Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184228
F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 9 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E | 4 5 At the Macon club Sparks, she met a young rapper named Bob Lennon who started accompanying her on some of those late-night road trips. At barely 20 years old, Bob stood out from his peers. He had a head full of asymmetrical dreads, wore skinny jeans and bright Converse high-tops, and wasn't afraid to take a fashion risk by, for example, showing up to perform wearing his grandma's leather jacket (something he laughs about now). His sound was unique: He rapped in a slowed-down cadence with a raspy, singsong edge to his voice. He used pronunciation as a kind of instrument, sometimes stretching words way out or warping and repeating them, sometimes adding a pitchy edge; his hooks were catchy and clever. And he was always, always willing to put in the work. Pink was impressed. "A lot of people counted us out, because I 'm a woman. But they learned quick, I don't back down. I like to keep it business, and when I keep it business, you feel my presence." -Pink FROM GOLF SCHOLARSHIP TO MUSIC CAREER Christopher Powell Jr. has been going by Bob Lennon since late 2012. Chosen as an homage to the talents of Bob Marley and John Lennon, he's been "on a pilgrimage to back up the name" with his own creative work ever since. Bob grew up in East Macon, raised by his grandparents, who he credits as deeply positive influences in his life. "Macon can be a hard place to be a kid, and I'm grateful I had them to balance me out," he said. In addition to Boy Scouts and church, Bob's grandparents also nurtured his interest in golf. "ey always watched channel 4, whatever sporting event was on on Sunday, we watched it," Bob said. "So, when Tiger Woods was winning the Masters, he was just godlike to me, it inspired me. My granddad had a golf club – he didn't even play golf, but you know how old people sometimes just have random stuff," he laughs, "so I went outside with it, and I could hit the ball. I came in to brag to my grandma, and she told me to go back outside and do it again. So, I did. Every day, I just kept going outside, and I kept hitting the ball." is tenacity served Bob well. He landed a golf scholarship at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, and though he dropped out of school early to pursue his music career, he worked as hard as ever, writing new songs, finding new places to perform, making new videos – swinging and swinging, hoping for connection. en came Pink. Meeting her was fortuitous for them both; she hadn't done artist management before, but many managers start as promoters, so she knew the basics. She loved Bob's music, his confidence, his creative vision. She saw how hard he worked and how much his career meant to him, and he saw her consistency and dedication. Plus, everybody at the open mics already thought she was his manager – since they were always together – and that's what gave her the idea to bring it up with him in the first place. Once she asked, it didn't take Bob long to say yes.