50 Cent to publish anti-bullying book, ‘Playground’

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Bullying has long been a schoolyard scourge, but it’s more in the spotlight than ever as the age-old problem evolves with insidious new technological twists. Getting to the root of the issue is a new young adult novel from an unlikely author: superstar gangster rapper 50 Cent.

Embracing the author credo, write what you know, the multi-platinum, multiple-Grammy-nominated artist will soon publish the semi-autobiographical young adult novel ‘Playground,’ about a 13-year-old bully who’s forced to face what he’s done. Published by Razorbill, the novel will be out in January.

Like 50 Cent’s music, which draws upon his rise from the streets as a crack dealer, his book ‘Playground’ will also pull from events in his own childhood and adolescence. In a statement released Monday, 50 Cent said his YA book ‘would have been very helpful for me growing up... Now that I have a teenage son, it is my goal that this will have a positive influence on all teenagers.’

50 Cent is the bestselling author of two books -- his 2005 autobiography, ‘From Pieces to Weight,’ and his 2008 follow-up, ‘The 50th Law.’

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A lesson from the bestsellers: What are you waiting for?

-- Susan Carpenter