Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s Sire Spirits brands, Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi Champagne, and the G-Unity Foundation announced a partnership with the Washington Commanders on August 21st, one month to the day Josh Harris, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and David Blitzer purchased the NFL team.
50 Cent On Sports
The Washington Commanders deal is 50 Cent’s eighth professional sports partnership, beginning with the Houston Rockets in March 2022.
The cool part for 50 Cent? Among his notable experiences with his sports partnerships are his MLB championship ring from the Houston Astros and ringing the siren before the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup win, to name two.
There’s plenty more to name, too. But philanthropy takes the top spot, per my 50 Cent interview. “Where music is played, spirits are consumed,” and like music–spirits and sports go hand in hand. It turns out sports and philanthropy also have interplay.
50 Cent On Philanthropy
“It’s like a cheat sheet. I probably wouldn’t be involved as much in philanthropy, but having the relationships makes it easier. You see me more around it because connecting through what they’ve developed on the ground allows me to get into something I know is effective already.”
His G-Unity Foundation aims to empower youth in inner cities, but poverty and access to opportunity, much like profitability, is dynamic. Writing checks is easy, but facilitating change is hard. “I’ve donated to organizations since 2004. But I didn’t offer my time. Now I’m able to coordinate,” 50 Cent said.
That’s what makes this different. The teams can leverage his influence, and Jackson can leverage their local infrastructure, all for the community’s benefit.
There are challenges.
Population growth, inflation, political instability, economic downturns, and other factors can push more people into poverty. Nothing is static, especially in inner cities. Plus, altruism can make some oblivious to cultural nuances. If an untrusted messenger carries a message, the message is meaningless. No one will heed it.
Who knows the challenges faced by inner-city kids better than 50 Cent? He almost lost his life to them. That’s all public record. Evidence also shows support is robust and ongoing, so there’s a path to progress.
But the bigger problem, according to 50 Cent, is that “people aren’t conditioned to give away what they work for. But if they started those businesses with that mindset, like if we created Google, how different would our life be if we allocated 10% of its proceeds to extreme poverty?” Which makes these partnerships most interesting. 50 Cent synced his giving with how he makes his living. That’s the power of the dollar.
Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website.
Credit:Source link
