Dominique White came to Breslin Center to see her future husband Friday night.
“Bow Wow is so fine!” said White, a 15-year-old Charlotte High School sophomore. “I’m going to marry Bow Wow, just to let those other girls know.”
But fellow 15-year-old sophomore Dominique Kowalk disagreed with her friend’s analysis of the teen rapper. She said teen R&B singer Mario looks way better and is more talented.
“He’s older, he looks better and he can sing,” Kowalk said. But unfortunately for Kowalk, she didn’t get to see her heartthrob.
Actor and rapper Bow Wow was supposed to play Breslin with Mario as his special guest, but because of a traveling problem, Mario was a no-show, leaving many fans disappointed.
Despite Mario’s absence, Bow Wow rocked the crowd. Performing hits including “Take Ya Home,” and “Ghetto Girls,” the 15-year-old rapper, along with dancers and the opening acts, drove screaming fans wild.
Shortly before the concert, a few fans got the chance to see Bow Wow in person. Pontiac resident Chevelle Simpson’s 14-year-old daughter was sick with chicken pox, so she attended in hopes that Bow Wow would autograph her daughter’s jean jacket.
“She absolutely loves him,” Simpson said, holding up the jacket, which had an airbrushed photo of Bow Wow on the back and paw prints lining the sleeves.
“She has pictures of him all over her room,” she said. “If I don’t get this jacket autographed, she’s gonna kill me.”
Also performing were Denim, a girl group that describes its sound as “a mix of R&B, hip-hop and pop,” and Bow Wow labelmate R.O.C.. Bow Wow also had some help from DJ Shakim, who spun records in the background.
Knowing that fans would be upset over Mario’s absence, Bow Wow made sure they didn’t stay disappointed.
“My man Mario wanted to be here so bad. Since he’s not here, we’re gonna do this for him,” Bow Wow said, going into a version of Mario’s hit “Just a Friend 2002.”
Bow Wow also took a moment to pay tribute to late R&B singer Aaliyah, and DJ Shakim did the same for Jam Master Jay, who was killed Oct. 30.
“Jam Master Jay was an idol of mine. This is for all my people aged 25 and up,” Shakim said, energizing the crowd by doing a few tricks on the turntables.
Wearing an MSU basketball jersey with “Bow Wow” printed on the back, the young rap star invited four girls from the audience to sit on stage with him while he performed “Puppy Love.”
“Oh, it felt so good,” said Markena Arthur, one of the girls who made it on stage. The 15-year-old high school sophomore from Flint was still shaking after the show, almost in tears.
“When he was looking at me, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe he’s standing right here in front of me,’” she said.
