50 Cent Writes Book On Teen Bullies

How’s this for random? Curtis Jackson III aka 50 Cent is a former bully. And now he’s written a book for teens, slated for release November 1, on the subject. Playground: The Mostly True Story Of A Former Bully is the rapper’s partially autobiographical novel that follows a troubled 13-year-old called Butterball (the name, I now…).

Here’s what 50 Cent writes in the book’s intro (fans can read the first three chapters on Entertainment Weekly here):

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.

Celebs like Russell Simmons are praising 50 Cent for tackling such an important issue. And they’re right. It would be easy to make fun of the whole thing, but I think it’s wonderful that the book will resonate with kids who look up to this hip-hop star. It’s also touching to know that 50 Cent wrote the book with his own 14-year-old son, Marquise Jackson, in mind.

(Photo: WENN.com)