Bow Wow has had a rough 5-10 years since his childhood super stardom. Many child stars have a difficult time transitioning from someone who appeals to only the youth to someone that adults love once they grow older. Some artists like Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake were extremely successful at it, but for plenty of others like Bow Wow…it just doesn’t work out.

Yesterday, Bow Wow surprised viewers of 106 and Park when he was brought on the show as the fourth new host. The young rapper will now have a permanent spot on the countdown show that viewers can watch daily on BET. He will be joining Detroit Hot 107.5 radio DJ’s Shorty Da Prince and Paigon,  and former Howard University student Miss Mykie who also sings.

The big question is…is this a great opportunity for Bow Wow? Or does this show how badly he’s fallen off? Take a look at what the Columbus, Ohio native had to say:

 It feels good, it feels refreshing, it feels right. I feel that no other artist could have done anything like this. If another artist were to do something like this, they would think that they fell off or got played and I agree. I think the only reason why I am able to get away with this job, and to add something so major like this to my credentials, is the fact that everyone knows the history of Bow Wow. Not only with BET but 106 and Park. I was like the first artist to really jump it off and create this audience and I’ve been connected with them for 13-14 years. Me being named ‘Mr. 106 and Park’ and not only that, but having the most videos ever retired on BET.  So to have all that, it’s like ‘why not’? It makes sense.  I think for an artist, if you don’t have those connections and never had that type of history and the people didn’t know it, I think they would see it a little different.

I’m in a new city. I’m in New York.  I get to live here. Move around and work with a lot of artists that I’ve been dying to work with. Now they can’t dodge me because they gotta come through my spot. Even if you take the origin of 106 and what it means. Even with Free and AJ, they set the bar so high. BET went through a  transitional stage once they left, then they got Terrence and Rocsi.  After you get four hosts like that that America has loved over the past four years, and that’s all they’ve been seeing, it’s like, ‘Where do you go from there’. [Because people don't like change].  So it’s like, if you change it then make it big. Man, this is big. I’m not saying it because it’s me. It’s big because they’ve never had an artist do something like this before.

I think that sometimes you have to put your pride down in order to get paid. He’s not doing anything disgraceful to him or his family, so who cares what the critics think? This could be a great segue into an awesome new career as a host. I’m happy for him.