Shad Moss | |
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Bow Wow during a taping of 106 & Park in 2013
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Background information | |
Birth name | Shad Gregory Moss |
Also known as | Lil' Bow Wow |
Born |
Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
March 9, 1987
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | |
Years active | 1993–present |
Labels |
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Associated acts |
Shad Gregory Moss (born March 9, 1987), better known by his stage name Bow Wow (formerly Lil' Bow Wow), is an American rapper, actor and television host. As Lil' Bow Wow, he released his first album, Beware of Dog in 2000 at age 13, which was followed by Doggy Bag 2001. In 2003, Bow Wow released his third album Unleashed, which was the first album released without using Lil' in his name. As of September 27, 2015, Bow Wow had officially been signed to a new label, Bad Boy Records, which is owned by Puff Daddy.
Bow Wow made his first movie appearance in All About the Benjamins, in 2002 as a cameo. In the same year, Bow Wow made his debut as the lead role in Like Mike. He later began to undertake lead roles in movies, such as Johnson Family Vacation in 2004 and Roll Bounce in 2005. He also played a supporting role in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006. Bow Wow also appeared in five episodes of the television series Entourage. He is currently working on his new album entitled Underrated and starred as Brody Nelson in CSI: Cyber until the show's cancellation in 2016.
Bow Wow was born Shad Gregory Moss in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Teresa Rena Caldwell (née Jones) and Alfonso Preston Moss. At age three, he became interested in rap. Under the moniker "Kid Gangsta", he began rapping recreationally at age six; he was also a fan of N.W.A at that age. In 1993, he performed at a concert in Los Angeles, and was noticed by rapper Snoop Dogg, who subsequently gave him a stage name, "Lil' Bow Wow".