The rapper performed in Houston, Texas, on Friday.
Bow Wow is facing the backlash. The Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta star took to Twitter on Saturday to speak out after a video circulated on social media of him performing for a packed, largely maskless crowd at a nightclub in Houston, Texas, on Friday.
The video of Bow Wow performing his 2005 hit "Like You" for a crowded audience amid the COVID-19 pandemic even had celebs weighing in. "I thought about it and have decided I’m not willing to die for Bow Wow," Zach Braff tweeted, while Insecure star Natasha Rothwell wrote, "For... Bow Wow...?"
In a series of since-deleted tweets on Saturday, Bow Wow addressed the controversy. According to the club's Instagram, masks are required, and the rapper said he wore one "up until I got on the mic."
"I just woke up… aww god. Here we go," he tweeted, per Buzzfeed.
"Man i been hosting parties all last year. I wore my mask in the club. I cant host with that thing on," Bow Wow added. "I promise my mask i wore in the club up until i got on the mic. That simple. Keep sanitizer on me at all times."
The 33-year-old rapper also referenced states' different regulations amid the pandemic. "Man texas is open. Atl is open. I cant help i live in a city where we been open since last spring," he wrote.
In a June interview with ET, Bow Wow opened up about the importance of staying safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"It’s definitely a life changing moment, not just for me but for all of us," he said. "I don’t see myself not wearing my mask anytime soon. I hate getting colds, I hate getting sick, if I can prevent it by doing that then absolutely [I will wear a mask]. I even think that when we go on tour, get back to these arenas, I think we’ll see a lot of fans with masks on, designing their own masks, making Bow Wow masks. I think from here going forward, we’re going to see a lot of people taking this seriously. We have to."
"I know I’m following my own rules. Just because the bars here are open in Atlanta -- everything is wide open and people are packing these bars out and no one is wearing masks -- for me, I’m wearing a mask," he continued. "We have to protect each other by all means, and if wearing a mask is that, then I’m down to do it. Plus, it gives me a chance to go out in public and do things I couldn’t do without the mask. So, now I can finally walk down Hollywood Boulevard without security. So, I will continue to wear my mask and I’m sure the fans will too."
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