Bow Wow On His Upcoming 'Most Controversial' Album: 'I Never Felt Like I Could Be Me...'

Bow Wow has been going through some major growing pains.

Looking to completely ditch his teenybopper image, Shad “Bow Wow” Moss now curses freely in interviews, parties in nightclubs until wee hours of the night, and is working on what may be his most important album to date.

“This album will be my most personal and probably most controversial because of the title,” Bow told VIBE last Monday (Nov. 1). “Some might hate on it, but it’s true. It’s going to make people understand why I’m feeling like that. I haven’t announced the title, but I pretty much have it confirmed in my head. This is what I want, and what I’m asking for.”

The 23-year-old rapper/actor is coming off the highly successful Ice Cube-produced film Lottery Ticket and plans to release a documentary titled, Who is Shad Moss?, to better acquaint his with the real Bow Wow.

“There’s a certain perception of me. But I’m ready to open up and give the world all of me,” he says. “I had to sacrifice acting up an image that I never wanted in the first place, and I did it because it was the only situation that was going to put my mother in the right place and take care of my family. But it doesn’t feel good doing shit that you don’t really feel good about. I never felt like I could be me. Now, I’m ready to say if you don’t like it, than you don’t like me.”

The J.D. protege took his identity issues to Twitter on Saturday, with a series of tweets regretting his fame-driven lifestyle. "I swear i be wishing i was dead sometimes. Because i feel like that's the only way ill get peace," he tweeted Saturday (Nov. 6). "People don't know me man. Yall don't ... start looking at Shad. Not Bow wow. Fuck Bow. I go through shit daily. I'm Just like yall"

Bow Wow continued: "I sacrificed my life for this Hip Hop shit. I put my "REAL" life on hold. If i could do it over.... I wudda went to school. Got me a reg job."

Perhaps his upcoming 7th album—with guest features from Lil Wayne, Nelly, Fabolous, Boyz II Men, and Game already confirmed—will shed more light on Bow Wow's soul-baring comments.

“I felt overlooked my entire career, and felt like I never got credit for anything that I’ve ever done," Bow Wow told VIBE. "This is what everybody turned me into—a little beast and now I’m on attack mode.”

Bow Wow plans to release his as-yet-untitled titled solo album in early 2011. —Mikey Fresh