Born:
March 9, 1987 - Columbus, Ohio as Shad Gregory Moss.
Quote From Bow Wow:
"I'm maturing. I'm becoming a man, but I'm staying humble. I'm staying myself and most importantly, I'm trying to make good movies and music for my fans."
Trivia Fact About Bow Wow:
Bow Wow first started rapping under the name Kid Gangsta.
Discovered By Snoop Dogg:
Young Shad Moss never met his biological father and was raised by his mother and stepfather along with his stepsister Erica. At age 5 he began rapping under the name Kid Gangsta. At age 6 he met star rapper Snoop Dogg and was invited to join the Chronic tour. Snoop Dogg gave Shad Moss the stage name Lil' Bow Wow and introduced him to producer Jermaine Dupri.
Lil' Bow Wow's First Album:
Jermaine Dupri signed Lil' Bow Wow to his So So Def record label and produced his first album Beware Of Dog, released in 2000. The album reached the top 10 of the pop album chart propelled by the hit singles "Bounce With Me" and "Bow Wow (That's My Name)." Lil' Bow Wow followed in the footsteps of Kriss Kross, another successful child rap act produced by Jermaine Dupri.
Pop and Movie Star:
Doggy Bag, a second Jermaine Dupri-produced album, appeared in 2001. The album's was not as commercially successful as the first, barely missing the top 10 of the pop album chart. However, this didn't slow Bow Wow down. He expanded his talents by taking up acting, appearing as the star of the film Like Mike in 2002.
From Child to Adult:
As Lil' Bow Wow grew older, his voice began to change and in 2003 he left So So Def and Jermaine Dupri for Columbia Records and a more adult approach to his music. Lil' was dropped in favor of simply Bow Wow. A new album, Unleashed, appeared utilizing the services of a variety of top hip hop producers. Unleashed was Bow Wow's most successful yet. It reached #3 on the pop album chart and included "Let's Get Down," a top 15 pop hit and Bow Wow's most successful to date.
Expansion of Bow Wow's Acting Career:
Bow Wow has continued to expand his acting career. He appeared in 2004's Johnson Family Vacation, starred in 2005's Roll Bounce, and also had a lead role in 2006's The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Although the album Unleashed was commercially successful, Bow Wow was personally dissatisfied, and he returned to work with Jermaine Dupri on the followup.
Movies and Music:
Bow Wow's fourth album Wanted was released in July, 2005 and quickly reached the top 3 of the pop albums chart. It was supported by the top 5 single "Let Me Hold You," a duet with former B2K member Omarion. The second single, "Like You," is a duet with Bow Wow's girlfriend, and successful artist in her own right, Ciara.
Bow Wow's fifth album The Price of Fame was released in December 2006. It was preceded by the single "Shorty Like Mine" featuring Chris Brown which climbed to #12 on the pop singles chart..
Bow Wow collaborated with R&B singer Omarion on the album Face Off released in December 2007. It included the minor hit single "Girlfriend" but failed to reach the top 10 of the album chart. Bow Wow's sixth solo studio album New Jack City II hit stores in March 2009. It debuted at a lackluster #16 selling only 30,000 copies in its first week. It is the first Bow Wow album to include a parental advisory sticker, and a recent announcement of musical retirement seems to indicate it may by Bow Wow's last.
