No Disrespect To The Panel, But The Masked Singer’s Frog Is Painfully Obvious

So far, every season of The Masked Singer has had one contestant who energizes the crowd and puts on a spectacle that wows the panel and audience. For the first season, it was Donny Osmond as the Peacock. Wayne Brady took over in season 2 as the Fox which eventually led to him winning the show. Well, it seems like season three’s hype man is going to be the Frog, who I’m pretty sure hasn’t stopped dancing since he first glided onto the stage. He isn’t the most impressive singer, but his stage presence and moves make him a top contender. He could go all the way, but I don’t think viewers will be waiting that long to determine who is hopping around the stage. The Frog isn’t trying too hard to disguise his voice which makes me pretty certain I know his true identity.

The Frog appeared to have an old school vibe with his purple, feathered hat, and suspenders when the first photos of the contestants were released. But, the way he moves on stage makes it obvious that this is a young guy who can definitely dance. Based on his physical appearance, we can also tell that he is on the shorter side. Panelist Jenny McCarthy was the first to comment on his stature, calling him “Kevin Hart little,” while the others noted that he has swagger. 

The Frog’s first clue package included a microphone next to three bills, a $100, a $5, and a $1. Newspapers appeared on the screen with headlines like “Tadpole plucked from a large creek!” A microphone with a thumbs up “like” was also briefly shown. The Frog then rapped MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” and even borrowed the '90s musician’s iconic dance moves. 

For his second performance, Frog continued his hip hop trend and rapped along to an unusual arrangement of “In Da Club” by 50 Cent. He seemed mostly focused on nailing his dance moves but the panel loved it. The second set of clues included the line “frog-eat-frog world.” A desk was also shown along with a basketball and a typewriter. The letters “C,” “S,” and “I” were highlighted on the typewriter. 

The Frog’s friend shoutout in his third clue package was the most obscure compared to the others. An invisible woman stood in a mansion and said she has known the Frog since he was “a tadpole” She also said he had an entourage from when they first met in Los Angeles, CA. She then emphasized his childhood stardom again, adding that she took him to his first late night talk show even though it was past his bedtime. The Frog was “way beyond his years” according to the mystery woman. 

The Frog decided to switch things up and sang for the first time with his rendition of “You Dropped A Bomb On Me” by The Gap Band. Guest and season 1 winner T-Pain commented that he thought he recognized the voice and fellow panelist Nicole Scherzinger agreed. While presenting his special clue, the Frog said that he was ready to quit music but now he is back. “I’m here baby,” he said, keeping his cool, confident persona. He sent his friendship bracelet to “my friend T Pain” because “All we do is win.” 

It wasn’t nearly as long as Group A’s absence from our screens, but we missed the Frog and his funky dance moves for a few episodes. Thankfully he made his return for the super nine and brought his cannot-sit-still energy with him. He said being on The Masked Singer has reignited the “passion for performing that I’ve lost over the years.”

Each contestant shared a super clue with the panel and the audience. The Frog’s super clue was a statue of a knight in shining armor. He also poked fun at panelist Ken Jeong. (Who doesn’t do that on this show?) He said Jeong can’t stop being wrong and sang it to the tune of Sisqó’s “Thong Song.”

He certainly knows his strengths. For his fourth performance, the Frog decided to rap again — this time to Kris Kross’s “Jump.” He, of course, showed off his super fast dance moves as well. He revealed in his extra clue that he is not a trained dancer.

Honestly, the Frog’s identity might be more obvious than the White Tiger, which makes it baffling that none of the judges have thrown this rapper’s name out yet. He is a rapper who isn’t changing his voice as he performs rap songs. There is no denying that Bow Wow, real name Shad Moss, is the man behind the Frog costume and his awesome dance moves. But let’s break down the clues anyway.

The panels pointed out that the Frog isn’t very tall and has a lot of charisma. Bow Wow is around 5’7” and would be comfortable performing on stage since he started rapping as a child. His early career also connects to all the references of the Frog beginning as a “tadpole” and having to be chaperoned to events. According to IMDb, Bow Wow’s first music video shoot was for Snoop Dog’s “Gin & Juice” in 1994, making him only 7 years old! From there, Bow Wow appeared in multiple music videos and television shows like Moesha while beginning making albums at a young age.

Other clues have focused on the other aspects of Bow Wow’s career. The three bills could be referring to his former hosting duties on the music video show 106 & Park. The basketball and microphone with a “like” on it connect to Bow Wow’s role in the 2002 comedy Like Mike where he played a 14-year-old boy who joins the NBA. He also starred in the short-lived 2015 series CSI: Cyber, hence the letters emphasized on the typewriter. Oh and the “frog-eat-frog world” is a play on “dog-eat-dog” which clearly points to Bow Wow. 

The Frog hasn’t shown off his singing skills which makes sense considering Bow Wow is known for rapping. He has taken a break from music (his last album was released in 2016), but prior to his hiatus he released multiple songs featuring T-Pain. T-Pain would obviously recognize his voice so saying “All we do is win” helped confuse the season one winner and make him think of another artist he collaborated with on that song. 

The Masked Singer can’t be more obvious with the Frog’s clues, yet the panel remains inexplicably confused. A major clue was that he has missed his passion for performing. Plus, he mainly performs rap songs. This is practically a flashing neon sign telling the judges that the Frog used to be a childhood star and popular rapper, like Bow Wow. Sisqó is a reasonable guess, but the show wouldn’t be that transparent after clearly referencing his most popular song in the clue package. 

The Frog’s super clue might be the most subtle hint to Bow Wow’s identity so far. In Bow Wow’s film Like Mike, the fake NBA team that he joins is called the Knights. The panel didn’t pick up on the reference to the movie earlier, so it is likely the show will keep mentioning variations of this clue. 

If you scroll through a few of Bow Wow’s retweets on Twitter, it is clear he doesn’t shy away from compliments.

The Frog’s extra clue that he isn’t a trained dancer doubles as a small hint about the Frog’s personality. He wants the audience and panel to know how naturally gifted he is which is a trait the Frog and the rapper share. 

Bow Wow and the producers aren’t really hiding his identity, but so far they don’t need to. The panel is way off, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Frog rap and dance his way to at least the semi-finals.