Lil’ Bow Wow couldn’t get the gig.

He wanted to make E proud, to finally get a good job. After all, E’s only other client, Vinny Chase, wasn’t exactly working either.

But well, he got turned down at the interview. This all happened Sunday on HBO’s Entourage.

Charlie, the character Bow Wow plays, is a struggling, young comedian – talented but not quite big time yet. Kind of the opposite of Bow Wow.

Make fun of his rapping or his choice of a wife beater as preferred dress all you want, but he’s a success. Out of a small group of rappers who started as children in the last 20 or so years, only Lil’ Wayne stands out above Bow Wow at this point.

Being a young rap star is a tough go. You don’t want to sound like a gimmick, but you can’t always rap like the big kids, either. For instance, both Lil’ Wayne and Bow Wow’s mother’s refused to let them curse when they started out around the age of 14.

Some adolescent stars keep rapping well into adulthood and find success. Most flame out. Here’s a quick rundown on some of the more popular young rappers and what they’re doing now.

Matured nicely

1. Lil’ Wayne – Fans got the first taste of a 14-year old Weezy on the Hot Boys debut album, We On Fire, in 1997. Now he’s the arguably the most popular rapper out there.

2. Bow Wow – Barked with Snoop Dogg in 2000 at the age of 13. Since then, he's had two albums go double platinum and another one coming out later this year.

3. Lil' Romeo- He never had one good song and "Romeo" might've been the worst show of all time. Viewers spent every episode wondering who had less talent, Master P, the father, or Romeo, P's son. That said, Lil' Romeo is finding success now. He's playing basketball for USC on a full scholarship. Be sure to call him by his real name though, Percy Miller Jr.

Still Wishing They Were 16

1. Kriss-Kross - They were bound to fail from the beginning. The two boys wore all their clothes backwards, trying to make a fashion statement and stand out. Too bad no one alive would ever want to do that. It's far too uncomfortable. The duo reunited last year with plans to release an album that no one will ever buy.

2. B.G. - The Baby Gangsta was Cash Money's top millionaire when he released his first album as a 15-year old in 1995. Now he's not even on the label. As mainstream listeners started tuning into Juvenile, Lil' Wayne and the Big Tymers, B.G. got left behind.

3. Mobb Deep- Sure, they've made several quality albums, including classics like The Infamous and Hell on Earth, but Mobb Deep is nothing now. The duo went from stars as teenagers to jokes in the 21st century. Jay-Z ripped them apart, even noting how they used ballet dance in high school, in "The Take Over" and Mobb Deep has never recovered.