R&B/Hip-Hop

This week, Billboard is publishing a series of lists and articles celebrating the music of 20 years ago. Our 2005 Week continues here with a conversation with Bow Wow about his stellar 2005, a year full of big hits, big videos and big tours, which fans still cherish 20 years later.

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It’s 3:30 on a balmy Friday afternoon, and Bow Wow, the prodigal son from Ohio, is hours away from Harlem Shaking his way onto the Barclays Center stage. This is the same Bow Wow who, two decades ago, dominated the Hot 100 charts with hits like “Shortie Like Mine,” “Bounce With Me” and “Let’s Get It Down.” This is also the same Bow Wow who had women of all ages swooning over his crisp braids, Colgate smile and doting demeanor before his 18th birthday. Bow Wow, the 2000s poster boy for sugary pop-rap earworms and swaggering hits, is reveling in his full-circle moment 20 years later, ahead of his sold-out Millenium Tour date in Brooklyn, New York.

“When you got a lot of people out here who pay their money and could have done other things with their money, but decided to spend that $50 or however much to see you, I always keep that in mind,” says the now-veteran entertainer, his voice filled with gratitude. “Staring at myself at 38 years old, knowing that I was doing this 25 years ago, and I’m still doing it, and I’m still going through these same tunnels and hallways, it’s crazy. Sometimes, I think, ‘D–n. I’m not supposed to be here.’ A lot of young child stars that started young, they don’t make it this far. For me to still be here doing it, man, something must be going right.”

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Bow Wow Performance and Album Signing for “Wanted” – July 12, 2005 at City Hall Park and J&R Records in New York City.

John Ricard/FilmMagic

Not only is Bow Wow enjoying 25 years of longevity, dating back to his multi-platinum debut album Beware of Dog, but he’s also celebrating the 20th anniversary of his fourth album, Wanted. His 2005 LP included a bevy of Hot 100 flamethrowers, beginning with his top-five hits “Like You” with Ciara and “Let Me Hold You” with Omarion. The prince of the Jermaine Dupri rap brigade So So Def didn’t stop there, as he continued his reign with the punchy “Fresh Azimiz” and his laser-sharp feature on Dem Franchise Boyz’s “I Think Dey Like Me (Remix),” both landing on the top 25 on the Hot 100.

While Bow Wow is savoring his past victories, he’s also embracing his future. Releasing his first record in over five years, Bow Wow teamed up with oft-collaborator Chris Brown for his new record “Use Me.” Lifting from Murder Inc’s 2000s breezy anthem “Down Ass Chick,” Bow Wow proves that he still has enough bark and bite to compete with today’s bachelors.

“It’s hard to deny nostalgia,” says Bow Wow. “When you see two artists come together that don’t necessarily need one another — like, Chris doesn’t need Bow, and he does what he does, and you’re here with me now, and I’m doing what I’m doing — we and the fans know that when we come together as a collective, expect nothing but greatness. Me and Brown don’t miss. We never miss.”

Below, Bow Wow talks with Billboard about his memories from 20 years ago, clips of his from back then that still go viral, and whether or not Future was really in the “Let Me Hold You” video.

In 2005, you dropped several Hot 100 top five hits from your fourth album Wanted, including “Like You,”and “Let Me Hold You.” Where does that era rank in your career?

I don’t know because that was 17-going-into-18 Bow Wow, and that was a moment in my career where I was young-adult hot. That was Scream 4 Tour time, selling out arenas — and if you want to go before that, Beware of Dog, Doggy Bag days, that’s Like Mike Bow Wow. That’s the Harlem Shaking Bow Wow. They both were on fire, but I don’t know. I can’t pick. They both were hot as hell. I don’t know. It’s tough. 

Let’s dive into “Let Me Hold You.” What was the recording process with you, Jermaine Dupri and Omarion?

I know we did that a Southside Studios in Atlanta. We got the track from No ID. A lot of people think Jermaine did it, but it was No ID who produced it. One of the goats. So to have a No ID track [was huge]. To have him and Jermaine in the studio [was dope]. Jermaine would be writing, dictating what direction we’re gonna go with the record. We already knew who we wanted to put on the hook just, because of the dynamic that me and [Omarion] got when it comes to collaborating.

So I learned this the other day: Future was in the video? 

He wasn’t. [Laughs.] So let me explain. I’m glad you brought that up, so I can go ahead and clear that up because I did see that went viral. You know the internet is going to have fun and make what they wanna make out of things. No, that was not Future. That was a guy by the name of The Kid Slim. He was one of my writers who did a lot of writing with me on “Like You” and different other records. His name is Slim. He’s from New York and there’s a reason why we call him Slim. He’s very skinny. I believe Future is six-feet-something, well-built — but that was The Kid Slim. 

Other thing from the video that continues to go viral to this day is the glitch dance move you had, which your daughter brought back to life a couple of years ago. Are you surprised that the dance is still making noise on the internet today?

Look, I came up with it. So I can take full credit. Every night [on the tour], I see them do it. They’re waiting on it. If I don’t do it, it’s disappointing. It’s to the point that, even when I’m out in public, people do it to me. I love it. It’s a solid gesture. It lets me know that they’re appreciative of the music. It’s making them feel some kind of way regardless. If you’re having fun doing it, if you’re don’t understand it, it’s the fact that it’s bringing out an emotion out of you. It means my little move did something.

I think it’s up there with the finger-on-the-keyboard move you have.

I do that too. Listen. A lot of things that I did in concert and went viral for dance-wise, I always make sure I incorporate that into the show, because I feel like that’s what people want to see. I can’t get on stage in Brooklyn and not Harlem Shake in New York. That would be crazy. So I always make sure I keep those things in mind. 

“Like You” was another top five record for you on the Hot 100. Speak on some of your favorite memories making the record and the video.

I remember cutting the record in Atlanta. I found the sample. Jermaine was working on something and I was like, “You heard this New Edition album? [Starts humming the melody] It’s ‘I’m Leaving You Again.’ There’s something about this record. JD, please mess around with it?’ I’m getting chills now just talking about it. When he did it, I just felt it. I said, “This is No. 1.” All day I just felt it.

And then at the time, [Ciara] was on fire. She was about to be certified triple-platinum on her first album, Goodies. It just made so much sense at that time in the moment of my life when we were together to record that song. I was the youngest, hottest cat in the game. She was the youngest, hottest female in the game and at that time we were dating. It just made perfect sense for us to collaborate together on a Jermaine Dupri product. And boom, there you have it — No. 1 out the gate. 

Was it tricky for you trying to make a hit with your significant other, but also publicly endorsing your relationship for the first time at such an early age?

Nah, it wasn’t tricky. It’s been done before. I think with us, it was the timing. It was effortless. It just made sense. I don’t even think we were in the studio together. I think I just knocked my stuff out and she came to Southside [Studios] later and did her parts. I just knew it. It just made perfect sense. It was the perfect marriage for that record, and nobody else could have sung that hook and did that verse like how she delivered on that record. 

With “Fresh Azimiz,” people thought it was initially a diss to Lil Romeo — and you clarified later that it wasn’t. Why do you think there was such anticipation to see you and him collide on the mic?

I just think you got two young Black kids, braids, both have hip-hop pioneers behind them. I had the Mickey Mouse, and Rome was wearing the Bugs Bunny. But later on in life, me and him spoke and he kept it real. He said, “Bro. I looked up to you. I’m not even gon’ lie. They always wanted us to be against each other, but I always wanted to be close to you and with you.”

When he told me that, I just took that as a form of big bro, lil bro. He is a grown man now, but Rome, that’s my guy. I have the utmost respect for him — and it was never an issue. The media was trying to make something that it wasn’t. When I came out with “Fresh Azimiz,” and the whole line, “18 making more than your dad” — for the people that know hip-hop, that’s a line from another iconic rapper. I think they took that line and spun it, which I understood at that moment, but I definitely wasn’t talking about Rome at all. 

To round out your crazy 2005 run, we have to talk about your iconic verse on “I Think They Like Me.” 

You wanna know the true story behind that?

Of course.

Didn’t like the record when I hear first heard it. Did not like the song. Did not understand it. I think that’s when were were entering that new wave of hip-hop. That’s when Atlanta and snap music started taking over. I’m an ’80s baby, but I also grew up as a Death Row baby. So I grew up off of hip-hop. I didn’t understand repeating the same words over and over and over again on the hook.

With that being said, I told JD, “I don’t know how I’m gonna be able to be down with this. I don’t know how this ‘gon work.” I remember Jermaine flying to LA, like, “You’re getting on this record. Regardless. I don’t care if I have to force you to do it.” Even though he couldn’t do it, I’d whoop JD’s ass. JD comes up to my chin. [Laughs]. I love Jermaine. That’s my partner. But he really flew all the way to LA. I was filming a movie and I pulled up to the studio. I was pissed. I did not want to do it. The respect that I have for Jermaine, I was like, “All right. Whatever.”

Little do you know, true story — the version of “I Think Dey Like Me” that you heard, that’s it. One take and I left the booth. I went back to the set. I did not want to do it. I did not want to do the record. I did not understand it. It was new to me. And people say it’s the hardest verse. Thank God for mixing, because I rapped it so bland. You can tell I didn’t wanna be here, and I did it like that. I never rapped in the same tone, ever. That’s the only time I rapped it in the same tone, and Jermaine was like the King of Ad Libs. So he had to get behind [the verse]. I did the verse, like, “Take it how you take it.” Next thing you know, No. 1 record and I’m like, ‘Oh, I do like this s–t now. I like it a lot.’ 

Let’s talk about the new record you have with Chris Brown called “Use Me,” which is produced by Hitmaka. You and Chris have history, with songs like “Shortie Like Mine” and “Ain’t Thinking About You.”

I think this record is better than “Ain’t Thinking About You.” For sure. I feel we topped it with this one. “Shortie” is the first baby you hold to heart, but this one is gonna be the runner-up. I feel like with where I’m at with my career, and with where Brown is at — that’s my dog, that’s my brother. We have a group chat. We talk everyday and the fans know that. So when we come together, it’s organic. I love doing records with people that I love and with people I rock with. 

I gotta give all credit to Brown. I remember being at his house and he’s like, “What you doing, bro? I need Bow back. We need you, bro. You tripping. Gang, what we doing?” That kind of woke me up. He was right. He was like, “You’re selling out arenas and you’re not putting out music.” You gotta put something out. I need you. So when he put that battery on my back, I said, “Aight.”