50 Cent, continuing on his journey to change the world for the better, visited NBC’s “Today” show on Oct. 25 to promote his new book, Playground, an anti-bullying novel for teens. While there, the humanitarian emcee discussed his connection to bullying and the inspiration behind his new novel.
For Playground, 50 Cent and co-writer Lizzie Akana present an anti-bullying message through the perspective of a teenage bully on a quest for redemption from his bullying past. And as the tagline for the book reads, it’s a “mostly true story” inspired by 50 Cent’s life.
According to HipHopDX, When asked by show co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, why teenagers would be interested in reading his book, Fiddy explained that his image and star power allow him to be more relatable to kids and help them better receive his anti-bullying message.
“When I present something, it’s a little different because of the energy and the material that I’ve created musically,” explained 50 Cent. “A lot of the times, the kids that would actually be a part of being the problem are listening. So, when I offer it they’ll take the time to stop and read it.”
The father of a teenage son, Marquise Jackson, 50 Cent explained that his concern for his child’s well-being and life direction fueled his desire to speak up against bullying.
“Because my son is 15-years -old … it’s a relevant issue for me,” said 50 Cent, adding that his experience as a bully, victimizing other kids, inspired him to tackle the issue. “I had more experiences where I was part of the problem, where I was actually bullying. So, to know now from an adult’s perspective, I can look back on those actual situations and say ‘that was completely wrong.’ But I know now what was motivating it.”
As 50 Cent notes, after years of mishandling his deep-seated anger and aggression and living a rough-and-tumble life, it was his son who originally inspired him to change his ways for the better.
“He’s my motivation … when he was born, I had to change everything,” said 50 Cent.
Though 50 Cent still struggles a bit to control his anger, having recently lashed out at the public for failing to support his Street King charity efforts, the rapper’s efforts to channel his energy into his philanthropic work are nothing short of commendable. Playground hits store shelves on Nov. 1. –nicholas robinson
