Bow Wow Wants To Become An ‘Artist’s Artist’ With Greenlight 3.

Street Star: Bow Wow

Holding It Down For: Cash Money

Mixtape: Greenlight 3

Real Spit: Bow Wow’s Greenlight 3 has a yellow light for now. Bow definitely plans to put it out, but he’s delaying it for a couple of weeks. He wanted to let his film “Lottery Ticket” breathe before he dropped his new project.

“It’s important for me to do the Greenlight mixtape, because the fans want it. Where I got the title, the whole Greenlight title came from Jermaine [Dupri],” Bow explained. “He was gonna name his album Greenlight. I asked him: ‘What you gonna do with it?’ I took it and ran with it and created a brand. G1 set the tone. G2, I told you, it did a million downloads in a day. I never knew it was gonna be like that. I didn’t know if it’s me signing to Cash Money or because it was free. This is the third one, and it’s the last one. And it’s gonna complete the series.

“Greenlight 3 has 12 original records. It’s gonna sound like a brand-new album,” he added. “It’s easy to take a verse and put it on whatever’s hot. To make songs, that’s what a lot of artists or MCs have a hard time with. Making records. I did it this time for it to be original, because you see what’s going on with Chris [Brown] and the ‘Deuces’ record. That’s off the mixtape, what you think is off an album. I did that intentionally, because I could probably have three singles — which I do. I feel like I got three singles off the G3. G3 is to prepare people of what’s to come from the album.”

Joints to Check For

» “Why They Hating.” “The reasons I had to do that record is because I always felt like I’ve accomplished more than a lot of cats in hip-hop who get that response, that recognition,” Bow answered. “But it’s funny, because maybe I don’t act as hard as they do, or I don’t be talking about certain stuff they be poppin’ on their records so people wanna downplay my success. You really can’t. There has to be a reason why.”

» “A Lot on My Mind.” “That’s me talking about a lot of real personal situations that I never opened up about in record. I talk about how my girl, I got caught up with a situation with a girl, and she got pregnant. I got the call when I was doing the ‘Lottery Ticket’ movie. That record is more personal. It deals with issues I’m going with now as a young man. Real-life situations. That’s what’s interesting about me. I had to find a way [to express myself]. I feel like everybody has a story no matter what. I haven’t told my story. I been holding onto it because I been scared. Now, me being at Cash Money, I wanna turn into the artist’s artist. I feel like I gotta open up and talk about these things. It’s a three-verse record. Each verse deals with something personal within the last two years that you don’t know about. It gets crazier when you listen to the whole mixtape.”

» “Talk That Sh–.” “That’s self-explanatory. It’s me going off. Doing what I do. Lyrically, I’m just improving. Every mixtape gets better. I’m bringing Jadakiss onboard for the album. Just to have that lyrical push from somebody who is well-respected in hip-hop. Somebody who can give me that perspective or that knowledge I never had. I’m trying to take it to whole new level. Every thing is about greatness with me. Working with great actors. I’m working with Tyler Perry on his next film. It’s about working with great people, and hopefully I can take some stuff from those guys.”