Common Sense Note
This music, filled with arrogant posturing that somehow comes off as cute, doesn't dig deep--but that's OK. It's fun to listen to and careful not to offend. Teenagers are obsessed with self-image and the mysterious world of dating and relationships. Why should Bow Wow--at 16--be any different?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kathi Kamen Goldmark
At 16, Bow Wow's voice is changing. With UNLEASHED, he successfully sheds the "Lil" image and begins establishing himself as a likeable and relatively inoffensive rap artist.
Most of the songs are about--well, about Bow Wow. No longer produced by Jermaine Dupri, he's brought in some of hip-hop's heavy hitters to help him out: Swizz Beatz, Jazze Pha, The Neptunes, and Lil' John. Baby guest stars on the Jazze Pha produced lead single "Get Down" - a song about Bow Wow as ladies' man. "Eighteen" is both wistful and cocky, a fantasy about what life will be life upon reaching that magic birthday--a popular theme with teenagers for generations. (Remember "Wouldn't it be Nice" by the Beach Boys?) "The Movement" provides the only moment of social consciousness on the CD, and "To My Mama" is a sweet tribute to Bow Wow's mom, Teresa Caldwell--who also shares executive producer credit.
The rest is playful, arrogant swaggering, well-produced and well-performed. He's not breaking any new ground here, but Bow Wow is growing up, and it will be interesting to see where he takes us next.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentNothing explicit--one reference to "pimping", lots of adolescent fantasy that comes off as cute. |
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ViolenceNo violent imagery. |
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LanguageUnleashed walks a carefully constructed line, calculated not to offend. |
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Message |
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Social Behavior"The Movement" (the only thoughtful song on the CD) delivers a positive message about overcoming adversity. There's also a sweet song about his mom. |
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CommercialismPlayful mentions of Maserati, Porsche, Burberry, Prada, and Gucci. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoBow Wow is high enough on himself. |
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