A mystery really that nobody (meaning the general public) know for sure. But fans & the general pub (including on the coli) rarely know shyt except what they're
presented with.
But goin back, it's uncertain. He got "discovered" by Snoop & Dre at one of their Chronic tour (the original one in 1993) & got up there on stage and rapped. But most people don't believe it went like dat. They feel he had relatives in the business or something like that or already in the game. But he was named after Snoop - "Lil Bow Wow". But knowing JD at the time he was such a Dre & Snoop dikkrider, with Da Brat & himself too back in 1994 sounding like plastic Snoop & Dre.
But eventually he came out with JD.
But its hard to say whats really real in the industry. But most things arent what people - again, including on the net - believe. There's usually a behind the scenes story.
