50 Cent is known for many things: Being a successful rapper, getting shot 9 time and surviving, making stupid comments on Twitter, and parlaying rapping into smart business moves. But, if you asked people if they thought 50 Cent would ever write a children’s book, they’d probably give you the side-eye. However, that’s exactly what he has done.
50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson) is gearing up for his next venture — author.
In his new book, “Playground: The Mostly True Story of A Former Bully”, 50 Cent tells the semi-autobiographical story of a 13-year-old reformed bully named Butterball.
Bullying has been garnering a lot of news coverage lately. Although it has plagued children for generations, recent incidents of suicide have caused many schools and parents to take a look at the issue again.
In the introduction of “Playground”, 50 says he wrote the book to “show a kid who has become a bully — how and why that happened, and whether or not he can move past it.”
Although 50 will be the first to admit he hasn’t been “role model material,” his intentions for writing the book – to prevent bullying and help bullies get help – are admirable.
PLAYGROUND Introduction
I’ll be the first to admit that not everything I’ve done in my life has been role-model material. I’ve been on the wrong side of the law. I’ve been in violent situations. I’ve also been a bully. I know how a person gets to be like that. That’s why I wanted to tell this story: to show a kid who has become a bully—how and why that happened, and whether or not he can move past it. Writing Playground was a personal journey for me. There’s a lot of me in Butterball. I drew on events that happened in my childhood and adolescence as well as things I saw around me. I also tapped into some of the feelings I remember having at that age—feelings about my family, feelings about my future, feelings about other kids on the playground. Living life on the edge has taught me a lot, like the fact that being mentally strong will get you ahead in life. But being a bully won’t get you anywhere. Some kids don’t figure that out until it’s too late. Does Butterball? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson III
New York, New York
