Wanted is the fourth studio album by American rapper Bow Wow; it was released on July 12, 2005, by Columbia Records. The album debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 120,000 copies in the first week. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping over a million copies in the United States. Clean versions of "Fresh Azimiz" and "Let Me Hold You" were recorded. This was Bow Wow's first album to contain uncensored profanity, albeit only in the form of the word "nigga". Wanted received mixed reviews from music critics. The album spawned three successful singles, "Let Me Hold You" featuring R&B singer Omarion, "Like You" featuring R&B singer Ciara, and "Fresh Azimiz" featuring rappers 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. As of October 2006, the album has sold 956,000 copies in the United States.
Commercial performance
Wanted debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 120,000 copies in the first week. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping over a million copies in the United States. As of October 2006, the album has sold 956,000 copies in the United States.
Critical reception
The album received mixed 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 negative 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."
