He shot to fame as a baby-faced rapper aged 13. But BowWow isn't so little anymore, and the now 24-year-old has revealed to his fans that he has become a father.
After previously slamming websites who reported the news, the Like You hitmaker has admitted that he welcomed a little girl, Shai Moss, in June.
Writing on his website, the artist, real name Shad Gregory Moss, told fans: “My lil girl is getting BIG fast. I love every minute of it. She inspires me to go harder. Even made me treat my mother better, it’s like it made me into a man over night.”
He added: “I waited so long to tell y’all the truth because I was nervous on how y’all would look at me. Y’all know everyone makes a big deal out of everything I do. I wanted to be 1st n let y’all know the real.”
And his fans will indeed look at him a little differently, after BowWow revealed: “Yes! I change diapers. Aint as bad as I thought hahaha.”
One website published what they claimed to be a picture of the rapper with his daughter, but BowWow denies it is genuine and says he won't be allowing Shai into the public eye.
“Never been a fan of posting pix of my daughter”, he wrote. “Reason is because I want my boo boo to have everything I didn’t. I know how fame is. I missed out on so much.”
Shai Moss' mother is BowWow's ex-girlfriend and music video star Joie Chavis.
The rapper, who found stardom as Snoop Dogg's young protege, laments being so far away from his daughter, who lives with Chavis.
“I want her to live with me so bad. Jus us 2,” he wrote. “Thats my dream man but fellas yall know how it go. Baby gotta stay with they momma and all dat bull. I hate that!
“So i have to fly 5 hrs away to see her. I find myself going into my phone book jus lookn at pix of her. Sometimes I tear up cuz i just can’t believe it brotha be emotional.”
He adds: “The bs that comes with having a baby momma is expected. So i neva trip. Jus gotta suck it up keep chin high and try not let her get the best of my feelings by playin them stupid games.”
The artist, who has also acted over the years in films Like Mike and Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, discussed his personal struggles in the blog.
“For the past 3 years I been battling life. Even thought about taking my own. I felt like as a kid i did everything and saw everything too fast which spoiled my adult years. I felt as if I had no purpose to live (Thinking selfishly) until god gave me the illest gift of my life”.
?