|
''Unleashed'' is the third studio album by American rapper Bow Wow. It was released on August 19, 2003 by Columbia Records. The album features guest appearances from Amerie, Birdman (aka Baby), Mario and Jagged Edge and was produced by Bink!, The Neptunes, Jazze Pha, Swizz Beatz and Lil' Jon, making this Bow Wow's only album to be produced without his mentor Jermaine Dupri. He dropped the 'Lil' from his stage name after his film debut in ''Like Mike'' in 2002. Bow Wow has said in interviews that Birdman and the Hot Boys were an influence on this album due to working to keep up with his PG-13 rhyming to fit in more with the new hip hop culture than his previous. In a ''106 & Park'' interview, Bow Wow revealed that Missy Elliott was slated to make a feature on the album, however her contribution never made the final cut. Originally Bow Wow was to appear on the album's cover with raised twin Glock pistols but the artwork was pulled at the last minute after the imagery was deemed unsuitable for many of Bow Wow's younger fans. ''Unleashed'' received mixed reviews from critics who felt that despite the change in flow, production and lyrics, Bow Wow didn't distinguish himself enough to standout from other rappers. The album debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with 129,000 copies sold in the first week and spawned two singles: "Let's Get Down" and "My Baby". A couple of months later the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with an excess of 500,000 copies sold. ==Background and development== Following the release of his sophomore album ''Doggy Bag'', Lil' Bow Wow achieved minor success on the R&B charts with "Thank You" and "Take Ya Home". In 2002, after finishing production on his debut film ''Like Mike'' and releasing his cover of "Basketball" for the film's soundtrack, Bow Wow dropped the "Lil'" moniker from his name completely. In an interview with MTV, he said he wanted to distinguish himself from the other rappers who had the word in their moniker: "All these Lil’ rappers, I’m just kind of getting real irritated by it. I said, 'You know what? Drop the Lil'. Forget it. I’m Bow Wow.' Besides, I’m growing up, I’m not little anymore. (just decided ) two weeks ago. I really got irritable. It’s all these Lil’ cats, forget it. I’m Bow Wow now. Everything is just 'Bow Wow,' no 'Lil' Bow Wow.'" He spoke about the album's content in an interview with ''Billboard'', saying that he wanted his fans to follow him on the journey he started three years ago with a new sound and different lyrical content that defines his growing maturity. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Unleashed (Bow Wow album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|