'Doggy Bag' Delivers The Goods

12/21/2001 7:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Marci Kenon

They say experience is the best teacher, and Jermaine Dupri (uber-producer and owner of So So Def Recordings) wanted to make sure that his 14-year-old protégé Lil' Bow Wow made a smooth public transition from "kiddie" act to young-adulthood stardom. It's an evolution that Dupri's last preteen project, pint-sized rap duo Kris Kross, failed to successfully complete 10 years ago--but for LBW, aka Shad Moss, it's a piece of cake. His flows already rival those of the older rappers featured on his sophomore album, Doggy Bag.

"Nothing has been hard for me," admits the Columbus, Ohio, teen, whose 2000 debut, Beware Of Dog, sold more than 2.3 million units out of the box. On his new effort, he raps with incredible confidence and craft on cuts like "The Wickedest," "Pick Of The Litter" (featuring So So Def labelmates Tigah and R.O.C.), "Up In Here" (also featuring Tigah), "Take Ya Home" (co-produced by white-hot production duo the Neptunes), "All I Know" (a bubblegum track reminiscent of "Candy Girl" by old-school teen act New Edition), and the album's first single, "Thank You," which features Jagged Edge and another So So Def artist, Fundisha.

The budding star also has writing credit on Doggy Bag songs like "Off The Glass," and he is understandably proud of taking this important career step. "I was real happy about my writing," he says. "I feel like I have more input on this album. This time we try to turn it up a notch, because my fans are growing up along with me."

Getting discovered at age 6 by none other than Snoop Dogg has afforded many opportunities for young Shad, who--after being christened "Lil' Bow Wow" by Snoop--has gone on to win many awards (including the key to the city of Camden, New Jersey) as well as fans' hearts in the past eight years. "I wouldn't be where I am without the fans," LBW stresses. His single "Thank You" is in fact an expression of gratitude to the devoted following who helped make him a superstar before he even reached puberty, and he shot the song's video with director Marc Klasfeld in Chicago to pay homage to his incredibly zealous Windy City fanbase. "I love performing, being able to see all the fans and seeing all the different cities," LBW enthuses, explaining what he likes most about his early fame and success.

Lil' Bow Wow's website and notably BET have done much to fan the burning flames of this LBW-mania. "I've been telling everybody that BET stands for 'Bow Wow Entertainment Television,'" laughs LBW. "It's really crazy for me to be number one all the time on BET. It feels so good. People are really going to start hating me right now, because the video is out. It's going to be number one for weeks and weeks."

Obviously not one to suffer from low self-confidence or to rest on his laurels, the Lil' one will soon make a move to the big screen in Like Mike, a Michael Jordan-inspired Fox film about basketball, playing an orphan who comes across a pair of sneakers that give him super skills on the court. He'll also be launching a new all-ages clothing line, Lil' Bow Wear, and hitting the road on a spring 2002 tour. "Better get ready!" he warns. This kid's bark is as fierce as his bite.