Happy 9th day of March: My baby Shad Moss aka Mr. Wow is 21 today!!!

Shad Gregory Moss started as L'il Bow Wow and then he became Bow Wow. Now he's legal Bow Wow! Happy 21st birthday! Congrats Teresa. You did it! March 9th 1987. My son Eni turned 21 too last month. We're free at last!

Bow Wow was born in Reynoldsburg, Ohio to Teresa and Alfonso Moss. His mother worked three jobs to care for him after Alfonso left the family. Teresa later married Rodney Caldwell, and Bow Wow has two half sisters Erica and Jasarah.

At age five, he started his career in rap using the moniker "Kid Gangsta". One year later, in 1993, he performed at a Chronic tour in Columbus, and was noted by and rapper rapper Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, who subsequently gave him a stage name, "Lil' Bow Wow". Dr. Dre later hired him as an opening act, officially gaining him a spot on the Death Row Records roster. "Lil' Bow Wow" then appeared on a skit on Snoop's debut Doggystyle.

Remember those kids on the sofa jumping in the "Gin and Juice" video when Snoop's crazy parents were on their way out? One of them was Bow Wow, the one with the #22 shirt and hair plats! The dad in the video said "whose damn kids are they anyway?" I watched this kid grow up!

In 1998 exactly 10 years ago at the age of eleven, Bow Wow was introduced to record producer Jermaine Dupri, who helped shape his MUSIC career.

He's an ACTOR too! Bow Wow has had guest appearances on Brandy's TV sitcom, Moesha as well as The Steve Harvey Show. He made his major acting debut in the film Like Mike which was released on July 3, 2002, where he starred as a young orphan who gets a shot at the NBA. Before Like Mike he made a cameo in All About The Benjamins as Kelly and in "Carmen: A Hip Hopera." He co-starred with Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa L. Williams, and Solange Knowles in Johnson Family Vacation. Since the success of Like Mike, Bow Wow has starred in several Hollywood films, including Roll Bounce and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, released on June 16, 2006. Bow Wow was a guest star on the television show Smallville in November 2006 in the episode entitled "Fallout." In January 2008, Bow Wow appeared on Ugly Betty as himself. That was c-rr-azy! Omarion was on there too!

Alright birthday boy, you can now do this legally with the real thing. It was white grape juice in there when these were taken!! I WAS THERE! Good PR stunt that went all over the web as underage drinking! NOT!!!!!!

Teresa, if you are reading this, remember what I told you that hot 100 degree afternoon at that Conyers, Georgia Walmart in 2004 when no one dare wear make up or dress up in that freaky weather? My e-mail is on the top right of the blog. Reminder clue.......Remember the firetruck in the back when the one girl collapsed and fainted on the sight of your son? We had to call 911 and the medics said it was not weather related but Bow Wow related! LOL! That was during the L'il Bow Wow days. Boy, was he a cutie then? Still is!

Before you know it, Eni and Shad will make us Grandmas! His classmate Mario Barrett at Millford Mill Academy in Pikesville, MD is now "Dancing with the Stars." BTW, Teresa, Eni hated that magarita in the end. My baby won't be drinking at the clubs. LOL! Happiness is when you see these kids all do well! They are all 21 now! There's my surprise birthday gift below....