Bow Wow Says He’s ‘Thankful’ He Had No Access To His Money Until 18

Rapper Bow Wow catapulted to superstar status at the tender age of 13 with the release of his album Beware of Dog in 2000. Over the next half a decade, Bow Wow, whose real name is Shad Moss, would go on to achieve the type of meteoric success experienced by few in the industry, selling over 10 million albums worldwide and becoming one of only a handful of rappers in history to sell out New York’s Madison Square Garden—a feat he accomplished three times before the age of 16.

In the era of music videos, Bow Wow had a reign of dominance like no other. BET’s hit video countdown show 106&Park deemed him “king” after having to retire 10 of his videos that spent over 65 weeks in the No. 1 spot. In fact, no music artist appeared on the show more than the “Bounce With Me” rapper; and no artist had more videos retired during the show’s run. He was also a hit at the box office, with films like Roll Bounce, Like Mike, and Johnson Family Vacation becoming instant fan favorites.

In short, Bow Wow’s fame had few rivals at the height of his career. And it seems he also avoided the financial pitfalls that often follow those who come into success at an early age, thanks to a California law. In a recent interview with RealLyfe Street Starz, the Ohio-born rapper revealed that he could not access the riches he made from his lucrative career until he was 18. “I really was more into the power than the money,” he said. “When you come into the game at an early age, you can’t touch your money anyway. You don’t get it until you’re 18. That’s just state law. All your money is in a trust. You can’t even touch it. Every dime you get, it’s like a judge that oversees everything. Your mom, your dad, they can’t even get into your money.”

The California Child Actor’s Bill, or the Coogan Law, requires parents of minors in the entertainment business to put 15% of the child’s income in an account they can’t access until they turn 18. The other 85% is used to pay for job-related expenses, taxes, and other incurred fees, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Then, when you turn 18, they hand it over. That’s when it’s like, ‘Holy sh-t.’ You don’t really see it. You’re just doing all the working, and you’re getting all the gifts and the treats from being famous”, Bow Wow said. Though he did not see evidence of his hard work for five years, the rapper considers it a blessing in disguise. “If I would’ve came in the game at 19 or 18, I probably would’ve tapped out the game. ’Cause I would’ve been like, ‘This is crazy that I’m seeing this type of paper and I get to touch it as soon as I hit.’ So I was kind of thankful for that,” he said.