50 Cent's Bad Rap on Bullying

Imagine my surprise when I heard that Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was writing a book on bullying. Um, yeah. You read that right. Fiddy. *pause* On bullying. “Playground,” is a semi-autobiographical novel for teenagers, due to hit bookshelves and Kindles in January.

“I wanted to explore how a kid becomes a bully,” explained Jackson. “I have a teenage son, it is my goal that this will have a positive influence on all teenagers.”

Uh, how about 50 could actually be a positive role model instead of capitalizing, Trump-style, on the recent wave of attention about bullying? Kids are getting pummeled at school, mean girls are swarming in junior high, HBCU college students hoping to join the band (or, since this is real talk, a fraternity/sorority) could face torture. As a result of bullying, kids are depressed and suicidal, some even killing themselves. The much needed concern about bullying shouldn’t be used as another marketing, pocket-lining venture to keep his name on our lips or inflate Fiddy’s already hefty bank account.
 
I mean, who will actually take this book seriously when it’s written by a man whose revenge for petty grievances as an adult are of epic and disastrous proportions? Remember Ja Rule’s career? Jackson proudly boasts, “I ran him out of the business (and once Ja was over, he stole his whole style. Who sings on more hooks than Fiddy?). Move on to his widely publicized feud with Rick Ross, when he tracked down the mother of one of Rozay’s children, took her on a shopping spree at Gucci, and videotaped the whole adventure to post on his personal site, thisis50.com. He also tracked down and released a sex tape featuring the mother of another of Ross’s children. Um…can we say habitual line-stepper?

Jackson’s ire isn’t reserved for men. He complained to CBS News that Oprah Winfrey didn’t like hip-hop and rarely invited rappers on her talk show. Annoyed by Oprah’s indifference, he bought a female dog and named her… what else? Oprah. He tweets about his dog…often.

And remember his fly-by-night relationship with Vivica A. Fox? He didn’t just unceremoniously dump her, he also portrayed her in the media as using him for fame. It got so bad that Viv was in tears on “The Mo’Nique Show.” By the time she visited Tyra’s couch, Viv confessed she’d added a tattoo that read “Strength, Courage and Wisdom” to her arm. “After my break-up with 50 Cent, [India.Arie’s song] was what I listened to almost every day because I needed strength, courage, and wisdom to never let that happen to me again,” she told Tyra. Ouch!

I get it why Fiddy’s writing a book. His best skill is making money, and that means manipulating any opportunity to make more — it’s the American way. But the only perspective he can offer with any realism or sincerity is how to bully, not how to grow up and grow out of it. When it comes to books about bullying, I’ll hold on to my dollars until someone writes a book about standing up to and defeating 50 Cent.

Demetria L. Lucas is the Relationships Editor at Essence Magazine and the author of “A Belle in Brooklyn: Your Go-to Girl for Advice on Living Your Best Single Life” (Atria) In stores now. Follow her on Twitter: @abelleinbk