Dubbed the new millennium‘s prince of hip hop, Shad Gregory Moss aka Bow Wow has been turning heads ever since he started rapping at the tender age of five. Bow Wow was born March 9, 1987 in Columbus, Ohio .The young rapper made his first stage appearance on the Chronic Tour, where he impressed rapper
Snoop Dogg with talent well beyond his age. Called back to Snoop's dressing room a few hours later, he was dubbed Lil' Bow Wow by Snoop, and hired as the opening act for the tour.
Dr. Dre later hired him as an opening act, officially gaining him a spot on the Death
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Row Records roster. "Lil' Bow Wow" then appeared on a skit on Snoop's debut Doggystyle. In 1998 at the age of eleven, Bow Wow was introduced to record producer Jermaine Dupri, who helped mold his career. At the age of 13, he released his debut album, Beware of Dog. It featured Snoop Dogg,
Jagged Edge, Jermaine Dupri,
Xscape,
Da Brat, & many more. It spawned the singles, "
Bounce With Me", "Bow Wow (That's My Name)" featuring Snoop Dogg, and “
Puppy Love" with Jagged Edge, & Ghetto Girls." It sold nearly two and a half million copies. Bow Wow's second album, Doggy Bag (2002), was another major success; it peaked at number six on Billboard's album chart, eventually going platinum, and it featured two strong singles, "
Thank You" (which prominently samples the Cars' 1981 hit "I'm Not the One") and "Take Ya Home" (produced by the Neptunes during their prime).
Even after breaking off his relationship with Jermaine Dupre in 2003, Bow Wow continued to score hits. His fifth album, The Price of Fame (2006), included a few big ones: "Shortie Like Mine," featuring
Chris Brown, "Outta My System," featuring
T-Pain, and "I'm a Flirt," featuring
R. Kelly. For Face Off (2007), he collaborated with one of his peers,
Omarion, an R&B star and friend with whom he toured. He has also forged a role for himself in television and movies, and his well known for his philanthropic bent, lending his name to the ALDO Fights Aids campaign. Bow Wow may be young, but he’s already accomplished more than many of his peers in the music industry. To his legions of fans, he will always be Top Dog.
