Bow Wow (formerly Lil' Bow Wow, born Shad Gregory Moss on born March 9, 1987
in Columbus, Ohio), is an African American rapper. Releasing his first album,
Beware of Dog, at the age of thirteen, Bow Wow quickly became a successful
recording artist, under the mentorship of record producer Jermaine Dupri,
eventually breaking out on his own by 2003 and continuing his success.
Moss never saw his biological father and was raised, along
with his stepsister Erica, by his mother and her husband. When Moss
was five,
he started his career in rap using the monicker Kid Gangsta. One year
later, he took front stage during the Chronic tour and impressed rapper
Snoop Doggy Dogg who would later give Moss his first professional alias, "Lil
Bow Wow". Dogg later hired him as an opening act and introduced
him to Jermaine Dupri, a producer who helped shape Moss' career.
He backed up the success of his 2000 debut album, Beware of Dog, with
2001's Doggy Bag, which contained songs such as "Thank You" and "Take
You Home".
In addition to his own albums, Bow Wow has contributed to Will Smith's
album, Wild Wild West, which was named after the movie which also stars
Smith, and had a guest appearance on Brandy's TV sitcom, Moesha. He
made his acting debut in Like Mike, where he acted as a young orphan
who gets a shot at the NBA. He is also a good friend of basketball
star Allen Iverson. Bow Wow is currently dating pop star Ciara.
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