Age: 13
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Real name: Shad Moss
Sounds like: A 20-year-old rapper with an adolescent voice. The lighthearted lyrics on his debut album, “Beware of Dog,” were penned by his mentor Jermaine Dupri, the brains behind Kris Kross, Chicago expatriate Da Brat and others.
His history: Bow Wow was discovered by Snoop Dogg during the Columbus stop of the “Chronic” tour in 1993. Snoop pulled Bow Wow from the crowd onto the stage, and Bow Wow then shocked both Snoop and the crowd with a polished impromptu performance. Snoop invited Bow Wow, then 6, backstage and gave him his nickname. Although he was a fan of Snoop’s, Bow Wow didn’t understand the significance of Snoop’s gesture. “I was so little at the time that I was like, `Oh well, whatever,'” he says.
Current project: Lil Bow Wow’s “Beware Of Dog” has sold more than 1.2 million copies, according to SoundScan, which tracks album sales. “Bounce With Me,” the energetic first single, and “Bow Wow (That’s My Name),” a playful duet with Snoop Dogg anchor the 11-cut collection. On the rest of the album, Bow Wow raps about the type of girls he hopes to be involved with . . . eventually. “I take girls real seriously, although I don’t have any,” he says. “But the majority of my fans are girls, and there are a lot of them.”
Expanding horizons: “My big thing is trying to get to the NBA,” Bow Wow says. “I’d like to play for either the Philadelphia 76ers or the Los Angeles Lakers.” I like the Sixers because [Allen] Iverson plays on that team and I like the Lakers because Kobe [Bryant] plays on that team. I love basketball. It brings out another side of me.”
Key quote: “Being a star — it’s easy to get used to.”
