Bow Wow wants rappers to unionize: “Hip-hop needs a board”

Bow Wow has presented a unique idea to his fellow rap artists: That they should form a workers’ union.

The rapper and actor took to social media to posit his thoughts on the issue over the weekend (January 15), drawing parallels to the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their trade union the Players Association. “A committee that can set rules, keep things in control, and protect this thing we call hip-hop,” he tweeted.

Bow Wow also wanted to create the union in order for “OG rappers” to have retirement plans. “I hate seeing my [heroes liquored] out,” he wrote. “No money, just washed.” View the original tweet below:

Hip hop needs a board! No different than the NBA w/ the players association. A committee. That can set rules and keep things in control and protect this thing we call hip hop! And have a retirement plan for the og rappers. I hate seeing my heros liquor’d out no money just washed

— Bow Wow (@smoss) January 14, 2023

The idea saw support from the organisers of long-running hip-hop festival Rock The Bells, who replied to Bow Wow on Twitter. “Our hip-hop heroes deserve better; that’s why we started Rock The Bells,” they wrote. “Their legacy is our legacy; without them there is no us. There is no hip-hop.”

Bow Wow is currently touring through Australia and New Zealand as part of the line-up of Juicy Fest, a nostalgic hip-hop bill featuring American artists that largely achieved their peak of popularity in the 2000s. The line-up also includes Nelly, Ja Rule, Ne-Yo, Xzibit, Chingy, Mya, Twista and Pretty Ricky.