Unleashed is the third studio album by American rapper Bow Wow. It was released on August 19, 2003, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 2002 to 2003. The album features guest appearances from Amerie, Baby, Mario and Jagged Edge, with its production handled by Bink!, The Neptunes, Jazze Pha, Swizz Beatz and Lil Jon, among others. It is Bow Wow's only album without assistance or production from his mentor Jermaine Dupri, and the first album where he dropped the 'Lil' from his stage name after his film debut in Like Mike (2002).
Unleashed was supported by two singles: "Let's Get Down" and "My Baby". It received mixed reviews from critics, who felt that despite the changes in flow, production and lyrics, Bow Wow didn't distinguish himself enough to stand out from other rappers. Despite the mixed critical reception it was a commercial success, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 and selling 120,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in September 2003. As of July 2004, Unleashed has sold over 863,000 copies in the U.S. alone.</blockquote>
In an interview with Billboard, he spoke about the album's content, saying that he wanted his fans to follow him on the journey that he has started three years ago with a new sound and different lyrical content that defines his growing maturity.
Music and lyrics
thumb|left|190px|[[T.I. had a ghostwriting credit on the album.]]
The lead single, titled "Let's Get Down", which was co-written by a then unknown, Clifford Harris (aka T.I.). Bow Wow talked with Billboard on wanting to make an impact, after changing his name and wanting to work with rapper Baby, saying that he was looking for a single that would grab people's attention and that Baby's inclusion almost didn't happen but then changed his mind to work with him on the song.</blockquote> In 2009, in an interview with HipHopDX, Bow Wow commented on how getting T.I. to ghostwrite for him on his third album didn't tarnish his credibility as a rapper, saying that he learned about the songwriting process by contributing about 85 percent to the album while T.I. wrote a full song and a couple verses to a few tracks.
"Eighteen", which was produced by Lil Jon, is described as a coming-of-age song, where Bow Wow is proclaiming some things that he wants to do when he reaches that milestone age. "My Baby" is an emotional song that has him comforting a friend dealing with a broken heart.
| rev2 = People
| rev2Score = (mixed)
| rev3 = RapReviews
| rev3Score = (7.5/10)
| rev4 = Rolling Stone
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| rev5 = USA Today
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| rev6 = Vibe
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The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics who appreciated the maturity in the production and lyrics but felt that Bow Wow had not yet found a defining style. Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the album for being consistent with its beats and Bow Wow for changing his lyrical tone saying, "By maturing his musical sound along with his voice, he successfully sheds the "Lil" image for good and makes an effective play for establishing his longevity in the business." and marking Bow Wow's second US top-ten debut.
Track listing
Personnel
- Credits for Unleashed adapted from AllMusic.
- Shilla Benning - groomer, stylist
- Bow Wow - executive producer
- Leslie Braithwaite - mixing engineer
- Josh Butler - engineer, mixing engineer
- Teresa Caldwell - executive producer, groomer, stylist
- Frank Carbonari - graphic design
- Andrew Coleman - engineer
- Tameka Cottle - background vocals
- Kevin "KD" Davis - mixing, mixing engineer
- Derek Delay - engineer
- Kris Feldman - art direction, design
- Steve Fisher - assistant engineer, engineer, mixing engineer
- John Frye - engineer, mixing
- Ken Duro Ifill - mixing, mixing engineer
- Toya McKinney - background vocals
- Charles Pettaway - guitar
- Je Robicheaux - assistant engineer
- Shontelle Sampeur - hair stylist
- Brian Stanley - engineer
- Sacha Waldman - photography
- Cory Williams - assistant engineer
- Mike "Hitman" Wilson - producer
Charts
Weekly charts
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|+ Weekly chart performance for Unleashed
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!Chart (2003)
!Peak<br />position
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Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ Year-end chart performance for Unleashed
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!Chart (2003)
!Position
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! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| style="text-align:center;"|173
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)
| style="text-align:center;"|87
|}