I.'s album Paper Trail on the song "On Top of the World." Incidentally, another song produced by Bobby Ray called "Generation Lost" listed alongside the song on the ranking at #32.

The same year, he appeared on the cover of XXL magazine along with Asher Roth, Charles Hamilton, and Wale as "Hip-Hop's Class of '09".^[11][12][13] In October 2008, B.o.B was featured on the cover of Vibe along with some of these same young musicians and was similarly identified as promising young talent.^[14][15] He has described his influences as "80's music, techno, rock, funk, even doo-wop...".^[16] B.o.B has also worked with artists such as British rapper Giggs. From 2007 to 2008 B.o.B released four mixtapes; The Future (2007), Cloud 9 (2007), Hi! My Name is B.o.B (2008) Who the F#*k is B.o.B? (2008) and two extended plays; Eastside (2007),^[17] 12th Dimension (2008).^[18]

[edit] 2009–2010: Mainstream success and The Adventures of Bobby Ray

On May 16, 2009, B.o.B, released a cover of "Mr. Bobby" as performed by Manu Chao and introduced a new stage name, 'Bobby Ray' and claimed he was taking his music in a "new direction": "Now I go by the name Bobby Ray. Make sure you put Bobby Ray. I’m really going into a new direction — more free and not trying to live up to any particular genre. I don’t feel like I’ve been doing that. I don’t feel like I’ve been trying to fit in, but I feel even more free-spirited. I have more willingness musically. That’s all I’m about. I’m about guitars, chords and keyboards".^[19][20] On June 22, 2009, B.o.B released his fifth mixtape, appropriately titled B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray. The mixtape, reminiscent of T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. (2007), was mainly produced by Fury and B.o.B. The mixtape also included a song produced by Red Spyda, titled "Fly Like Me" and another titled "Put Me On" which is a remix to A Tribe Called Quest’s 1990 hit, "Bonita Applebum". Reebok used "Put Me On" in celebration of the Reebok Classic Remix collection. The track is available for download exclusively to customers who purchase styles from the Reebok Classic Remix collection, at Foot Locker stores nationwide.^[21][22]

On January 13, 2010, B.o.B announced his debut studio album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, was expected to be released on May 25, 2010. To promote the album B.o.B announced a mixtape titled May 25th, in reference to his album's release date.^[23] May 25th was released on February 1, 2010, to critical acclaim.^[24] The mixtape features guest appearances from J. Cole, Asher Roth, Playboy Tre, Charles Hamilton and Bruno Mars. The latter of whom was featured on the bonus track and B.o.B's debut single "Nothin' on You".^[25] Due to the commercial success of his mixtape May 25th and his single "Nothin' on You", the release date of his debut album was advanced to April 27, 2010.^[26] The album was released under T.I.'s record label Grand Hustle and includes features from Lupe Fiasco, T.I., Playboy Tre, Hayley Williams, Rivers Cuomo, Ricco Barrino, Janelle Monáe, Bruno Mars, and Young Dro.

Three other singles followed: "Don't Let Me Fall" (released April 6, 2010), "Airplanes" (April 13, 2010; featuring Hayley Williams), and "Bet I" (April 20, 2010; featuring T.I. and Playboy Tre). A video for "Bet I" was released on Atlantic Videos on YouTube. The album, released April 27, 2010, was given generally positive reviews. His album sold 84,000 copies in the first week and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It made B.o.B the thirteenth solo male artist to have a debut album arrive at #1 in its first week. In July, B.o.B announced he will go on tour, naming it The SHOOTiN for Stars Tour. The dates and times were released on his website on July 13.^[27] B.o.B has received nominations for his album, singles, and himself by the BET Awards, Teen Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and the new Suckerfree Summit. "Airplanes" was featured in the trailer for the upcoming movie Charlie St. Cloud and his single "Magic" featured him in an advertisement for Adidas’ “Magic” campaign.^[28] B.o.B was announced to be a performer at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on August 18. He was added to the line-up of Eminem, Linkin Park, Kanye West, Drake, Usher, Paramore, Florence and the Machine, and Justin Bieber.^[29]

On August 14, 2010, Hayley Williams announced via the Official Paramore Fan Club that B.o.B would be the main support for Paramore's November U.K. Tour.^[30] B.o.B also opened for Eminem and Jay-Z's The Home & Home Tour at Comerica Park. B.o.B also did a MTV Unplugged session. He performed songs off his debut album, as well as a cover of "Kids" by MGMT, with guests Robin Thicke, Melanie Fiona, and Janelle Monae.^[31] B.o.B also made an appearance in Lollapalooza 2010. B.o.B. made an appearance at the 2010 MTV VMA's on September 12, 2010.^[32] He performed parts of both his singles, "Nothin' on You" with Bruno Mars and "Airplanes" with Hayley Williams. On December 7, 2010, B.o.B. released his mixtape titled No Genre. B.o.B was named "Best New Artist" by iTunes 2010 Rewind Chart. The Adventures of Bobby Ray was certified Gold by the RIAA on December 16. Jessie J released a single along with B.o.B called "Price Tag" on 30 January 2011 in the United Kingdom. The song was quick to reach number one in the UK charts selling 84,000 copies in its first week of sales.

[edit] 2011–present: Strange Clouds and The Man and the Martian

On March 22, 2011, Electronic Arts released the Launch Trailer for the upcoming first-person-shooter Crysis 2 which featured a song by B.o.B. titled "New York New York" containing the main piano chorus from the song "Theme from New York, New York" commonly sung by Frank Sinatra; the artist who sang the chorus is unconfirmed.^[33][34] The full song later appeared on his eighth mixtape E.P.I.C. (Every Play Is Crucial), which revealed that the song was produced by Mike Caren.^[35]

In early 2011 Odd Future's Tyler, the Creator released a song titled "Yonkers". In the song Tyler raps (What you think of Hayley Williams?) Fuck her, Wolf Haley robbing 'em / I'll crash that fucking airplane that that faggot nigga B.o.B is in / And stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus / And won't stop until the cops come in. In response, on March 25, B.o.B released "No Future" a song in which he takes aim at the hip hop collective and their leader.^[36] In June 2011, it was revealed that B.o.B was featured and produced a song on Tech N9ne's twelfth studio album, All 6's and 7's. The track, titled "Am I a Psycho?" features rapper Hopsin as well, who also seems to have issues with Tyler, the Creator.^[37] In the song, B.o.B apparently takes more shots at Tyler, the Creator.^[38] B.o.B appeared on the official remix to Kesha's hit single "Blow". The remix was released to iTunes on May 17, 2011.^[39][40]

In the summer of 2011 B.o.B was announced the new face of T.I.'s clothing line A.K.O.O. He will be featured in AKOO Clothing’s upcoming fall 2011 national advertising campaign alongside Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees, Carl Crawford of the Boston Red Sox, and star of the BET hit sitcom, The Game, Hosea Chanchez. He will be appearing in a graphic novel for A.K.O.O titled Hide In Plain Sight – Saving the World From Fashion Conspiracy.^[41][42][43]

On August 27, 2011, a video appeared on YouTube of B.o.B performing at Colorado State University, where he previewed a song titled "Strange Clouds" and announced it features Lil Wayne.^{[44][45] [46]} In an interview with Syracuse University’s The Daily Orange, B.o.B spoke of his second studio album for the first time. He went on to say "It's a more mature sound but nothing too experimental. It's a happy medium between the sound of B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray and the mixtapes, so everyone should be able to enjoy it. I'd say I'm 90 percent done with it right now, but the album title is still TBA."^[47][48] On September 23, 2011, B.o.B released a trailer, through his website, for the upcoming single "Strange Clouds". The trailer announced the single will be officially released October 3.^[49] The single leaked prior to the release date on September 25, causing the single to be released on iTunes on September 27.^[50] Later that day B.o.B appeared on an online video stream on radio station V103 and announced the title of the album to also be Strange Clouds and is set to be released in early Spring of 2012.^[51] Bobby Ray held the first listening session for his album Strange Clouds at Tree Sound Studios on October 25, 2011. Seven new songs were previewed during the listening session, including the promotional single "Play the Guitar" which features André 3000. Other big guest appearances confirmed, as the album was not fully complete, include Lil Wayne, Big K.R.I.T., Nelly and a song with T.I. titled "Arena". In addition he has worked with OneRepublic on a song and has been quoted as having: "the song of 2012 with a mega feature from somebody who never does features with anyone!".^[52] On November 15, 2011, B.o.B revealed he will be releasing a mixtape titled E.P.I.C. (Every Play Is Crucial) prior to the album's release. The mixtape was released on November 28, 2011, featuring guest appearances from Eminem, Mos Def, Roscoe Dash, Meek Mill, and Bun B amongst others and included production from Ryan Tedder to Lil C and Jim Jonsin.^[53]

While on set for the "Strange Clouds" music video, MTV interviewed B.o.B and confronted him of a rumor that he and T.I. are working on a collaborative album, B.o.B responded: "The joint album, it actually started as a joke. Tip would always refer to me as 'the Martian', and in one of his lyrics, he said, ‘It’s the man and the Martian,’ and we said, ‘Man that could be an album title.’ We kinda just played around with it. But it seems to be taking form in a very organic way."^[54] On December 1st, 2011 B.o.B appeared on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and confirmed that he and T.I. are indeed working on a collaborative album titled The Man & The Martian.^[55]

On December 22, 2011, B.o.B released a snippet of "Play the Guitar", a promotional single, featuring André 3000 and a sample of "Fancy" as performed by Drake, T.I. and Swizz Beatz.^[56] "Play the Guitar" was later released to digital retailers on December 27, 2011. On February 14, 2012, B.o.B released a trailer for the second official single, "So Good".^[57] The song, produced by Ryan Tedder, was released on February 21. In 2012 in a interview with PopCush, B.o.B expressed his desire to work with Kid Cudi, James Blake and Skrillex: "I would also like to work with James Blake. That’d be crazy. I think me, James Blake and Kid Cudi should do a song and it should be produced by Skrillex. I think the sky would fall if we did that song and the sky would come down to Earth and party with us.".^[58] On March 20, 2012, B.o.B released the second promotional single from Strange Clouds titled "Where Are You (B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray)". "So Hard to Breathe" was released as the third promotional single on April 17, 2012. B.o.B appeared on Haley Reinhart's debut studio album Listen Up! on the intro track "Oh My." Strange Clouds, B.o.B's second studio album, was released May 1, 2012, to critical acclaim. The album debuted at #5, on the US Billboard 200,^[59] with 76,000 copies sold the first week.^[60] "Both of Us" serves as the album's third single and was sent to Top 40 Mainstream radio on May 22, 2012. The song features American country-singer Taylor Swift. It debuted on Australia Top 50 singles chart at #46. The song sold 143,000 copies first week, along with the album release, debuting at 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the week's top debut.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 2010: B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
• 2012: Strange Clouds

Collaborative albums

• TBA: The Man and the Martian (with T.I.)

EPs

• 2007: Eastide
• 2008: 12th Dimension

Mixtapes

• 2007: The Future
• 2007: Cloud 9
• 2008: Hi! My Name is B.o.B
• 2008: Who the Fuck is B.o.B?
• 2009: B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray
• 2010: May 25th
• 2010: No Genre
• 2011: E.P.I.C. (Every Play Is Crucial)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: B.o.B

• Official website
• B.o.B at Allmusic
• B.o.B at MTV
• B.o.B at Billboard.com

Order of the British Empire
Grand Cross's star of the Order of the British Empire
Awarded by the Sovereign, on the advice of the Government
Type	Award
Motto	For God and the Empire
Day	NA
Eligibility	British nationals or anyone who makes an impact on the UK
Awarded for	A national order of merit
Status	Currently constituted
Sovereign	Queen Elizabeth II
Grand Master	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Principal Commander	Sovereign
Grades (w/ post-nominals)	Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight/Dame Commander (KBE/DBE) Commander (CBE) Officer (OBE) Member (MBE)
Former grades	NA
Statistics
Established	1917
First induction	ND
Last induction	ND
Total inductees	ND
Distinct recipients	ND
Precedence
Next (higher)	Royal Victorian Order
Next (lower)	Varies, depending on rank
Ribbons: civil (upper), military (lower)

MBE as awarded in 1918

Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton, KBE

Dame Jane Goodall, DBE

Joan Armatrading, MBE, born in Saint Kitts

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom.^[1][2] The Order is composed of five classes in civil and military divisions. In descending order of seniority, these are:

• Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE), see Knight Grand Cross.^[a]
• Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) or Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE)
• Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
• Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
• Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Only the highest two ranks automatically cause an individual to become a knight or dame, an honour allowing the recipient to use the title "Sir" (male) or "Dame" (female) before their first name (though men can be knighted separately from this and other Orders of Chivalry). Honorary knighthoods, given to individuals who are not nationals of a realm where Queen Elizabeth II is Head of State, permit use of the honour as a post-nominal but not as a title before their name. Awards in the Order of the British Empire in the Commonwealth Realms were discontinued with the establishment of national systems of honours and awards such as the Order of Australia, the Order of Canada and the New Zealand Order of Merit. Foreign recipients are classified as honorary members of the Order they receive, and do not contribute to the numbers restricted to that Order as full members do.

There is also a related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are not members of the Order, but who are nonetheless affiliated with the Order. The British Empire Medal has not been used in the United Kingdom or its dependencies since 1993,^[3] but is still used by the Cook Islands and by some other Commonwealth nations.

The Order's motto is For God and the Empire. It is the most junior of the British orders of chivalry, and the largest, with over 100,000 living members worldwide.^[2]

History[link]

King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system:

• the Most Honourable Order of the Bath honoured only senior military officers and civil servants;
• the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George honoured diplomats; and
• the Royal Victorian Order honoured those who had personally served the Royal Family.

In particular, King George V wished to honour the many thousands of people who had served in numerous non-combatant capacities during the First World War. Originally, the Order included only one division; however, in 1918, soon after its foundation, it was formally divided into Military and Civil Divisions.^[4]

This order has a more democratic character than the Order of the Bath or the Order of St Michael and St George, and in its early days was not held in high esteem. However, this has changed over the years.

Several past American statesmen and diplomats who have performed service for, or on behalf of, the United Kingdom have been given the designation of Knight Commander of the order. However, since membership requires swearing allegiance to a foreign head of state (currently Queen Elizabeth II), the title is officially considered "honorary", and the person is not entitled to be referred to as Sir or Dame. Occasionally the media incorrectly refer to foreign recipients with the prefix title, an example being Bob Geldof KBE, a Republic of Ireland citizen.

Composition[link]

The British monarch is Sovereign of the Order, and appoints all other members of the Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next most senior member is the Grand Master, of which there have been three: Edward, Prince of Wales (1917–1936), Queen Mary (1936–1953), and the current Grand Master, The Duke of Edinburgh (since 1953).

The Order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 Officers and 1464 Members may be appointed per year. Appointments are made on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms. By convention, female judges of the High Court of Justice are created Dames Commander after appointment, while male judges become Knights Bachelor.

Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British Orders of Chivalry, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. Most Knights Commander are honorary members or British citizens living abroad, with only a handful being residents of the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]} The grade of Dame Commander, on the other hand, is the most common grade of dame in the British honours system, and is awarded in circumstances in which men would be created Knights Bachelor.

Most members are citizens of the United Kingdom or the limited number of Commonwealth realms without their own national system of honours and awards. Citizens of other countries, however, may be admitted as "honorary members". They do not count towards the aforementioned numerical limits, and are not formally addressed as "Sir" or "Dame". They may be made full members if they subsequently become citizens of Commonwealth realms. See List of honorary British Knights.

At the foundation of the Order, the "Medal of the Order of the British Empire" was instituted. In 1922, it was renamed the "British Empire Medal". Recipients, who are not members of the Order itself, are grouped into the Civil and Military Divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are directly appointed to the Order of the British Empire. The United Kingdom's Government has not recommended the awarding of the medal since 1992, although some Commonwealth realms continue the practice.

The Order has six officials: the Prelate, the Dean, the Secretary, the Registrar, the King of Arms, and the Usher. The Bishop of London, a senior bishop in the Church of England, serves as the Order's Prelate. The Dean of St Paul's is ex officio the Dean of the Order. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, as are many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod; he does not – unlike his Order of the Garter equivalent, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords.

If one is appointed to a higher class within the order, one must return one's existing insignia in exchange for the more senior one, and cease using the junior post-nominal letters. Some people, however, have been appointed to both divisions, such as Dame Kelly Holmes, who has been appointed an MBE in the military division and a DBE in the civil division, and is therefore known as "Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE (Mil.)".^{[citation needed]}

Gallantry[link]

From 1940, a person could be appointed a Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of the British Empire for gallantry, for acts of bravery (not in the face of the enemy) which were below the level required for the George Medal, with the grade being determined by the same criteria as usual and not by the level of gallantry (and with more junior people instead receiving the British Empire Medal). Oddly, this meant that it was awarded for lesser acts of gallantry than the George Medal, but, as an Order, was worn before it and listed before it in post-nominal initials. From 14 January 1958 these awards were designated the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry.^[5] Any individual made a member of the Order for gallantry could wear an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same riband, ribbon or bow as the badge. It could not be awarded posthumously and was effectively replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal. If a recipient of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry was promoted within the Order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to also wear the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves.^[6] However, they only used the post-nominal letters of the higher grade.

Vestments and accoutrements[link]

Female appointees may wear their insignia on a bow, as displayed in this image of Bessie Rischbieth, the Australian social reformer

Members of the Order wear elaborate costumes on important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations), which vary by rank (the designs underwent major changes in 1937):

• The mantle, worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, was originally made of yellow satin lined with blue silk, but is now made of purple satin lined with pearl-grey silk. On the left side is a representation of the star (see below).
• The collar, also worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold. It consists of six medallions depicting the Royal Arms, alternating with six medallions depicting the Royal and Imperial Cypher of George V ("GRI", which stands for "Georgius Rex Imperator"). The medallions are linked with gold cables depicting lions and crowns.

On certain "collar days" designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, or evening wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is suspended from the collar. Collars are returned upon the death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained.

At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used:

• The star is an eight-pointed silver star used only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander. It is worn pinned to the left breast. Varying in size depending on class, it bears a crimson ring with the motto of the Order inscribed. Within the ring, a figure of Britannia was originally shown. Since 1937, however, the effigies of George V and his wife Queen Mary have been shown instead.
• The badge is the only insignia used by all members of the Order. Until 1937, it was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe for the military division; since then, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges, with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on a riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; all females other than Dames Grand Cross wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. The badge is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end), the obverse of which bears the same field as the star (that is, either Britannia or George V and Queen Mary); the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. Both are within a ring bearing the motto of the Order. The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders are enamelled with pale blue crosses and crimson rings; those of Officers are plain gold; those of Members are plain silver.
• The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both a full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and informal black-tie occasions.
• A lapel pin for everyday wear was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the Order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal. The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the Order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the Order at the fixed price of £19.50.^[7] The creation of such a pin was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips' review of the honours system in 2004,^[8].

• 

  Grand Cross's mantle

• 

  Member's badge, obverse and reverse

• 

  Close up of star on mantle

• Mbe full 05-02-2010.jpg

  Full MBE including ribbon and case in which the MBE was presented.

Order of the British Empire ribbon bars
	Civil	Military
1917–1935
Since 1936		110px

Chapel[link]

The chapel of the order is in the far eastern end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, but it holds its great services upstairs in the main body of the cathedral. (The Cathedral also serves as the home of the chapel of The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George.) Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. The chapel was dedicated in 1960.

Precedence and privileges[link]

A Knight or Dame may display the circlet of the Order on the coat of arms, with the badge of the Order suspended from it.^[b]

Members of all classes of the Order are assigned positions in the order of precedence. Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of the Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives (see order of precedence in England and Wales for the exact positions).

Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix "Dame", to their forenames.^[c] Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the established Church of Scotland do not use the title "Sir" as they do not receive the accolade (i.e., they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GBE", Knights Commander "KBE", Dames Commander "DBE", Commanders "CBE", Officers "OBE" and Members "MBE". The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is "BEM".

Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander who are not citizens of Commonwealth realms can be awarded honorary titles but do not receive the accolade and are not entitled to the prefix "Sir" or "Dame", but may still use the post-nominal abbreviations. For example, American Bill Gates was made a Knight Commander, but is not entitled "Sir Bill" or "Sir Bill Gates", although he may use the title "Bill Gates, KBE". Bob Geldof, KBE received a knighthood in 1986 and although he is often referred to as "Sir Bob", he is not a citizen of a Commonwealth realm and he is not entitled to use the prefix "Sir". If recipients later become citizens of Commonwealth realms, then they are usually made substantive members of the Order, and are entitled to begin using the Sir prefix. For example, Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan was appointed an honorary KBE in 2005. He subsequently took dual British and Irish nationality, was made a substantive member, and is now entitled to use the name "Sir Terry Wogan".^[9]

Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters. They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet.

Criticism[link]

The order has attracted some criticism for its connection with the idea of the British Empire.^[10] Benjamin Zephaniah, a British Jamaican poet, publicly rejected an OBE in 2003 because, he claimed it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He went on to say: "It reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised."^[11]

Others^[who?] have declined honours, but, at the request of the Prime Minister's office, did not reveal the fact until some years later.^{[citation needed]} In 2004, a House of Commons Select Committee recommended changing the name of the award to the "Order of British Excellence" and changing the rank of "Commander" to "Companion", as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring".^[10][12]

A notable person to decline the offer of an Order of the British Empire was the author C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), who had been named on the last list of honours by George VI in December 1951 but declined so as to avoid association with any political issues.^[13][14]

The members of The Beatles were made MBEs in 1965. John Lennon justified the comparative merits of his investiture by comparing military membership in the order: "Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war – for killing people... We received ours for entertaining other people. I'd say we deserve ours more." Later, Lennon returned his MBE insignia on 25 November 1969 as part of his ongoing peace protests.^[15] Other criticism centres on the claim that many recipients of the Order are being rewarded with honours for simply doing their jobs, they claim that the civil service and judiciary receive far more orders and honours than leaders of other professions.^[10]

Chin Peng, long-time leader of the Malayan Communist Party, was granted the OBE for his share in fighting against the Japanese during World War II, in close cooperation with the British commando Force 136. It was withdrawn by the British government (and became undesirable for Chin Peng himself) when the Communist leader headed his party's guerrilla insurgency against the British in the Malayan Emergency.^[16]

See also[link]

• British honours system
• Knight Bachelor
• List of Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• List of Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
• List of honorary British Knights
• List of Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
• United Kingdom order of precedence

Footnotes[link]

Notes

References

External links[link]

• Honours, Decorations & Awards UK Government
• The London Gazette lists recipients of honours
• Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society, (2002), "The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire"
• Galloway, Peter (1996). The Order of the British Empire. Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. ISBN 0-907605-65-6. 
• "Knighthood and Chivalry" (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed. London: Cambridge University Press
• Velde, F. R. (2003). "Order of Precedence in England and Wales
• The Chapel of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Frederic Hood, with a foreword by Prince Philip
• Search recommendations for the Order of the British Empire on The UK National Archives' website
• The Chapel of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – OBE Chapel Exterior detail

2 Chainz
Background information
Birth name	Tauheed Epps
Also known as	Tity Boi
Born	(1976-09-12) September 12, 1976 (age 35)
Origin	College Park, Georgia, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper
Years active	1997-present
Labels	The Real University, GOOD Music, Def Jam
Associated acts	Playaz Circle, Young Buck, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, T.I., Big Sean, Meek Mill, Young Jeezy
Website	www.2chainz.com

Tauheed Epps (born September 12, 1976), better known by his stage name 2 Chainz, formerly known as Tity Boi, is an American rapper from College Park, Georgia. He was previously signed to Ludacris' record label Disturbing tha Peace with Dolla Boy as Playaz Circle.

Life and career[link]

1976–1996: Early life and beginnings[link]

2 Chainz was born Tauheed Epps on September 12, 1976. He was originally known under the name "Tity Boi", a name given to him by his mother, as Epps was an only child and thus the only one his mother would breastfeed. Further research and investigation showed that he had one brother named Dimatri who was 9 months younger than him and adopted by a couple in Birmingham, Alabama. His brother has one daughter named Sakia and one son named Dimatri Jr. nicknamed, DJ. His niece, Sakia is 13 (2011) and his nephew, DJ is 2 (2011). His niece is very proud of her uncle and talks to him alot on the phone. She also loves to visit him on her breaks. ^[1]

His graduating record in college was a 4.0

1997–2010: Playaz Circle and Disturbing tha Peace[link]

Epps formed the hip hop duo Playaz Circle (the word "Playaz" being an acronym of Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A to Z)^[2] in College Park, Georgia in 1997 with his high school friend Earl Conyers, who became known under his recording name Dolla Boy.^[3] Following the release on an independent album titled United We Stand, United We Fall,^[2] the duo were introduced to fellow rapper Ludacris when he moved into their College Park apartment complex whilst he was acting as a disc jockey:^[3] after he took an interest in Playaz Circle, he began to record several songs with the group, playing some of them on his radio station.^[2]

However, Playaz Circle's career stalled once Epps was shot and Dolla Boy was incarcerated.^[2] Meanwhile, Ludacris had become one of the highest-selling rappers in the south of the United States:^[3] after hearing of the duo's situation, he requested to Epps that the duo join his newly-formed record label Disturbing tha Peace, a subsidiary of Def Jam Recordings: Epps agreed, although Dolla Boy did not officially join the label until his release from prison.^[3] Def Jam were not initially keen to promote Playaz Circle's music, so the duo released several further mixtapes in the meantime.^[3] Their debut album Supply & Demand was released on October 30, 2007, and featured the hit singles "Duffle Bag Boy" with Lil Wayne, "Betta Knock" and "U Can Believe It" with Ludacris. In January 2010, Playaz Circle filmed a music video for their single "Big Dawg" featuring Lil Wayne and Birdman at Studio Space Atlanta. Shortly afterwards, Epps left Disturbing tha Peace, a move he claimed was taken in order to advance his career: Ludacris was initially reluctant to allow Epps to leave the label as he felt he could still prove financially successful, although he eventually accepted the decision.^[4]

[edit] 2010–present: Name change, guest appearances, Based on a T.R.U. Story and GOOD Music Affiliation

Throughout his career, Epps received speculation that the name Tity Boi was meant to be derogatory towards women: although he repeatedly denied the accusations,^[1] in early 2011 he decided to change his stage name to 2 Chainz as he perceived it to be more "family friendly".^[5] Following his name change, Epps released a mixtape titled T.R.U. Realigon the mixtape became his first album to appear on a music chart, peaking at number 58 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,^[6] and also featured the single "Riot". He has also made numerous guest appearances on tracks by other recording artists since the name change,^[1] including the commercially successful singles "Mercy" by rapper Kanye West and "Beez in the Trap" by female rapper Nicki Minaj.

Epps' debut studio album, Based on a T.R.U. Story (originally titled T.R.U. to My REALigion)^[4] will be released on August 14, 2012.^[7] The album's first single, "No Lie", which features fellow rapper Drake, was released on May 8, 2012.^[8]

On May 11 Kanye West announced that 2 Chainz had dropped an incredible verse on the GOOD Music single, Mercy and that he had signed to the GOOD Music record label. ^[9]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Studio albums[link]

Mixtapes[link]

• 2007: Me Against The World
• 2009: Trap-A-Velli (Hosted by Bigga Rankin)
• 2010: All Ice On Me [2 Disc] (Hosted By DJ Scream/DJ Teknikz)
• 2010: Me Against The World 2: Codeine Withdrawal
• 2010: Trap-A-Velli 2: (The Residue) (Hosted by Bigga Rankin)
• 2011: Codeine Cowboy (A 2 Chainz Collective) (Hosted By DJ Teknikz & DJ Frank Whosted by DJ Drama)
• 2011: T.R.U. REALigion (Hosted By DJ Drama)

Singles[link]

As lead artist[link]

As featured performer[link]

Promotional singles[link]

Other charted songs[link]

Guest appearances[link]