When Bow Wow first burst on the scene back in 2000 with his best-selling debut Beware of Dog, critics and audiences alike took notice of this multi-talented rhyming whiz kid with a nimble flow and charisma to burn.

After several hit singles, two platinum-plus albums, sold-out tours and the starring role in "Like Mike," one of the 50 top-grossing films of 2002, Bow Wow has proven that he's the 100% real deal with the indisputable goods: a bona fide hip-hop icon blessed with talent and tenacity.

Those qualities, combined with an artistic and emotional maturity that speaks to Bow Wow's growth (he's now 16), are loud and thumpingly clear on Unleashed, his third Columbia Records album. Unleashed features production by hitmakers including Jazze Pha, Lil Jon and the Neptunes, guest appearances by platinum acts Baby, Amerie, Jagged Edge and Mario, and songs guaranteed to get the party started.

"People are gonna hear that I'm really maturing as a lyricist and a rapper," Bow Wow offers. "I'm blessed because I've been allowed to grow musically. Unleashed is definitely fun but more importantly it's more of who I am today."

The latest heatseeker in Bow Wow's arsenal is Unleashed 's lead single, "Let's Get Down," featuring the No 1 Stunna Baby and production by hot hand Jazze Pha (Big Tymers, Aaliyah). Laced with tight, taut beats and an assertive, aggressive flow, "Let's Get Down" is hard to ignore. "I let Jazze know what I wanted the track to sound like and really worked in collaboration with him in the studio," Bow Wow says. "It was cool to have that much creative control. The song is hot!"

So hot, in fact, that "Let's Get Down" garnered Bow Wow his first-ever crossover pop airplay, drawing major support in major markets coast-to-coast including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, Dallas, Tampa (where the record is Top 5) and Los Angeles, among others.

Another sizzling track from Unleashed is "18." Produced by Lil Jon, "18" is, as Bow Wow declares, an anthem for teenagers. "It's basically a wish list of all the things we wanna do and have once we get old enough. Stuff like hot rims, tattoos, our own cribs. I love that song cause it's really about me growing up!"

Bow Wow keeps things personal for the relaxed funk of "Follow Me," which breaks down Bow Wow's style for would-be emulators. "It's just entertainment and a way for me to let kids know how they can maybe be like me when they get older," he admits. It's like a funky instructional manual."

Unleashed bears witness to the growth in Bow Wow's vocal prowess as well as to his burgeoning lyrical sophistication. You can hear the proof in such songs such as the expressive and moody "The Movement." Set against a stark Neptunes-constructed track, "The Movement" finds Bow Wows exploring what it's like to be "young and confused, but too ambitious to lose." "I've never really gotten so introspective before and I think it's gonna touch a lot of people," says the Columbus, Ohio, native. "I wanted to let my fans know that I can rap about more than just jewelry and cars." On the sexy "My Baby," featuring labelmates Jagged Edge, Bow Wow lets that certain someone know that he has her best intentions at heart and that she should be with him. Love is also the message on the Lil Jon-produced "To My Mama," which Bow Wow unabashedly dedicates to his mom, the love of his life, "his beautiful black queen, his everything." "It's really important that we as teenagers to acknowledge and thank the important figures in our lives," says Bow Wow, "and for me that's my mom."

Born Shad Moss, Bow Wow began rapping at the tender age of 5, calling himself "Kid Gangsta." Word of the pint-sized playa's skills spread quickly and, though he was only 6, Moss was soon onstage on a local stop of Snoop Dogg's Chronic Tour. Shad's impromptu appearance caught the attention of Snoop Dogg, who invited the kid backstage, renamed him "Lil Bow Wow" and hired the first grader to be the opening act for the remainder of the tour.

Blessed with an engaging personality and self-confidence beyond his years, Bow Wow soon made a name for himself and eventually fell under the wing of producer/artist Jermaine Dupri, who'd guided the careers of Kris Kross, Usher and Jagged Edge. By the time he recorded his debut in 2000, Bow Wow was already a seasoned veteran. Beware of Dog yielded the smashes "Bounce With Me" (which topped both the rap and R&B charts), "Puppy Love," "Ghetto Girls" and "Bow Wow (That's My Name)." His debut album went on to sell more than three million copies while solidifying his heartthrob status.

In addition to his platinum achievements, Bow Wow's career has included hugely successful tours, including one opening for *NSYNC, guest appearances on Snoop Dogg's Doggy Style, songs on the soundtracks for "Wild Wild West" and "Big Momma's House," and a guest shot on Destiny's Child 's "Jumpin Jumpin" remix.

Adored by his fans and respected by the game, Bow Wow took his brand of rap to the next level with 2001's Doggy Bag. Bow Wow hit the road in support of the platinum plus CD with the sold out "Scream tour" and wowed fans all over the country with hits like "Take Me Home." Hollywood soon noticed Bow Wow and in 2002 the rapper starred in the box office triumph "Like Mike."

Bow Wow's career has been a series of history-making firsts since the release of Beware Of Dog. He is the youngest musician to open the Grammy Awards--he introduced Madonna at the 2001 ceremony--and is the first "kid" to be included in Vanity Fair's prestigious annual music issue (October 2001). Bow Wow entered the "The Guinness Book of World Records" as the youngest solo rapper to hit #1 on the U.S. charts.

With plans for more acting, the launch of the Shago clothes line, and his new CD Unleashed, Bow Wow has his eyes on the prize and a deeper new sound that will only confirm what millions already know. That Bow Wow is "Lil" no longer... this kid is more than a teen sensation, he's a multi-media superstar with a limitless future.

Credit: streamwaves.com