‘Be a good judge of character’

Students at the American University in Dubai (AUD) had a special reason to come to class on Thursday. To get a glimpse of rapper, 50 Cent, hundreds of students packed into the main auditorium as he took to stage amidst loud cheers.

“My music leads me into other ventures and it gives me new opportunities,” said the rapper, Curtis James Jackson III, who is also known for his business ventures and humanitarian work.

“I’ve been here before and I must say Dubai is one of the best cities I have been to,” he said when asked about his Dubai visit. “A luxurious place always has a nice reputation,” he said.

Speaking about the energy drink ‘Street King’ which he launched in 2011, Curtis said: “I partnered with the United Nations Food World Food Programme to provide a free meal for a child in Africa for every drink sold. Till date, we have given away 3 million meals.”

Believing in inspiring other musicians to work for humanity rather than make endorsement dollars, Curtis said: “I wanted to create a project which motivated others also to make a difference.”

50 Cent also launched his own line of headphones on Wednesday at GITEX. He has convinced the local distributor to share a portion of the sales proceeds with an autism centre in Dubai.

Advising students to make good friends, 50 Cent said, “The most valuable thing is to be a really good judge of character.”

Sara Al Aalam, a student from the University who got the opportunity to interview 50 Cent said it was an experience of a lifetime. She was selected from more than 15 students.

“He is a really humble person. He proves that no achievement is too big for someone to stop dreaming,” she said. —muaz@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE