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Bow Wow (born Shad Gregory Moss on March 9, 1987) is an American rapper and actor. He is listed in the Guinness World Records as the "youngest solo rapper to ever hit number one".
Biography
Early life
Bow Wow was born in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, outside of Columbus, to Teresa and Alfonso Moss. His father left the family and is no longer in contact with Bow Wow, and his mother re-married to Rodney Caldwell; Bow Wow grew up with his step-father and has two step-siblings. When he was five, he started his career in rap using the moniker "Kid Gangsta". One year later, in 1993, he performed at a Chronic tour in Columbus, and was noted by rapper Snoop Dogg, who subsequently gave him a stage name, "Lil' Bow Wow". Snoop later hired him as an opening act, officially gaining him a spot on the Death Row Records roster. By 1998, Bow Wow was introduced to record producer Jermaine Dupri, who helped shape his career.Career
At the beginning of his career, Bow Wow was first a part of the Death Row Records artist roster, with his name appearing in various magazine and poster advertisements for the label. In 2000, he released his first album, Beware of Dog and became a successful recording artist under Dupri's mentorship; the same year, Bow Wow's single, "Bounce with Me", was also successful. After the success of Bow Wow's debut album, he released 2002's Doggy Bag, which contained, among others, the songs "Thank You" and "Take You Home". During this time, he removed "Lil'" from his professional name. He eventually broke out on his own in 2003 with the album Unleashed, which was his first without Dupri's assistance; the album's sales were lower than that of his first two. In addition to his own albums, Bow Wow has contributed to Will Smith's Wild Wild West album, and had a guest appearance on Brandy's TV sitcom, Moesha.Bow Wow made his acting debut in 2002's Like Mike, where he starred as a young orphan who gets a shot at the NBA. Bow Wow has appeared in commercials for Twix, Campbells, and Verbs. He has participated, as the headlining act, in every Scream Tour except for the last. Bow Wow also performed live with Chris Brown at the 2006 Kids' Choice Awards on Nickelodeon and appears on rapper Miss Nana's album I Got The Hood, Volume 1 as a host.
In 2005, Bow Wow released his fourth album, Wanted, on which he once again worked with Jermaine Dupri. The album featured two singles that reached #1, "Let Me Hold You" (featuring Omarion) and "Like You" (featuring Ciara). Since the success of Like Mike, Bow Wow has starred in several Hollywood films, with the latest, Tokyo Drift, released on June 16, 2006.
Bow Wow is currently working on his fifth studio album and expects the project to be out in October of 2006. Bow Wow describes the album as "edgier" and more "mature" than his last one; he has also noted that the album, which he describes as his biggest to date, may also be his last. The first single, "Shorty Like Mine", will be released mid-summer and will feature singer Chris Brown. Bow Wow has also committed to appearing in at least two more film roles. The script for one of the films, named Mr. President, is currently being re-written.
Personal life
Bow Wow dated R&B singer Ciara until early 2006.Discography
Albums
- 2000: Beware of Dog #8 US (2x Platinum)
- 2001: Doggy Bag #11 US (Platinum)
- 2003: Unleashed #3 US (Gold)
- 2005: Wanted #3 US (Platinum)
- 2006: TBA
Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | UK singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Bow Wow (That's My Name)" (feat. Snoop Dogg) | 64 | — | 20 | — | Beware of Dog |
| 2000 | "Bounce With Me" | 20 | 1 | 1 | — | Beware of Dog |
| 2001 | "Puppy Love" (feat. Jagged Edge) | 75 | 27 | — | — | Beware of Dog |
| 2001 | "Ghetto Girls" (feat. Jagged Edge) | 91 | 40 | 14 | — | Beware of Dog |
| 2001 | "Bow Wow (That's My Name)" (feat. Snoop Dogg) (Re-Entry) | 21 | 9 | 1 | 6 | Beware of Dog |
| 2002 | "Thank You" (feat. Jagged Edge) | 93 | 45 | 21 | — | Doggy Bag |
| 2002 | "Take Ya Home" | 72 | 21 | — | — | Doggy Bag |
| 2003 | "Let's Get Down" (feat. Baby) | 14 | 12 | 6 | — | Unleashed |
| 2004 | "My Baby" (feat. Jagged Edge) | 42 | 17 | 15 | — | Unleashed |
| 2005 | "Let Me Hold You" (feat. Omarion) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 27 | Wanted |
| 2005 | "Like You" (feat. Ciara) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | Wanted |
| 2005 | "I Think They Like Me" (Dem Franchize Boyz feat.Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat & Bow Wow) | 15 | 1 | 1 | 66 | On Top Of Our Game |
| 2005 | "Fresh Azimiz" (feat. J-Kwon & Jermaine Dupri) | 23 | 13 | 6 | — | Wanted |
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Tokyo Drift | Twinkie | |
| 2005 | Roll Bounce | Xavier 'X' | |
| 2004 | Johnson Family Vacation | D.J. Johnson | |
| 2002 | Like Mike | Calvin Cambridge | |
| All About The Benjamins | Kelly |
References
Footnotes
External links
1987 births | Actor-singers | African-American actors | African American musicians | American child actors | American child singers | American film actors | American rappers | Death Row artists | People from Columbus, Ohio | Living people | Ohio musicians | People known by pseudonyms | Rhythmic Top 40 acts
Bow Wow | Bow Wow | Lil Bow Wow | Bow Wow | Bow Wow
"Bow Wow"