Bow Wow Pitches Himself for an XXL Cover [Or Else He’ll Blow the Office Up!]

[Editor's Note: On the song "You Drinking Too Much" off his Greenlight 4 mixtape, Bow Wow raps, "If XXL don’t give me the cover, I’m blowing up they offices.” Here Bow Weezy sells his pitch for an XXL cover.]
AS TOLD TO MARIEL CONCEPCION

It was a line 'cause I always felt like I seen artists on the cover and I’m like, "Yo, this guy never went gold before. How the fuck did he get a cover?” Like, you know what I’m saying? They have no appeal. Just because this rapper might be street, that’s a reason to put him on a cover? But, he sells no records! He has no fan base. So, how does a person get a cover with no fan base and no hit records? Just because you’re street, you get a cover. I don’t get it. I’m like, I sold more records than some of these niggas that be on the cover. You know what I’m saying? And, not to even hate, but Soulja Boy got a cover before me. And, that’s my little bro. That’s my little bro. I don’t know who was behind that, if it was 'cause 50 was a package deal or whatever the case may be. But it was kind of like… And, like I said, I’m not a hater, you feel me? And, that’s my little bro. You know what I mean? But, I would be lying if I wasn’t raising an eyebrow, though. You know what I mean? Because I just felt like, “Damn, man. I work so hard. A nigga sold out Madison Square Garden six times. Only other rapper that can say that is Jay-Z, himself. So, it’s kind of crazy. I don’t know. I just didn’t get it. So, that’s why I said that.

Am I really going to do it? I don’t know. If I don’t get this shit this time, off this album, I might. I just might. But, I will let y’all know off Twitter, like, “Evacuate the building. I’m going to blow it up.” [Laughs] But, I got all the utmost love and respect. I think the reason why I fight for XXL so much is because being a baby brother of hip-hop and being founded by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and being signed to Death Row and just having that blueprint, what’s not hip-hop about that shit? I was found by Dr. Dre and Snoop. I was on one of the biggest rap labels of all time. So, it was kind of like my blueprint. Then, working with Jermaine Dupri, you know what I’m saying? You know? Being a fan of hip-hop, you want to make sure... You want to be on XXL.

You know how many niggas read XXL? I don’t care what rapper [it is], we have XXL in our studio sessions, just sitting on the table. So, it’s kind of like that’s your goal. You want to be on that shit. If you a rapper, you want to be on it. If you play football, you want to be in the NFL. You don’t want to play in the Canadian Football League. You want to be in the NFL, where the best of the best is at. So, that’s how I feel. I feel some of these niggas out here can’t rap better than me, and I do feel like that. I feel like I don’t even got to talk about it. My fans be tweeting the XXL staff. They be letting them know what’s what. They know.

If this time I don’t get it, I’m going to let y’all know to evacuate the building, before I blow it up. I’m not paying for my cover, neither. So, tell her [Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten] I know a lot of artists that got to pay. I ain’t paying, so let her know. I’m going to work for mine. [Editor's Note: XXL doesn't accept payments in exchange for covers.]

It really isn’t complaining about it. It’s really just being a fan of hip-hop and really wanting to be on one of the biggest magazine covers because you feel you deserve it. And, all in all, it just makes me work harder. So, I was like, “I thought I was close.” Shit just keeps me working harder and become a better MC, so I love what they doing. I’ll get it one day. I ain’t tripping. When they call, I’ll be ready. My style is to be ready. I’ll be ready.