For Lil' Bow Wow, there is no time to be shy in Chi-town. The 14-year-old is in Chicago this week shooting the video for "Thank You," the first single off of his December 18 release, Doggy Bag, and he's trying to interact with his fans.
"I'm loving it, I'm feeling it," he said of the shoot via cell phone Thursday. "So far so good. The kids are everywhere. They're waving to me right now."
Directed by Mark Klasfeld, the clip will keep with the song's theme of the teen titan going around thanking everyone for his success. A source within the So So Def camp said to expect scenes in the video where Bow Wow performs at popular Windy City record store George's Music Room and pops at a female fan's birthday party.
The whole So So Def family, including newest member Fundisha, makes cameos in the video, and production should wrap up on Friday (November 16).
Bow Wow said that like shooting the video, making his second album was a breeze. "I'm hoping it's gonna do better than the last one," he said. "I was more comfortable, it was a lot easier, too. Plus, I wrote some stuff. I had a lot of fun with this one."
Last month, So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri said Bow Wow hadn't written any material as of yet for the album (see "Lil' Bow Wow Puts Down Video Games Long Enough To Fill Doggy Bag"), but the youngster said he was able to pen some of his own lyrics before Doggy Bag's production wrapped.
"It feels good because I put all my effort in, all my hard work, all my time into it," he said about writing rhymes. "For me to go in the booth and record, it's excellent to say 'I wrote that' and get other people's compliments. I'm not nervous at all. I come out hungry, ready to do it."
"We did a sick record for Bow Wow," said one half of the Neptunes, Pharrell Williams. "The hook is sick. It's got little girls going, 'I said a Lil' Bow Wow/ You just don't know/ How you move so fast, across the floor/ 'Cause you be running through my mind like all the time ... ' It's sick, yo. That little kid is focused. He wants to win, man."
Bow Wow, who has a small role in the upcoming Ice Cube and Mike Epps action/comedy, "All About the Benjamins," will go back in front of the cameras next month for his first big screen starring role.
"[It's called] 'Like Mike.' I play this kid that switches back from foster home to foster home and I go to the NBA at a young age. Its gonna be a real good movie."
Before he bolts off for Hollywood, though, he has to finish getting love in Chi-town.
"We're in the 'hood right now," he said. "The kids are going crazy, they never seen nothing like this, so they're having a real good time. I'm having a real good time with them."
