Whether he’s driving Madonna's rhinestone encrusted limousine onstage during the Grammy Awards, or getting a little help from basketballers Alonzo Mourning, Rasheed Wallace or Jason Kidd, Shad Gregory Moss, 14, (Lil’ Bow Wow) is proof that good things can come in...well, you know the rest.

Moss fans can catch the 4 foot 8 inch rapper this summer jammin’ the rock from the foul line, and using NBA opponents Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton and Dikembe Mutombo like a bar of soap in the comedy/fantasy "Like Mike."

The Columbus, Ohio, "pup" stars as 14-year-old Calvin Cambridge, a day dreamer who finds a pair of discarded Michael Jordon basketball shoes that give him Jordan like hoop skills. The shoes enable Camridge to fulfill his fantasy of leading a struggling NBA team to the championship.

Dubbed the "prince of hip-hop," Moss, who began rapping at age 5, is quickly becoming a film veteran having already starred in this year’s "All About The Benjamins" with Ice Cube and having made several television appearances including "Party in the Park," "Carmen: A Hip Hopera" and "Moesha."

Moss received his colorful nom de plume from the head dawg himself, Snoop Dogg, when he was rapping between acts on the Chronic Tour rap concert. Snoop Dogg caught Moss’ rhymes, invited him to tour and nickname him, "Lil Bow Wow."

During the next seven years, Moss worked on the soundtracks "Wild Wild West" and "Big Momma's House," and released his first CD, "Beware of Dog," which includes the hits "Bow Wow (That's My Name)," featuring Snoop, and "Bounce With Me" — a number one rap single that lasted eight weeks on the charts.

Moss has been featured in songs with rappers Snoop Dogg and Will Smith and has joined other rap artists on Destiny's Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin'" remix. He’s also one of the few rap artists whose lyrics are clean.
"I feel real good about being a role model," Moss says, "because so many kids are looking up to me already. But I have to tell them that you can't be like me. You've gotta try to be better than I can be. You've gotta try to be yourself, really."

Moss released his second album, "Doggy Bag," last December, and his DVD featuring his hits "Take Ya Home" and "Thank You" hit record stores last month.

But it’s his starring role in "Like Mike" that’s going to tell whether this "pup" has acting chops, or if it’s just a big hoop dream.