Bow Wow

Shad Gregory Moss was six years old when he took the stage on Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Chronic Tour as “Kid Gangsta.” The little Ohio lyricist was so impressive that Snoop called him backstage after the show, renamed him “Lil Bow Wow” and hired him as an opening act. Moss’s mentor also introduced him to Atlanta hitmaker Jermaine Dupri, who signed the young rapper and produced his platinum-selling debut album Beware of Dog. Bow Wow soon earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest rapper to have a No. 1 hit: “Bounce With Me” featuring Xscape. Growing older and wiser, he dropped the “Lil” from his name while promoting his second studio album, Doggy Bag. He has starred in several films, including Like Mike, Roll Bounce and Hurricane Season, and joined the cast of HBO’s Entourage. In 2012, Bow Wow added a new job to his impressive résumé: host of 106 & Park.