Playlist: The Very Best Of Bow Wow

The first Bow Wow compilation to hit the shelves belongs to Sony’s eco-friendly Playlist series, meaning it’s light on the packaging but spot-on with the track list. While this can’t be considered a career overview as nothing from his 2003 release Unleashed is included, if you want the hits, they’re here. The set kicks off with his breakthrough single, “Puppy Love,” a fun, catchy number recorded in 2000 when the rapper was just 13 and came with a “Lil’” in front of his name. The Cars-sampling “Thank You” is as sweet as pie as the still Lil’ BW advises his fans against gangsta rap and “not to follow those dopes.” This might fly in the face of his later, parental advisory-worthy material, but Playlist avoids the problem by pulling just two numbers from the years 2005-2009 — “Shortie Like Mine” and “You Can Get It All” — which are both family-friendly. Everything else is pop-rap at its finest, and while Bow Wow’s 2000-2010 output failed to yield an outstanding album, the singles add up to the entirely enjoyable set you see here. – David Jeffries