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The early 2000s serve as a nostalgic point for many people. However, there are two rappers who had fans in a proverbial chokehold based on their talent and look. These two young men were Lil Bow Wow and Lil Romeo. While many argue that their approach and trajectories differed, no one can deny the impact the two had on culture. From becoming the face of “106 & Park” to going to lead the Nickelodeon show, “Romeo!” – Lil Bow Wow and Lil Romeo were significant parts of the artistic success the 2000s brought. Although those moments live in people’s brains rent-free, if you fast forward to adulthood, the realities of both superstars are far different. Lil Bow Wow now prefers his government name Shad Moss, and Lil Romeo has dropped the little and has fully embraced adulthood as an entrepreneur and businessman. This intersection of adulthood and business acumen is where Romeo finds himself today. And the occurrences that surround the situation are enough to “make ‘em say ugh.”
When one person makes it, the whole team eats — especially when you’re Missy Elliott. The legendary emcee took to social media to remind the world that she has always been one to carve her own lane and that she wasn’t afraid to ensure that her friends were with her every step of the way. “Always been a leader,” wrote the Virginia native in a tweet. “When I got signed I fought for my brothers Timbaland and Magoo. I took a chance and told the label I can’t do a[n] album without them…so they flew them up and they got signed and the world witnessed their greatness. The rest is HERSTORY.”
With two decades in the game, Bow Wow still isn’t letting up on his hustle. In February, the rapper announced his partnership with KISS Colors & Care as its celebrity ambassador, as previously reported by AfroTech. Fast forward to a month later, he’s now the face of the Polaris Make Your Mark campaign, HipHopDX reports. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Slingshot® (@polarisslingshot) As he continues to work with brands, Bow Wow acknowledged in an interview with the outlet that his business ventures’ success is thanks to Jay-Z and Diddy blazing the path before him. “He’s definitely one of the [firsts],” he said in reference to Ice-T sharing in a past interview about Snoop Dogg being a pioneer of the rapper turned mogul pipeline. “I think what Ice-T probably means is this was the first gangster rapper; somebody who came up gang-banging and all of a sudden, everybody in America loves him. And we can credit him for that. But for, me JAY-Z and Puff as rappers in Hip Hop were...
Black Americans were short-changed amidst a promising time for refinancing home loans. According to Bloomberg’s analysis of federal mortgage data, Wells Fargo rejected nearly half of Black applicants who were looking to refinance their homes. Worsening matters, the banking giant approved applications for more lower-income white applications than the highest-earning Black applicants. Engineer Mauise Ricard III experienced Wells Fargo’s rejection firsthand after paying $560.43 to refinance his home in the suburbs of Atlanta. Richard was married to a doctor and had a credit score boasting over 800. The loan officer affirmed he could qualify for a fast-track appraisal. Yet, what should have been a clear green light turned into a string of issues. Bloomberg reports, Richard’s former home was in a predominantly Black neighborhood and he was told by the loan officer “perhaps the area is not eligible” for fast-track appraisal. Later, the loan officer told Richard his rate would increase by...
In January 2022, Bow Wow and Ray J released a joint statement claiming that they were working on a new project together. Atlanta Black Star reported that the pair didn’t specify what they were working on at that time, though the RAYCON mogul teased that he and the “The Price of Fame” rapper (whose birth name is Shad Moss) were working on a new television show. This business move is just the latest of many that Bow Wow has made over the course of his career. Starting out at the tender young age of nine-years-old, when he was going by the name “Kid Gangsta,” Moss had a burgeoning career. During a show in Los Angeles, he was discovered by none other than Snoop Dogg, who gave him a guest spot on the song “Gz and Hustlas.” It was, reportedly, Snoop himself who gave Moss his stage name “Lil Bow Wow.” Since then, of course, Moss has grown up significantly. He’s also expanded his business ventures to include acting, investments, and even a du-rag line. All this hard work, reports Celebrity...
Say what you want about Bow Wow, but let the record show that he’s been securing the bag since he was Mr. 106 & Park. Recently, social media started a debate that on one end was dismissive of the rapper’s music career. Despite the naysayers throughout his two-decade run in the industry, Bow Wow has always run things as a businessman. You may have seen him at your local beauty store over the years after he started his own durag line, Power Wave, with RED by KISS — a hair care company. And it’s now been announced that the collaboration is being taken to a higher level for the former child star. Bow Wow has partnered with KISS Colors & Care as its celebrity ambassador, according to a press release. “From the jump, I’ve been a fan of the KISS brand and everything they do to help us push the culture through hair. I knew from day one, our collaboration would be the perfect fit because I know they care about their customers and giving them the best, top-of-the-line, products,” he shared in...
Cue the “Dinner With Jay-Z” jokes. Bow Wow recently took to Instagram to credit Hova with providing him with a much-needed financial literacy mindset. “We gotta start teaching the youth early about credit and how important it is,” he wrote in the story, per HotNewHipHop. “It’s cool to have cash, but with good credit … man the world is yours! Nothing like looking at all 3 scores and you a 730 or better!!!! Learn the importance of having good credit! Trust me.” He then credited Jay-Z’s “4:44” album with providing him with the blueprint, because “I ain’t never looked back.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by HOLLYWOOD UNLOCKED (@hollywoodunlocked) As fans of the album are aware, the themes in “4:44” include building generational wealth and leaving a legacy to your children — which, incidentally, are the same types of themes that Black women like The Budgetnista talk about in their financial literacy books . But, hey, however you get your knowledge is fine — as long as you get...