Valentine’s Day was supposed to be the day that Bobby Valentino came into the world. Though he missed it by almost two weeks, the nickname it gave him serves him well as an R&B artist.

This 23-year-old crooner aims to create his own style with smooth sounds, classic influences and staying power.

“I want to go down in history as one of the great R&B artists that people listen to for years,” Valentino says.

History started last week for Valentino with the release of his self-titled debut album, which is a joint deal with Def Jam Island and Ludacris’ label, Disturbing Tha Peace.

Valentino, the first artist signed to Disturbing Tha Peace, gained credibility right away in the R&B world by having his name associated with Ludacris.

He plans to further earn credibility by creating what he calls “real music.”

“Writing my own music is the first step,” he says.

“Most of them are real-life experiences.”

His hit single “Slow Down” is about a real relationship in his past, though some songs are about living vicariously through others.

Along with these real-life experiences, Valentino adds unique flare to his sound, making it exactly what he wants it to be instead of forcing it to be something it’s not.

“My sound is not like any other sound,” he says. “It’s just real music.” He says his sound has to be heard in order to fully understand it.

This fresh sound communicates to a broad audience with classical R&B appeal.

Instead of crediting new artists as his influences, he tributes Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers and Anita Baker, among others.

Unlike many R&B artists, Valentino wasn’t aiming for a popular sound with his debut album. He had a different goal in mind.

“I wanted it to be a classic CD,” he says.

Valentino says knowing his producers well and working closely with them led to the desired outcome. He will labor to maintain his originality in the future, sticking with the sound of his debut album.

“I’m just going to keep it consistent,” he says. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”