COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fresh out of high school, 18-year-old rap star Bow Wow (search) isn't ready for college just yet, despite his mother's desire to see him go.
"Hey, I never promised her — but uh, yeah, college, honestly, is really not on my mind right now. I'm so busy," said Bow Wow, who is touring to support his fourth album, "Wanted" (search).
"If I do it, it'll be later on. If I had to do it, I'd major in business," Bow Wow said before a concert appearance here Thursday.
Bow Wow, who spent his early childhood in nearby Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and now lives in Atlanta, told The Columbus Dispatch that his new album deals with adult subject matters, such as money and urban struggles. No more dog and puppy metaphors.
"In order for me to gain respect as a mature rapper, that's what I had to do," said Bow Wow, whose real name is Shad Moss.
Moss, who was christened Lil' Bow Wow by rapper Snoop Dogg (search), is the youngest solo rapper to hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts. He dropped the "Lil'" in 2003.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox