Rapper Lil Bow Wow has revealed Thursday that he is a father. The 24 year old whose real name is Shad Moss wrote in a letter to his fans on his website that he has a three year old daughter with ex-girlfriend Joie Chavis. Bow Wow has chosen to keep his daughter out of the public eye to try to keep her life as normal as possible.

Bow Wow says this experience has made him into a changed person. He writes, “For the past 3 years i been batteling life. Even thought about taking my own. I felt like as a kid i did everything and saw everything too fast which spoiled my adult years. I felt as if i had no purpose to live (Thinking selfishly) until god gave me the illest gift of my life,” he wrote. “My lil girl is getting BIG fast. i love every minute of it. She inspires me to go harder. Even made me treat my mother better, its like it made me into a man over night.”