It’s been a bumpy year on social media for Shad Moss—a.k.a. Bow Wow.
The rapper and actor made headlines back in May for pretending he was flying in a private jet on Instagram and then getting caught riding coach on a commercial airline the same day. Now he’s back in the hot seat after an image he tweeted out Monday afternoon turned out to be fake.
Moss tweeted a vintage pic of himself with many early members of Los Angeles’ Death Row record label and included the caption “Where it all started…”
Where it all started … pic.twitter.com/GmyRNaA6a2
— Bow Wow (@smoss) October 16, 2017
The problem? That pic originally ran in VIBE magazine in the ’90s, and Moss definitely wasn’t in it.
Bow Wow was discovered by Snoop Dogg and given his stage name as a direct reference to Snoop’s, so by sharing the pic he was most likely trying to honor his roots. But wedging his cherub face between the portraits of hip-hop legends like Tupac and Dr. Dre, plus notoriously divisive label head Suge Knight, seemed like a stretch to some fans.
Twitter roasted Moss throughout Monday afternoon and evening.
When I saw that pic Bow Wow posted I JUST KNEW he was in there somewhere I was looking for him like Where’s Waldo
— Action Vaxson – The People’s Tweeter (@MrMola_) October 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/BosNaud/status/920027322656342016
Bow wow dropped his debut album on so so def in 2000 …
— MADMAN 37.563936, -116.85123 (@CardoGotWings) October 16, 2017
— THE KID MERO 🇩🇴 (@THEKIDMERO) October 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/chesteripley/status/920005145496350720
https://twitter.com/chuuzus/status/920021624795131904
— jfl✭ (@tvjflo) October 16, 2017
Moss is loosely affiliated with the label, though. Certain fans pointed out that while the image might not be real, it was fair for Moss to claim ties to the hip-hop institution.
Snoop introduced the world to Bow Wow on Arsenio Hall show when he was like 5 or 6. stop hating on Shad, please. https://t.co/0eKbLiVqIY
— timmy (@truelifeofyimbo) October 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/jahmedcarlisle/status/919972208356626432
Moss even shared a screenshot of himself in Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” video as a receipt.
Gin and juice video … 93' pic.twitter.com/w8ZnlZeJKm
— Bow Wow (@smoss) October 16, 2017
1993 pic.twitter.com/037HF4uaQo
— Bow Wow (@smoss) October 16, 2017
As the replies continued to snowball, Moss tweeted an explanation later in the day. Apparently, a fan sent him the updated art, he didn’t make it himself.
“Fan sent me the pic its not the original from VIBE,” he wrote. “I’m like damn it just took me back.”
Facts. Fan sent me the pic its not the original from VIBE im like damn it just took me back i was apart of some legendary shit. Blessed https://t.co/kEbUZhuuIT
— Bow Wow (@smoss) October 16, 2017
“I was a part of some legendary shit,” he concluded. “Blessed.”