Although music has been the main focus of his career thus far, Bow Wow is determined to get his acting chops up to rival Will Smith.

According to Reuters, the 21-year-old rapper made the decision recently, and has joined the upcoming fifth season of HBO's "Entourage" in a recurring role as a stand-up comic named Charlie.

Like Bow Wow, Will Smith became as a rapper, but parlayed his popularity into acting, which has certainly paid off.

"After 16 years in the music industry and six successful albums, I've decided to shift my energy to something else I'm passionate about, acting," said Bow Wow. "I'm going to try to be the next Will Smith."

Bow Wow is currently shooting in New Orleans for a film called "Patriots," a sports drama about a high school basketball team in post-Katrina Louisiana. The film also stars Forest Whitaker and Isaiah Washington.

The young rapper has already begun to build an impressive acting resume, boasting roles in past films such as "Roll Bounce," "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," "Johnson Family Vacation" and "All About the Benjamins." And has recently wrapped the indie "Driving Lessons."