Kids and hip-hop
are an odd couple. On one hand, most people love kids when they are lil’ and
adorable.
However, when they
begin to grow and that voice starts to deepen, the masses have a way of turning
a deaf ear when they same beloved prodigy begins to spit about grown-up topics
and matter. Bow Wow intends to escape fate.
Before him, groups
like Illegal, Da Youngstas and Kriss Kross all demonstrated legitamate talent
and long-term potential, but eventually faltered after puberty. With his persona
changing before hip-hop’s collective eye, Bow Wow says he not like his predessessors.
With Unleashed, his latest, already gold, he might make good on his promise.
AllHipHop talked
to the manchild and he explained where his mind is. It is far more than dumping
the ‘Lil.’
AllHipHop: So what
separate you from the younger Bow Wow now musically?
Bow Wow: Just everything like I talk about I on a whole different stream as
far as my music. Its on a more teenage mature type of level its like real Hip
Hop not saying that what I was doing back then was not real, but its like a
real Hip Hop rap album it get no better than this as far as on a Bow Wow status
and this is ridiculous. I’m going to say this is my best album that I’ve
done because I’m talking about thing people are not use to hearing Bow
Wow talking about as far as ya know. I have a song dedicated to my mother ya
know then on top of that I got another song called the movement was basically
expressing ideas and things coming from a teenager’s head which the Neptunes
produce for me and that song is crazy, It just so many things on my album that
really separates me and when it comes out and compare it to me people are like
wow it’s a big difference. Everybody is going to know when I drop records
or when I do certain different things I always try to make it better and better
and this album is just kickin’ Doggy Bag like completely out the door.
This is crazy and after Unleash I’m try to make another album that kicking
Unleash out the door and I try to make my stuff better and better, as I get
older.
AllHipHop: How
many songs did you write on your new album?
BW: I wrote a lot can’t really tell you how many cause its so much. I wrote
just about every song except three and then TI and my man ROC they helped write
with the album as well.
AllHipHop: Now
you dumped your trademark braids…was that supposed to be an adult statement?
BW: I just got tired of the braids; it’s really nothing to explain about
that. When you cut your hair it’s because it’s a reason behind it
and the reason is that I just got tired of my braids that’s all. That’s
how it is man.
AllHipHop: If you
could change one part of you, what would you alter?
BW: If I could change one thing about myself, what would it be? I’d be
covered with more tattoos right now, yeah if I could change myself It’ll
be my arm, I’ll put way more tattoos in my arm, I have two now. Free know
was sup, she’s seen my muscle before.
AllHipHop: Are
you going to college and if you do, what’s your major going to be?
BW: That the topic that I am always talking about now since I’m almost
finish with school, so it kinda like I have it in mine, but right now I’m
just trying to focus on what grade I’m in right no. Whatever the future
hold that’s what it is, so I’m just trying to focus on right now,
but its not erase out of my mind like I’m still interested.
AllHipHop: Would
what you want to go into be music related?
BW: yea if I went I would want to major in business it all depends because I
want to go to the NBA, so if I go to college I want to be on an NBA scholarship,
not an NBA scholarship but a basketball scholarship, so I can play and then
from there and then from there I can go to the NBA, but if that does not happen
if I went I’ll probably major in business because I want to have something
to do with sports, so I’ll probably have to become a sports agent and from
that I’ll probably have to go to law school and that would take forever
and I don’t have patience, so its kind of like law school for six years.
I don’t know about all that, that just too much school so I don’t
know.
AllHipHop: As a budding adult, what bothers you?
BW: Me going broke.
And when you’re a celebrity, a lot of celebrities probably feel like “dang
I buy all this stuff it’s like yo, I’m going to go broke.” It’s
kind of crazy how it is, but that’s the one thing I tell myself, I have
my own money and keep buying stuff, I gotta chill with that.
AllHipHop: What
gets on your nerves that people ask you?
BW: “Why did you drop the ‘lil’ off your name?” I get that
question so much. Don’t nobody ask me that no more.
AllHipHop: If you had super
mind-reading powers, whose brain would you invade?
BW: I’ll probably
like to read a girl’s [mind], definitely. you know when a dude walks up
to a girl and sometimes they be like you know, like “I’m feeling you”
or whatever and girls be like “Yeah yeah yeah whatever.” And you be
really wondering like “Okay, I wanna know what’s going on in this
girl’s head.” she ain’t paying me no attention, and while she’s
doing that “yeah yeah,” she probably like “I wish this dude will
get out of my face.” I want to read a girl’s mind, especially when
you walk up to them and you actually try to spit game to them. That’s a
good time to read a girl’s mind, if you could read anything.
AllHipHop: I hear you are
doing some TV work. What’s the deal?
BW: As far as TV
appearances and different things like that I have my sitcom coming with Warner
Brothers WB, ya’ll can check that out. I just finish this movie called
the Johnson Family Vacation with Steve Harvey and Cedric The Entertainer ya’ll
can look for that next year and then also I’m getting ready to start a
new movie called Mr. President with Will Smith, James Vassiter Over Brook entertainment,
which is there company, so check out for that.
AllHipHop: Can
you tell us the name of the sitcom?
BW: Actually we don’t have a name for the sitcom right now cause its still
in the early stages were still in the beginning of casting campers, but you
know I’m a let ya’ll know.
AllHipHop: What
took so long to come out with the new album
BW: Because when we work on those movies its kinda like movies take forever
it seems like it takes forever and working on a movie its almost impossible
to promote and to do a movie at the same time, so when you confirm to doing
a movie this is what you have to do for three movies and that’s the three
months you take off from being on T V so much and recording and making records
and doing things in that nature, so it was kinda difficult, but you know, its
all gonna be good because now the fans and people see me now, its kinda like
pretty soon they gonna be like damn lil bow wow is everywhere, so its kinda
like the movie is going to play out, its going to come out, so all the good
stuff I‘ve been doing is gonna in the long run and the fans are going to
see why I took a three month break, so ya’ll can go see this hilarious
movie I did.
AllHipHop: Is there
anything new that you’ve seen that’s out already that you want?
BW: Anything I’ve seen that’s out that I want as far as gadgets. Nah
I got everything. When it comes to gadgets, I got that. I’m good with gadgets.
My camp, we always got the hottest gadgets. That’s really it. There are
really no hot gadgets out right now.
AllHipHop: What’s
your favorite video game?
BW: NBA Live still. I got it on in the hotel right now. Still running up the
Four Seasons [hotel]copy. Like that is my favorite game of all time. That and
Madden game sports is like the best when it comes to sports video games like
they always hold it down.
AllHipHop: What
teams do you play with the most?
BW: Lakers, all day. The Lakers and the Sixers
AllHipHop: Somebody
at home was like playing against somebody saying that they was using the Lakers,
like are there any type of plays that you would recommend to help them like
beat one they peoples?
BW: I don’t tell any secrets. Ask Cedric the Entertainer what happen to
him on the set. He got so mad at me ya’ll. I don’t tell any secrets.
I don’t tell nobody nothing when I play because I don’t like to lose
I like to win. If you play online and look up LBW 204 that’s me online
playing NBA Live crushing everybody, so when you see LBW 204 on there that’s
Bow Wow.