I’ve never heard a note of youthful hip-hop wunder-kid Bow Wow’s music, but I can tell you after seeing his exuberant turn in Roll Bounce, the kid has comic and dramatic chops that made me shut up, sit up and pay attention. The nostalgic ‘70s Chicago skate flick follows a bunch of inner city teens who spend a lazy summer vacation at the local rink en route to coming of age. I recently caught up with now eighteen-year-old Bow Wow, who after family roles in Like Mike and Johnson Family Vacation, is primed for some grown-up transition notes to follow the teenaged, Roll Bounce groove. He’s still a teen, mind you, but he’s every bit as fast-talking, direct and genuine as his too confident, too young screen counterpart

Lee Shoquist, ReelMovieCritic.com: So I heard you went to a ‘70s boot camp to get acclimated for Roll Bounce, which takes place before you were born.

Bow Wow: I had to watch a lot of things before I did the movie. I had to watch old TV shows like "Good Times," and movies like Cooley High, in that state of mind and that would make me understand what the ‘70s were about. I had seen Cooley High before but had never gotten the chance to check out "Good Times."

LS: You just pick up the attitude.

BW: You want to watch the lingo, the posture, the way they move their hands when they talk.

LS: What do you think about that era?

BW: When I see it, it’s crazy. It’s like, ‘This is how people used to dress and used to be back in the day?’ To get a chance to relive it was really cool and neat, to just step out of the box and act out something that I had never even had a part of. So it was cool.

LS: Tell me about the skating. Did you skate before?

BW: I knew how to skate prior, so it was easier for me. I had an advantage over a lot of the cast. I could put on the skates and learned quickly, so the skating part was really easy for me.

LS: So no months of training?

BW: No, I did like two and a half weeks of rehearsals, and that was just to get the choreography. As far as skating and doing the moves in the movie, 89% of it is me. I was doing all of that! They put us through a lot and we wanted to make it as authentic as possible and bring that 70s vibe into it, and gave it our all.

LS: Roll Bounce is a really funny coming of age story. It’s also got some pretty serious father-son stuff happening with you and Chi McBride. I’m sure when people see the trailer they’re going to think it’s a skate movie, but it’s actually more than that.

BW: Yes, that’s what I tell people. It’s not just a skate movie. There are so many other things that are going on in this movie that people go through in real life, even now. It’s just one of those things that I liked to beat people over the head with—yeah, there is skating involved, but there are things outside of skating. You can’t stay in the skating rink all the time—you do have to go home. What happens when you go home? I think that’s what people are not really going to expect. When you watch the trailer, you see so much of the good fun stuff, and then when you go it’s like, ‘Oh, wow, I didn’t even know this.’ I was very pleased and happy once I read the script, and it was something different and I think that’s why this movie is so good—it touches all angles and everybody can relate to it in their own special way.

LS: You’re really effective in the dramatic scenes. The kitchen table scene comes to mind. It must have challenged you.

BW: Yes, definitely, and it’s good because it will give me the opportunity to take on more roles that I would love to play and that they will let me play after they see that, which I think shows my diversity as an actor and I’m glad that the writers wrote something like that for me and that I was able to display it. I feel like I did a good job at it. It took a lot for me to get there but I’m glad, because I can do it. I’ve done family movies like Like Mike and Johnson Family Vacation, so for me to step out and do something a little bit on the edge shows my maturity and growth.

LS: Do you see yourself ultimately leaning more on movies as opposed to music—or vice versa?

BW: I don’t know. I’m going to let them weigh each other out. Whichever one weighs out, that will be the one I will lean more onto. My music will always have a place in my heart. Sometimes I feel like I don’t want to do it anymore, and I want to do movies. Sometimes I feel like I don’t want to do movies, I want to do (music). I’m playing tug or war. I don’t think I can ever choose.

LS: Do you see yourself as a role model?

BW: I do because a lot of kids want to be like me. They want to be like Bow Wow. I feel like more of a leader that people follow.

LS: Do you sometimes just want to be yourself and not worry about all that stuff?

BW: I’m myself regardless. Sometimes people ask me to be myself and they can’t take it, but it is what it is. I only know how to be one person and that’s me. That’s how I’m going to continue to be. I can’t please everybody in the world—I know that. I will always continue to stay myself.

LS: The kids of the era of Roll Bounce seem so innocent compared to teens now. It seems like they are just having a good time, going skating and not concerned with as much as teens today.

BW: Right. Just hanging out.

LS: You’re 18. How would you describe teenagers today?

BW: Man, nowadays it’s about who’s got the freshest clothes, who’s got the new Jordan’s, who going to meet the girls. It’s still the same in a way, but it’s a revamped class at a new school. By the time I’m going to be thirty and have kids, it’s going to be different. Just going to keep getting different and different. Music has a lot to do with it, and culture. Everybody wants to be cool. I think that’s what it’s all about now—who is really the freshest.

LS: I’ve heard some insane stories about your fans. What’s the craziest thing you remember?

BW: Right here in Chicago I had a girl that actually jumped off the loading dock and onto my tour bus! It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

LS: Did she at least get to meet you for risking her life?

BW: She did! That was really wild.

LS: Do you connect with your fans a lot?

BW: Definitely! I actually made a song- shot my video right here in Chicago, for a song called "Thank You" that I did specifically for my fans. I always recognize my fans. I think a lot of artists do because they are the reason why we are still here and successful. They have a lot to do with it. We put out the music they want to listen to, and they buy it.

LS: What are you going to be doing ten years from now?

BW: Probably done with music and on to acting.

LS: Do you feel like a rookie working with someone like Chi?

BW: I leaned on Chi, and I don’t really take advice much because I’m a hardhead and I like to do things my own way. But I definitely listened to Chi. I respected him so much and he helped me out so much. I don’t think I could have been able to do a lot of those scenes if it wasn’t for Chi, and I respect him for that.

LS: The movie talks about dreams—to win a contest, win the love of your family or a girl. What are yours?

BW: To be the first rapper to ever win an Oscar. On top of that, to get a Grammy, and then I’m good.

LS: Are you going to keep your name as an actor?

BW: Oh, yeah, without a doubt. Definitely.