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‘AGT’ took a wild turn when this ‘cat rapper’ started meowing on stage — but the judges surprisingly loved it

"I think kids are going to love that song," Simon Cowell said

Over the years, the 'America's Got Talent' judges have witnessed many rap performances, with some of them being terrific, while others have not lived up to their expectations. In the fourth round of auditions for season 20 of 'AGT,' Portland-based "Cat Dad" MoShow tried to impress judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Mel B, and Howie Mandel with a catchy song called 'Meow.' Before he started his performance, Mel asked him if there was anything he would like to share, to which he said, "I consider myself the ultimate cat dad." Taken aback, the judge asked, "So, as in, you have lots of cats?" The rapper said he has five cats before dedicating his performance to all the "cat people in the house." 

Mel wasn't too happy with the repetitive song that revolved around being a pet parent and had a lot of "Meow, meow, meow." She immediately hit her buzzer, voting "no." Vergara, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the feline rap song. As soon as MoShow wrapped up his performance, an amused Vergara said, "I’m gonna be singing this song for the whole day and night." Soon after, Mel chimed in, “Oh, my god. Clearly, I am the only sane one on this table. I have cats. I'm an animal lover, but I didn't like the song." When Mandel was asked to give his feedback, he said, "The truth is, it was not terrible. But for Season 20, you’ve got to be better than not terrible.”

Vergara voted "yes" to keep MoShow in the NBC talent competition, but Mandel felt that the act wasn't ideal, and he ended up voting "no" as the studio audience booed him. Mel followed in Mandel’s footsteps and voted “no.” Cowell, however, gave a “yes” and added, “I think kids are going to love that song.” At the end of the day, the rapper failed to receive three "yes" votes from the judging panel, and that marked the end of his journey on 'America's Got Talent.' Despite that, he appeared in good spirits and told the host, Terry Crews, “Cat people around the world, they know what I’m talking about.”

Before his performance, MoShow candidly opened up about how his entire life was shaped by music and how he brought "something different to the table." “Music and rap was the soundtrack of my life. It kind of took me out of the projects, and gave me inspiration that one day, I can get out of here, and I can change my environment. My mom always said, it’s not where you come from, it’s where you’re going. So, I always kind of kept that in my mind," he said at the time. 

After the episode aired, several fans took to social media to share their honest thoughts on MoShow's cat rap and praised his performance. One netizen wrote on YouTube, "Moshow is a fantastic community builder and helps cats with his own songs. He's a joy that wants to bring smiles to everyone. I wish they'd have taken a moment and asked about his volunteering with shelters." Another voiced his support, saying, "We cat people love MoShow and will always support him. You should see him rapping with his cats! So talented. Mel B, go home!" A third cheered him on, "MoShow, you are amazing!! Thank you for repping all of us cat people. DJ Ravioli would be so proud!"