'Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta': Bow Wow says he's used to quarantining, shares how BLM matters to him as a dad
Rapper Bow Wow invited fans into his quarantine life in a special episode of 'Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta' titled 'Bow in the Q'. Much like the rest of us, the rapper's life is significantly impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Just days before the Covid-19 outbreak, Bow Wow celebrated his birthday and was gearing up to start a sold-out tour. Naturally, that isn't going to be happening, so in lieu of being able to meet fans on-location, Bow Wow brought the fans to his home instead.
That premise, on its own, might not seem all too different from the show's usual content. 'Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta' has centered around Bow Wow's return to Atlanta to release his first album in years, which would have been his final release before he made his final exit from the industry so he could focus on raising his child. The show additionally featured Snoop Dogg and Jermaine Dupri as mentors to the rapper, as well as a couple of members from Bow Wow's ATL crew, including Dupri's daughter Shaniah Mauldin; and Ayana Fite, the daughter of Beastie Boys' DJ Hurricane.
Atlanta is one of the hotbeds for hip hop music, so it seemed fitting that Bow Wow would make his 'last stand' there. Throughout the show, viewers have seen the rapper at work while also getting to witness some aspects of his life. But the special episode sees Bow Wow navigating the lockdown as reflects on his life and career and things get gritty with glimpses into the rapper's beefs including his arrest and assault charges. Speaking about the episode, the rapper shared in an interview with ET, "I’m in a space of my life where I just want them to see that I’m down to earth just like them. I’ve been a homebody, I’ve been quarantining my whole career, so I’m used to that part, but I really want them to see a down to earth guy when they watch the special. I want them to see things they also can relate to -- whether that’s how I order my food, or how I’m learning how to wash clothes for the first time. I’ve tried my best to not show a lot of my personal life and that’s why we have this show, to give them a glimpse of that when they watch it."
He also added that as an executive producer he had creative control over the episode, which allowed him to dictate what could be filmed. Nonetheless, he prioritized authenticity, stating, "I’m not trying to hold back anything." The episode also looked at Bow Wow and his team making the transition from their touring schedule to a lockdown and having to take safety precautions while working. "It’s definitely a life-changing moment, not just for me but for all of us," stated Bow Wow. "I don’t see myself not wearing my mask anytime soon. I hate getting colds, I hate getting sick, if I can prevent it by doing that then absolutely [I will wear a mask]. I even think that when we go on tour, get back to these arenas, I think we’ll see a lot of fans with masks on, designing their own masks, making Bow Wow masks. I think from here going forward, we’re going to see a lot of people taking this seriously. We have to."
The rapper also made it abundantly clear that, along with his crew, he is taking the pandemic seriously. "I know I’m following my own rules. Just because the bars here are open in Atlanta -everything is wide open and people are packing these bars out and no one is wearing masks - for me, I’m wearing a mask. We have to protect each other by all means, and if wearing a mask is that, then I’m down to do it. Plus, it gives me a chance to go out in public and do things I couldn’t do without the mask. So, now I can finally walk down Hollywood Boulevard without security. [Laughs]. So, I will continue to wear my mask and I’m sure the fans will too."
But in addition to the pandemic, the episode also saw Bow Wow get real about his own personal journey. And in his interview with ET, the rapper reflected on the Black Lives Matter protests that have been taking place worldwide. No stranger to using his platform to speak out about the movement, the rapper has been encouraging fans to protest safely. But years ago, he was singing a different tune, one that many read as him implying his being mixed race meant he couldn't relate to civil rights matters. While those comments got him a significant amount of backlash, Bow Wow told ET that they were "misconstrued," adding, "This is the first time I've been affected by anything that's happened in our nation. It made me want to get out and get involved."
Where he once stated he would only believe "what the eyes see," the rapper now states, "By me looking out the window and seeing all races, all colors, protesting, marching for the cause, I felt like, 'Yo, I gotta get down there and walk with them.' That's what I did. It's right in front of me... something has affected me here in our country. I got a 9-year-old daughter that I'm raising during this crazy time, asking Dad questions, and I'm making sure I got the answers. You get the answers by getting out there, getting active, watching the news. For me, that's been the biggest change."
For Bow Wow, who began his career as a child, he doesn't feel like he faced challenges owing to his race. Admittedly, the early success and being in the company of successful mentors and collaborators certainly helped him along. "[Racism] definitely lives in our business, but I haven’t been a victim of it," he stated. But for the rapper, learning how to use his platform wasn't quite so easy. "I'm not a politician, I understand I have a platform, but a couple years ago I said, 'Listen, I'm just going to stay away. I'm going to vote, and if I vote then I did my part. I was younger, self-centered, and didn't know all the facts," he admits. "I'm 33 years old now. It's time to change."
The special episode, 'Bow in the Q', of 'Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta' aired on Thursday on WE tv. The show, which premiered in 2017 and wrapped up its third season last year, is set to return with new episodes later this year.