So So Def mastermind
Jermaine Dupri and his production/songwriting counterpart
Bryan-Michael Cox collaborated with 13-year-old
Lil Bow Wow for
Beware of Dog, an endearing album graced with several pop-rap gems. The lead single, "Bounce with Me," is the best of the bunch, a feel-good rap song that's refreshingly PG-rated. "Bow Wow (That's My Name)" is another clear highlight, an enjoyable song featuring
Snoop Dogg. Also refreshingly PG-rated is "Ghetto Girls," a ballad with good intentions. It's questionable whether
Lil Bow Wow wrote his own rhymes for
Beware of Dog (one suspects not). All the same, there's no denying the charm and vocal dexterity of
Lil Bow Wow, who proves himself genuinely talented, if not exactly a prodigy. He's pretty cute, too.