Bow Wow's a big boy these days. He's got a hot lady (Ciara), he's got a happening film career (Like Mike, Johnson Family Vacation, Roll Bounce), and with last summer's Wanted he's got the most adult-sounding disc he's ever made ("got women over 35/screaming my name"). The dude likes to chat it up, too. Just back from filming the next installment of The Fast and The Furious in Japan, he called up to fill us in on some of his adult likes and dislikes. See what he has to say about Batman, hotel rooms, and N.W.A.



VH1: Do you miss your musician side when you're deep into a film shoot?

Bow Wow: Oh definitely. [When I was finishing The Fast and The Furious] I was putting together a Christmas holiday tour, and I couldn't wait to get back to the States and get ready. And get back to the studio, too. The studio is my escape route -- it frees my mind. These days people are recognizing me as the "actor-slash-musician," which I have no problem with, but my love will always be with music.



Do you write rhymes while you're shooting a film?

Yeah, but I need to be in a certainly place mentally. I stay in my hotel room a lot, and I have a lot of time to think, to brainstorm. I listen to records; [this last time I] had my DJs ship me 21 tracks of beats. I don't even know if I'm going to use 'em, but I try to write to 'em.



You've got a studio wherever you go. It must seem like Christmas when that box hits the hotel.

Yeah, it does, actually.



Have you played Wanted lately to see if it holds up?

Nah, we listen to our stuff in the studio so much, that when it comes out, we're tired of it; we're ready to start on new music. That's why we've got to stay in the studio and keep pumping out new stuff.



Are you ever overwhelmed by the need to coming up with fresh ideas?

Not overwhelmed, but yeah, I do feel a bit pressured because I'm in the spotlight. You always want to outdo what you did the last time. With the grace of God my last album went platinum. So I gotta make sure that when I come with my fifth album, that one does the same. As long as I stay consistent, I'll be fine.



Name a couple CDs you always go back to when it comes time for you to get creative and inspired.

I listen to a lot of 50, a lot of Eminem -- I love Eminem. A lot of old school records, NWA, Rakim, Ice T, Ice Cube. I can learn from it. I take bits and pieces of what they said but it into my own words, enhance it a little bit. I took a piece from Rakim, on my second album I think. He said "I was a fiend/before I became a teen/I melted microphones instead of cones of ice cream..." but I flipped it. I've said things from Biggie, too. If it wasn't for those guys, we wouldn't be here.



Alright, let's talk favorites. Who's your all time hero?

Batman! I'm a Batman fanatic. He represented everything, I grew up on him. People called me Bruce Wayne for awhile. So he's a childhood hero that still makes the cut now.



What's your favorite sport to play?

Basketball. I've always [been a baller], and I'm very good. As a fan I'm into the Lakers and the Sixers; I love AI, Kobe. For football, it's the Cincinnati Bengals, even though we were eliminated from the play offs. But don't worry; we're going at it real hard next year.



Best video game to play?

Gotta be "Madden" and "NBA Live." I got the new Xbox 360, so that's all I play on that. I beat "Madden" already, so now I'm trying to get to the NBA finals and beat "Live." It's not hard, but there's a little competition on there.



What's your favorite CD?

No question: N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton.



If you're staying in the house, describe a fun night.

If I stay in? Watch movies, order pizza, play X-Box. If I go out, I head to the clubs - gotta club it up a little bit. I don't dance much, I just do my low key thing. See what's going down; DJ's shout me out, that's about it. I haven't been out lately -- too busy.



Name a place that you like to go to relax, a vacation spot.

I get on a yacht and I go to St. Barts. I just stay on the boat and chill. But I can swim, I can swim real good.



What did you want to be when you were a kid?

C'mon, a rapper, always. That's all I wanted to be. [My family] was all for it, they was lovin' it.