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The world according to Bow Wow: think being a recording artist is easy? Think again. (How They''re Living).

Article Excerpt
Many teens believe that being a teen entertainer is "the life" because it seems cool to get paid to be famous. Some think that it is all about rapping or singing on TV, performing on stage, and shopping for all the "tight gear to floss." But beyond the glitz and glam, teen entertainers have to mature quickly in order to serve as a good employee to their boss--the music industry. BLACK ENTERPRISE'S Teenpreneur followed Bow Wow as he prepared for the first concert of the Scream II tour.

Press Time--after bad weather, delays in New York, and plowing through 200 screaming girls outside, Bow Wow hit the 10:00 a.m. press conference held at the Memphis Mid-South coliseum, the concert venue. In his red, white, and yellow Kansas City Chiefs jersey and matching hat tipped low over his eyebrows, this cool and calm 15-year-old slid into a room that anticipated the teen star but happened not to recognize him at first glance.

The room hummed with the excitement of media and well-connected fans. Bow Wow announced that the Centers for Disease Control's VERB campaign would officially sponsor the Scream II tour. The press conference lasted for an hour. The rap star was in and out quickly; his time is valuable and every minute has meaning. He received a proclamation and key to the city from the mayor, an honorary membership to the Memphis Grizzlies by the National Basketball Association (NBA), and answered questions from...