Just yesterday, rapper Bow Wow wrote about being in a “dark place” on his page.
“Man I be gettn bored wit life. I wish I neva did and seen err thang so soon. I have nuffn to look forward 2. I’m down more than I am happy…” he wrote.
Bow, who was recently dropped from Columbia after meager album sales, went on to say, “In a dark place! Goodbye” sparking discussion about whether the 22-year-old rapper was possibly even suicidal.
A week prior to Bow’s confessions, Soulja Boy ranted about not being fulfilled by his fame.
“Thinkin about taking all my money and leaving. F**k having a Million followers f**k putting out music.. why?…” he wrote on Twitter.
His comments drew such an overwhelming response that he felt compelled to write a blog to further clarify his feelings.
“… To be honest, you can only drive that brand new phantom around the corner oh so many times… and when you are done driving, it really don’t mean s**t. I thought money was gonna bring me happiness. And that is the farthest thing from the truth. Money f**ks you up,” he wrote on his GlobalGrind.com blog.
Stars using Twitter to share such personal feelings leads some people to wonder if it’s a publicity stunt, or a legitimate cry for help. No doubt, Bow Wow and Soulja Boy experienced a great deal of success early on, and have been forced to deal with pressures that exceed their age and possibly, maturity level.
So, if it’s all a publicity stunt, kudos for great orchestration. But if it’s not, perhaps their outbursts should be taken as serious cries for help and instead of harshly criticizing them, we should take their statements at face value, and leave them alone as they go through their growing pains. –jh