Music Review: Bow Wow

Bow Wow, "The Price of Fame" (Columbia): Ex-kiddie rapper Bow Wow opens his fifth album explaining how he's dealt with fame's high price. Granted, the Ohio rapper's much-publicized break-up with R&B hottie Ciara probably hurt even more when Internet rumors alleged the relationship was merely staged to make him appear manlier. But being blog fodder is about as rough it gets for Bow Wow, the 20-year-old MC who's spent most of his formative years in a child star bubble. Any angst comes from his girl drama, not street drama.

On the bland "The Price of Fame," he gets all heartachy-breaky twice — on the bouncy, reconciliation attempt "Tell Me" and the slow-burning "Outta My System" featuring T-Pain's vocoderized croon. The latter sees Bow Wow rhyming to guess who: "You still running through my mind when I'm knowing that you shouldn't be."

Yet wallowing in the emo muck isn't wise strategy for someone who's trying to become a credible adult MC. Hence Bow Wow spends the bulk of the disc tossing off empty boasts about his wealth ("If I stood on my wallet, I'd be bigger than Shaq") and his young heartthrob appeal ("Ladies on the homie like I'm Denzel/ Shirt off, big chain-rocking like I'm LL").

The production, handled mainly by Bow Wow's mentor Jermaine Dupri, is often as tired as his lines. The strident, piano-driven "Give It To You" recalls a hard-bumping G-Unit throwaway beat while the serpentine synths of "Don't Know Bout That" is cookie-cutter snap music. Such missteps are curious signs that as Bow Wow grows older, he's not getting much wiser.

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