| Wanted | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Bow Wow |
| Cover: | Wanted_album_cover.jpg |
| Recorded: | 2004 - 05 |
| Genre: | Hip hop |
| Prev Title: | Unleashed |
| Prev Year: | 2003 |
| Next Title: | The Price of Fame |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
Wanted is the fourth studio album by American rapper Bow Wow. The album was released on July 12, 2005, by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. The production of the album was primarily handled by Bow Wow's long-time producer Jermaine Dupri (who also executive produced the album), Bow Wow, Lil Ronnie, LRoc, Bryan Michael Cox and No I.D. The album also features guest appearances by Omarion, Snoop Dogg, Ciara among others. This was Bow Wow's first album to contain uncensored profanity, although it did not receive a Parental Advisory label.
Wanted was supported by three singles: "Let Me Hold You" featuring singer Omarion, "Like You" featuring Ciara, and "Fresh Azimiz" featuring J-Kwon and Jermaine Dupri. "Big Dreams", the remix to "Fresh Azimiz" featuring Mike Jones and "Caviar" featuring Snoop Dogg, were service as an accompanying music videos. Clean versions of "Fresh Azimiz" and "Let Me Hold You" were recorded. The album received mixed to positive reviews from music critics and was commercially successful, debuting at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 120,000 copies in the first week, and eventually being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2005.
The album received mixed to favorable reviews from music critics. Steve Jones of USA Today found some change in Bow Wow and his music, concluding with "This album doesn't break any new ground but marks the coming of age of a likable artist." David Jeffries of AllMusic praised Bow Wow for his charisma throughout the album, despite its B-level beats and that its marketing towards a teen demographic. He concluded that "At the very least, it's an interesting way to develop a child star into an adult star, and a hook-filled one at that." Angie Romero of Vibe highlighted the first two singles off the album but found everything else to be lackluster, saying "The rest of Wanted finds him struggling to carve his niche as a grown rapper minus the Bow Wow bounce. Matt Jost of RapReviews gave a mixed review, criticizing the generic production from Jermaine Dupri and finding Bow Wow to be unspectacular in the material given to him. He concluded by saying, "With Wanted, he's still 'in transition', chances for a turnaround are still intact, but the way things are looking Bow Wow is speeding down a dead-end street."
Wanted debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 120,000 copies in the first week.,[1] and becoming Bow Wow's third US top-ten album.[1] In its second week, the album dropped to number five on the chart, selling an additional 61,000 copies.[2] In its fifth week, the album returned to the top-ten at number ten, selling 51,000 copies.[3] On December 19, 2005, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over a million copies. As of December 2006, the album has sold 956,000 copies in the United States.[4]
The CD side of the disc contains the original 11 tracks.
Bonus DVD
Adapted from the Wanted liner notes.[5]
| Chart (2005) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 93 | |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] | 19 | |
| Chart (2006) | Position | |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 95 |