‘I Ain’t Never Looked Back’: Bow Wow Credits Jay-Z for Influencing His Outlook on Credit and Financial Literacy, Fans Question His Perspective

Bow Wow is taking financial literacy notes from one of hip-hop’s wealthiest moguls: rapper Jay-Z.

Bow has been in the rap game since the age of 13, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that he began to understand the importance of having both cash wealth and an excellent credit score. 

Bow Wow. Photo: @shadmoss / Instagram

Sharing his thoughts in a Tuesday, Nov. 16, Instagram Story, the 34-year-old wrote, “We gotta start teaching the youth early about credit and how important it is.” He continued, “It’s cool to have cash, but with good credit … man the world is yours! Nothing like looking at all 3 scores and you a 730 or better!!!! Learn the importance of having good credit! Trust me.”

Bow, whose real name is Shad Moss, further added that his changed outlook is at least in part to due to the gems “The Blueprint” rapper shared throughout his 2017 album. “Can’t lie JAY-Z 4:44 album got me on my shit and I ain’t never looked back.” A trend throughout the 10 records is the importance of building generational wealth and building familial legacies of financial freedom.

Circa four years ago the “Let Me Hold You” rapper’s attempt at flexing on social media went awry, causing many of his fans to question his finances. While making it appear as though he was chartering a private jet, Bow Wow was exposed when a fan snapped a photo of him as he was sitting on a commercial flight — not the private jet he’d just shared online. The moment spurred an entire #bowwowchallenge in which fans poked fun at the rapper by sharing their own photos flexing assets they truly did not have. 

However, with time can come maturity, and in this instance that may very well be the case for the rapper who has two children and plans to retire from rapping. Still, his fans hotly debated his stance on credit being king over money in the bank.

“This why celebrities be rich but worrying about bills. Getting s—t off credit and loans,” commented one person. “Ehhhh…yes good credit is cool but nothing trumps cash. This thinking will forever hold us back,” and “First thing he said I actually agree with,” wrote others.

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