50 pounds versus the 4-pound

First I want to begin by giving 50 cents affirmative heads up for his apparent concern for the health of the youth in our communities. Recently, the rapper announced that he would be the spokes person and judge for a nationwide cooking competition designed to prevent childhood obesity via improving high school students’ eating habits implemented by his foundations. This program will be sponsored by Glaceau, the company partly owned Mr. Jackson that sells his grape-flavored Vitamin Water drink, Formula 50. The competition will be held in cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle and will ask participating high school students to develop the most “nutrient-rich” cafeteria lunch recipe, with the winner receiving $100,000 college scholarship.

How ironic also that it is estimated that about 50 cents of every US dollar spent on food is spent on eating out. This is from a man who on his web site, has a picture of him holding a pistol grip pump shot gun and Kevlar and who in 2005, an alleged rap related shooting, in which a member of the chart-topping rapper 50 Cent’s “posse” was injured in an incidence involving the Game at Now York Radio Station Hot 97.

I am glad to see his concern, but truthfully think he would have more of an impact on health if he had focused on HIV/AIDS and violence, not in any particular order. But such would not be expected, since this is the same Curtis “50 cents” Jackson who was shot nine times. I mean, “of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 (61%) were African American. In addition, “f the estimated 80,187 African Americans whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 49,704 (62%) were males, and 30,483 (38%) were females.”

Then there is the fact that African America males 15 to 24 have a homicide rate of 83 per 100,000 with deaths due to firearm related injuries being 87 per 100,000, making homicide the leading cause of death for African American males. I just want to say good job Curtis, no doubt you will save a lot of lives and send one high school student to college, albeit more people, especially the ones that listen to and purchase your music, die of homicide and HIV/AIDS. Maybe you ca save more lives if you stop talking about killing folks on your songs and boning women – you think? Good Looking.