Bobby Creekwater Nestled deep in the heart of southwest Atlanta, stood a little house, comfortably worn by the use of the families that spent their lives there. Just behind the house was a creek. It was in that soulful little house that Antione Rogers became Bobby Creekwater. The house, which was owned by Creekâs grandmother, was a haven of sorts for him as a child. It was in that house that he not only fought with his cousins, nursed scraped knees and yearned for the smell of his grandmotherâs cookingâ”but it was where he fell in love with music. Fittingly, the house is also the source of his moniker. âœBobby came from my grandfather, God rest his soul,â the 27 year-old rapper says, his baritone deep with memory. âœHe was an old hustler and a lot of the young hustlers looked up to him. Creek means longevity. There was a creek behind my grandmotherâs house. The house was torn down, but the creek remains.â Bobby Creekwater possesses that same tenacity as the body of water that came to define his grandmaâs old home. Heâs been signed to three major labels, but has yet to release an album. Heâs been affiliated with some of the biggest names in music, including Eminem and Dr. Dre, but still has a sense of humility that extends beyond any contract or stage. Like the creek that he named himself after, the rapperâs resiliency is what keeps him flowing. Ever since he was just a kid, dancing for his uncles at their frequent late night basement parties, Creek has wanted to be noticed. âœEarly on I had an addiction for that type of attention,â he remembers, with a chuckle, recalling his Kid Nâ Play routines. âœI always feel like I gotta let people know that Iâm in the room, even if itâs in a subtle way.â The attention that he constantly craved would carry him far. By the time he hit high school, his relationship with music, and hip-hop in particular, had grown from a shallow past time to full blown love. He says that by 14 heâd already made up his mind--- he was going to be a rapper, or nothing at all. Creek quickly affiliated himself with the hip-hop movements that were sprouting up in his southwest Atlanta neighborhoodâ”namely the Dungeon Family and later, the Attic Crew. Although Creek was considered a youngster, the impact that the groundbreaking artists would have on his sound and writing was as profound as the influence that artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson had on him. Even early on, Creek was a step above his peers. âœMy identity was very important to me,â he says. âœI wanted to let people know how I saw the world and what was going on in my hood and in my household; music was a release for me.â So, in the 10th grade, he formed a group, called Jatis, with a childhood friend, Charlie Hustle and Atlanta producer, Sol Messiah. Defined by Solâs story-telling production and Creekâs quick lyricism and perception, it wasnât long before the group signed with Steve Rifkindâs label, Loud Records in 2000. While the deal only last a year and a half, because the label folded, the relationship would prove fruitful and the group soon signed to Columbia Records. However, that deal would also be short-lived. âœFor one they didnât know what to do with us,â Creek says, adding that the deal was inked before the south really blew up. Add that to the issues that began to surface between him, Charlie Hustle and Sol, and it was clear that something had to give. âœI learned a lot of patience and gained an understanding about how important it is to handle your business,â he says of his time spent in the group. After breaking from Jatis, Creek had to make a decision. He could either give up, or re-group and keep it moving. He chose the latter, and spent the summer of 2004 holed up a friendâs house, learning how to produce music for himself. âœI had some me time,â he remembers, somberly. âœI had spent so much time trying to please other people; I had to find out who Bobby Creekwater was.â That summer, he emerged not only a better artist, but a better man. After appearing on a song with Aasim, the track eventually ended up in Eminemâs hands, and in 2005 Creek found himself on the phone with Em himself, accepting a deal to sign to Shady/Aftermath/Interscope. It was of course, a turning point in his life. âœ[My deal with Shady] showed me the other side [of things],â he says, adding that he moved to New York for a year in 2005â”a decision that forever altered his perception. âœMost artists donât get to witness the other side. But these artists were actually rich, and I got to see big shit. Once you see that, itâs hard to go back.â However, as fate would have it, things didnât work out the way Creek had envisioned. While his buzz was growing to a near fever pitch, aided by his appearance on the compilation, Eminem Presents: the Re-Up (featuring the standout track, âœThere He Isâ) and his stellar, lyrically ambitious mixtapes, Anthem to the Streets 1 and 2 hosted by Don Cannon, the music industry was taking a serious downturn. Interscope, one of the biggest rap labels in the business soon fell victim to hard economic times, and thus, turned to its cash cows to help it get back into the black. Creek found himself taking a backseat as acts like 50 Cent and Eminem were called to duty. Even though he still hadnât released an album, in 2009 he finally decided that enough was enough. He amicably split with the label and decided to go it on his own. âœIt can be frustrating at times, knowing that I still havenât released a debut album,â he admits. âœBut on the other hand, overall, it hasnât been frustrating because God still has his plan too. I just keep working and hopefully our plans will meet and weâll be on the same page at the same time. Then it will be bigger than I ever imagined.â Since the split, heâs released a few standout projects, including The B.C. Era, The B.C. Era Deuce, Back to Briefcase with DJ Infamous and his most recent stellar EP, The Day It All Made $ense through his independent imprint, BGOV. Defined by gritty, soulful production (primarily courtesy of Creek and producers D.Focis and Junior Varsity) and Creekâs elevated pen game, tracks like the raw, stirring, âœMiss Atlantaâ featuring Mykel and the soul-searching âœSpotlightâ featuring old label-mate, Stat Quo on the hook, have placed Creek head and shoulders above the majority of emerging emcees. âœRight now Iâm on my Bobby Creek shit,â he says with an edge of intensity. âœIâm taking everything that Iâve learned and applying it now for the benefit for BGOV. I want to give my fans and the world the best music that I could possibly give them.â With Back to Briefcase 2 and Anthem to the Streets 3 on the horizon and a consistent performance schedule, including a recent tour in Japan, Creek is moving closer and closer to fully manifesting his musical vision. Like the creek that ran behind his grandmotherâs old house, he wonât stop, no matter what the odds. âœYou canât showcase growth if you donât plan to have longevity,✠he says. He pauses, gathering his thoughts. âœItâs exciting to be able to grow and give the people the unexpected.â