SOB X RBE (an acronym of Strictly Only Brothers x Real Boi Entertainment) was an American hip hop group founded in 2016.[1] The group consisted of Slimmy B (Jabbar Brown), Yhung T.O. (Juwon Lee), DaBoii (Wayman Barrow), and Lul G (George Harris).[2] The group met as teenagers in the Bay Area of California, with influence from West Coast figures in the area's hip hop scene. They are best known for their 2018 song "Paramedic!," which entered the Billboard Hot 100 and was included on the Kendrick Lamar-curated Black Panther film soundtrack. The group disbanded the following year, mainly due to the killing of Rashied Flowers (a friend of the group), which member Lul G was ultimately convicted of.

SOB X RBE
SOB X RBE performing in June 2018
Background information
Also known asStrictly Only Brothers x Real Boi Entertainment
OriginVallejo, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active2016–2019
Labels
Past members
  • Yhung T.O.
  • Lul G
  • Slimmy B
  • DaBoii
Websitesobxrbe.com

Music career

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As SOB x RBE gained momentum and exposure, in 2017 they caught the eye of Bay Area rapper Sage the Gemini who took the group under apprenticeship and had them be the opening act for his tour.[2] He introduced the group to more prominent names in the music industry to help them gain more momentum.[2] The group has released six complete projects: a self-titled mixtape in 2017,[3] a debut album Gangin in 2018, an EP with Big Money, a second album Gangin II in late 2018, an EP with Marshmello, and an album "Family Not A Group" with producer Hit Boy.[4] The group found mainstream attention after being featured on the track "Paramedic!" for the 2018 superhero film Black Panther.[5] The group has gone on multiple tours around the United States and have been interviewed multiple times by The Fader and Billboard.[6][7][8][9] The group is currently not signed to any recording label but, certain members in the group are signed to record labels as solo independent recording artist.[10] They each have their own specific sound and history that makes them individuals and each group member has their own mixtapes and solo projects that they work on outside of the group.[10] In an interview with DJ Vlad the group disclosed that despite musical differences they will always remain a "family" before a musical group.[10]

Biographies

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Juwon Lee (Yhung T.O.)

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Born on December 7, 1998, in Vallejo, California, Yhung T.O. has had a passion for making music since he was in middle school and essentially brought the group together as he was the one with the studio the men began recording their very first hits in.[11] SOB x RBE was a merge of two pre-existing groups, Real Boi Entertainment (RBE) was Yhung T.O.'s musical group, starting as early as ninth grade.[12] Yhung T.O. had gotten married at the age of nineteen and is still currently married.[10] In March 2018 Yhung T.O. revealed his signing to the record label Interscope.Yhung T.O. was signed by Joie Manda in December 2017. The group expressed that they are still a family, though Yhung T.O. was signed as a solo artist to the label.[10][13] His signing left fans with unanswered questions as to what is going to happen to the musical group in the long run.[10]

Wayman Barrow (DaBoii)

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Born on August 14, 1997, in Vallejo, California, DaBoii also was making music since he could remember and at a very young age joined Yhung T.O. in his studio where they began to make music.[11] The second half of the musical group's final merge was Strictly Only Brothers (SOB) and this was DaBoii's initial group.[12] During an interview with the musical group, DaBoii revealed that he is known to be the most soft-spoken among the three and keeps very quiet around those he does not know well.[14] While the group is known for their collaborative music, each member identifies themselves as an independent artist, with DaBoii also taking steps to sign with a record label.[15] In December 2019, DaBoii announced on Instagram he has a son.

Jabbar Brown (Slimmy B)

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Born on February 26, 1997, in Vallejo, California Slimmy B is the third active member of the musical group. Slimmy B's passion to pursue music also started very early on, just like the rest of the group. He attended Vallejo Middle School where he and DaBoii met and formed their relationship. In an interview, Slimmy B revealed that he had a son and before the group had gained exposure he was working at various wineries and warehouses in Vallejo, California to take care of his family.[10] In an interview with the artists, it was revealed that among the three, Slimmy B seems to be the artist with all the jokes.[14]

George Harris (Lul G)

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Born on November 14, 1998, in Vallejo, California Lul G is currently not an active member in the group as of late 2018.[16] Lul G signed to Def Jam records in the summer of 2018 as a solo artist.[17] KQED reported that the Fairfield Police Department, stated that a Lul G (George Harris) was charged for murder and arrested On September 21, 2019.[18]

He is currently being held in the Stanton Correction Facility in Fairfield, California. Harris is being charged for in connection of the murder of Rashield Flowers a friend to the SOB x RBE and co-worker.[18]

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[19]
Gangin[20] 74
Gangin II[21]
  • Released: September 28, 2018
  • Label: Empire
  • Format: Digital download
191
Family Not a Group
(with Hit-Boy)[22]
  • Released: April 16, 2019
  • Label: Def Jam
  • Format: Digital download
Strictly Only Brothers[23]
  • Released: December 20, 2019
  • Label: Empire
  • Format: Digital download

Mixtapes

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List of mixtapes, with selected details
Title Details
SOB X RBE[24]
  • Released: January 23, 2017
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Extended plays

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List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Details
Tutuland[25]
(with Big Money)
  • Released: May 26, 2018
  • Label: Empire
  • Format: Digital download
Roll the Dice
(with Marshmello)[26]
  • Released: April 11, 2019
  • Label: Joytime Collective
  • Formats: Digital download

Charted songs

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Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[27]
UK
[28]
"Paramedic!" 2018 67 80 Black Panther: The Album

Singles

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List of singles, showing year released and album
Title Year Album
"Anti"[29] 2017 SOB X RBE
"Damn"[30] 2017 Non-album Single
"Once Upon a Time"[31] 2018 Gangin
"I'm Up Now" [32] 2018 Non-album Single
"Vibes" [33] 2018 Gangin II
"Rich"[34] 2019 Non-album Single
"Legend" [35] 2019 Strictly Only Brothers
"Doggy Dog World"[36] 2019 Non-album Single
"Sensei" [37] 2019 Strictly Only Brothers

References

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  1. ^ "SOB X RBE: Gangin Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2018-04-21. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  2. ^ a b c "SOB X RBE". music.apple.com. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  3. ^ "SOB X RBE by SOB X RBE on Apple Music". iTunes. Archived from the original on 6 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Gangin - SOB X RBE - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Here are the Lyrics to SOB x RBE's 'Paramedic!,' Feat. Kendrick Lamar". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2018-05-24. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  6. ^ "A Raw Conversation With SOB x RBE, The Vallejo Boys Setting The Bay On Fire". The FADER. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  7. ^ "SOB x RBE Talks New Album 'Gangin' & Working on 'Black Panther' Soundtrack With Kendrick Lamar". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  8. ^ Thizzler On The Roof (1 March 2017). "The SOB x RBE Interview Pt. 1 -- Thizzler.com Interview". Retrieved 23 April 2018 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Ivey, Justin (2018-09-19). "Yhung T.O To Exit SOB x RBE After "Gangin 2"Album". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g DJ Vlad. SOB X RBE: Slimmy B Robbed a House, Returned the Money 6 Months Later (Part 6) (Youtube). VladTV.
  11. ^ a b The SOB x RBE Interview Pt. 1 || Thizzler.com Interview, retrieved 2020-01-31
  12. ^ a b SOB X RBE Speak On Being Underdog Black Rappers & Struggles As A Group From The Bay, retrieved 2020-02-07
  13. ^ "What Happens to SOB x RBE Now That Yhung T.O. Has An Interscope Deal?". KQED. 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  14. ^ a b SOB x RBE on growing up in Vallejo, recruiting Swaggy P, and tour life, retrieved 2020-01-31
  15. ^ "Yhung T.O. Interview: Can He Be the Bay's New Star?". Spin. 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  16. ^ "Former SOB x RBE Rapper Lul G Arrested for Murder". Billboard. 2019-02-10. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  17. ^ "Can Yhung T.O. Be the Bay's Pensive New Star?". Spin. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Shooting Victim in Lul G's Murder Trial Was Close Friend of SOB x RBE". KQED. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  19. ^ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  20. ^ "GANGIN by SOB X RBE". iTunes. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  21. ^ "GANGIN II by SOB X RBE". iTunes. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  22. ^ Family Not a Group by Hit-Boy & SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  23. ^ Strictly Only Brothers by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  24. ^ "SOB X RBE by SOB X RBE". iTunes. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  25. ^ "Tutuland - EP by SOB X RBE & Big Money". iTunes. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  26. ^ "Roll The Dice by Marshmello on Spotify". Spotify. April 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  27. ^ "Eight 'Black Panther' Soundtrack Songs Chart on the Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. February 23, 2018. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  28. ^ "SOB X RBE | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  29. ^ "Anti - Single by SOB X RBE". iTunes. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  30. ^ Damn - Single by SOB X RBE & Td bandz, retrieved 2020-02-07
  31. ^ Once Upon a Time - Single by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  32. ^ Im Up Now - Single by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  33. ^ Vibes - Single by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  34. ^ Rich - Single by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  35. ^ Legend - Single by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  36. ^ Doggy Dogg World - Single by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07
  37. ^ Sensei - Single by SOB X RBE, retrieved 2020-02-07