Bow Wow is having a new lease on life. He’s been through it all — child welfare battles, chart-topping success, record-label drama — and was feeling tired of it. That’s what happens when you find success aged 11.
“I was losing my music,” the rapper, born Shad Moss, said over the phone from New York, where he was preparing to host the BET music show 106 & Park. “I was getting bored because of all my accomplishments. You got bored after a while.”
That might sound a little spoiled, but it could also be a refreshing insight into life after being a child star. Moss was discovered by Snoop Dogg at a concert in Los Angeles and given the name Bow Wow, releasing a double-platinum-selling album, Beware of Dog, when he was 13.
Now 25, he’s signed to Cash Money Records but his album, Underrated, remains unreleased, and that’s just fine with him for now. He landed the 106 hosting gig two months ago, and it’s been the catalyst behind his new enthusiasm.
“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” he says. “I am loving this job. I feel like I need to do this because it just makes me hungry.” That doesn’t mean the Like You singer isn’t still making music —on the contrary, he’s now more creative than ever. He says. “I wanna get into the studio — [106] has made me find my love for music again.”
His album Underrated is “in the vault, in a secure place. When I want to release it, I just hit that button,” says Moss, in a self-assured, quick-fire manner. “I never stopped recording. I work five days a week and at the weekends I’m in the studio recording like 8-9 songs a night.”
Moss will hopefully perform some of that new material when he makes his Dubai debut on Thursday at the Caribbean Carnival at Burj Park in Downtown. He will perform on the first night, on a line-up that includes Sean Kingston and Jason Derulo.
“It’s the Bow Wow show,” he says of the concert. “That’s Bow Wow being Bow Wow. I just told somebody today, I am four people: Bow Wow the host, Bow Wow the rapper, Shad the actor and the father. When I get to be Bow Wow, it’s unique. It will be a high- energy show.”
Moss’ latest controversy is over child support to the mother of his daughter, Shai. The two-year-old is the centre of his world. “I’m inspired by money, my fans and my family,” he says when asked what inspires his work now. “It’s all for my daughter — I got to make sure that everyone is covered. My daughter came up a week and a half ago, and I took her to the toy store and we made cupcakes together. She doesn’t see Bow Wow — she sees me. I feel like a real person around her, a human being. We sit and watch cartoons, I try and watch ESPN, and she’s watching Nick Jr.” You’ll next get to see Moss’ acting skills in the Iraq war film Allegiance, out in January, following roles in Entourage and Madea’s Big Happy Family. Never one to do things by halves, Moss says he’s Oscar-bound.
“Those independent films get the Oscar nominations, where you work your a** off and they go to the film festivals —Sundance and Toronto and Cannes — and get seen by the Oscar types. Those are the kind of films an actor needs. I can do a big movie any time.”
Moss has extreme confidence in his voice at all times, but comes across as inspired, not conceited, about his plans and abilities. “I want to be the hip- hop renaissance man,” he says of the future. “There was a baseball player called Bo Jackson who also played football professionally, and his line was ‘Bo knows it all’ [in a popular Nike advertisement in 1989]. That’s what I want to be. I want to do everything I can put my hands on. I want to show that I am a man of talents.”
Quick-fire with Bow Wow
Tell us about your Dubai performance?
[Prolific record producer] Jermaine Dupri is always telling me about Dubai. He’s been there so many times in the great clubs. He’s just as excited as me. I’ve been trying to come to Dubai for the last year and a half — it’s got to be a big event, that’s why I’m coming now.
You’ll be on the same line-up as Sean Kingston and Jason Derulo...
Sean Kingston and I, we did one record together. Jason, I’ve never met him. I’m familiar with one of his singles, Whatcha Say.
How do you chose your film scripts?
I have a hard time reading scripts, it’s such a relaxing thing I always fall asleep by page 11. It relaxes my mind. Don’t get me wrong — I can read fine, but it takes me like three days to read a script. My aunt will read some of the scripts for me, and my agent will see it before it gets to me.
Do you ever feel like you missed out on your childhood?
God puts us here for a reason. God put me on Earth to make kids dance and make parents love me and continue to dominate. I didn’t miss anything of my childhood. I never wanted to go to dances and I always felt like there was something different in me.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to be in entertainment?
Find someone you trust, get good people around you. Ignore rumours and ignore bad press — everybody gets bad press even if it’s made up.
You sign a contract to make music not to fight. Work hard and follow that.
Snoop Dogg performs in Dubai on New Year’s Eve. Are you two in touch? Has he changed since the “Snoop Lion” thing?
I might just come back with him! He’s the same Snoop. He just hit me like two hours ago on Instagram! He’s like my uncle. I always say Jermaine Dupri is like my father because he taught me everything, he taught me when Snoop couldn’t.
He’s my godfather, he’s always just a text or a tweet or an instagram away. Expect a great show [from Snoop].
He is a very humble person. I love that dude, I would take a bullet for him.
Bow Wow will also be at People By Crystal on November 1, for their The Dark Chamber Halloween party.
