Bow Wow

b. Shad Gregory Moss, 9 March 1987, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA. This young rap artist made a high-profile recording debut at the age of six, with a guest appearance on Snoop Doggy Dogg's 1993 multi-platinum album, Doggystyle. Moss had first come to the attention of Dogg as a warm-up rapper on The Chronic tour. Suitably impressed by the youngster's speed and dexterity, Dogg gave Moss his canine moniker (Lil Bow Wow) and helped him sign a contract with Death Row Records. Following several abortive sessions at Death Row, Lil Bow Wow was snapped up by Epic Records, where he was assigned to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def imprint. He appeared on the Wild Wild West soundtrack alongside Will Smith and Dru Hill, and busied himself in the studio recording his 2000 debut, most of which was written and produced by Dupri, with assistance from Da Brat. The catchy single "Bounce With Me" gained widespread exposure through its inclusion on Dupri's soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy hit movie, Big Momma's House. "Bounce With Me" proved to be by far the best thing on Beware Of Dog, although Snoop Dogg added some much-needed grit to "Bow Wow (That's My Name)".

Lil Bow Wow released his second album the following year, and branched out into acting with appearances in the movies All About The Benjamins and Like Mike. He abandoned the Lil part of his name upon reaching his 16th birthday, and cut his ties with Dupri for his debut under the new moniker, 2003's Unleashed. The second Bow Wow collection, Wanted, reached the US Top 5 in summer 2005 and spawned the hit singles "Let Me Hold You" (featuring Omarion) and "Like You" (featuring Ciara). The album was a major commercial success and dwarfed sales of the disappointing follow-up The Price Of Fame (2006). The following year Bow Wow released a collaborative album with R&B singer Omarion.