Bow Wow And Omarion Heal Rift Over Scream Tour

[Damien J.]

Teenage girls no longer have to be torn. The time for picking sides is over. Omarion and Bow Wow have healed the rift that briefly separated them. The holiday season doesn't just bring families together: Apparently, hip-hop and R&B peers can mend fences as well.

"That's my boy," Bow said recently of Omarion. "One thing the fans gotta realize is that before music, we're men. Me and O been knowing each other for five and a half years. The people know we're homies. I ain't got time for that B.S. I'm about to be 20 years old. O is 21. I'm a positive dude. I try my best to keep my head on straight."

The rancor between Omarion and Bow Wow came after the rapping half of the Best of Both Worlds-like duo caught wind that Omarion was going to headline the recent Scream V tour, which ran for a couple of weeks in December. Bow and O had headlined the 2005 version of Scream together.

"Me and Bow had conversations. I told him, 'We ain't going on no more Scream tours,' " Omarion said. "We made a pact. That's my dude. But he heard through the grapevine that I was going back on the tour. He didn't like that idea. But as far as business, I felt like it was a move I wanted to make. Me and that dude got history — I love the dude and wish him the best. But when it comes to business, people gotta make certain moves."

During the press run for his new LP, The Price of Fame, Bow said in so many words that O's participation in the tour was a betrayal and definitely not the right move. But as 2006 was coming to an end, the two friends and collaborators had a chance to talk in New York at Bow's album release party.

"It was cool to see him in the house," Bow said. "He wanted to come out and make sure everything was on good terms. I said, 'Dog, you ain't even gotta worry about that bullsh--.' There's nothing even to discuss about it. It's always respect.

"It was a big misunderstanding," Bow added. "We talked about it. He apologized if it didn't come out clear. I told him I apologized if I took it the wrong way. We squashed it like men should do."

Even with their friendship intact, Bow says he's not sure if he and Omarion — who also has a new release, 21, in stores — will go on tour this summer. He has another partner he wants to hit the road with.

"It's gonna be tricky this time around," he said. "He's already on tour. Next summer I'm doing my arena tour with Chris [Brown]. Management is already dealing with that right now. Hopefully we'll put that out for the people, especially the ladies. I know they're dying to see me and him hit those arenas hard."

Rapping might not be the only thing bringing Bow to arenas in the future. In addition to some other business ventures, he is trying to buy his way into ownership of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

"I'm in the process of franchising my McDonald's," he said. "I own a sneaker store in Atlanta called Prestigious. And me and the Atlanta Hawks could be doing something big in the future. I would become the youngest owner ever in the NBA.

"When it comes to business, I love making money with stuff I love to do," he continued. "Everybody knows I love basketball. I wish I could get out there and play with them, but [the players] are 9 feet tall. So the only thing I can do is invest in the team."

This report is provided by MTV News (MTV.com)