Shreveport's Stepdad: 50 Cent’s Downtown Investment Vision

Why is there all of this skepticism surrounding 50 Cent’s Shreveport vision? I'm trying to figure out what people have against Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and his affinity for Shreveport...

He said that he wants to come here, and he wants to build a movie studio. He wants to make more than that, 50 Cent is looking at building up the whole downtown area. Ultimately, he's looking to invest in the city, and invest in the people.

All of that sounds great. ALL of that. Especially since his stature in the entertainment world makes him the kind of guy that can do it. He has the money, and the access, to be able to do something like this to a city. But people in Shreveport still are treating it like this isn't going to happen.

Why Local Detractors Are Getting Tripped Up

I kind of get why people are questioning his motives. There's a little bit of an "Emperor's New Clothes" feel...not towards 50 Cent, he dresses very well, and we can all see that. But about Shreveport. Because 50 Cent feels like he's seeing the city dressed well, and the rest of us feel like the city is naked.

50 Cent sees something in Shreveport that we don't see. Which I think that's where people are getting tripped up. They're conflating their opinion of Shreveport, with 50 Cent's opinion of Shreveport.

But just because we're not sure what it is that he sees in Shreveport, doesn't mean HE doesn't see it.

The Fireside Chat Opportunity With 50 Cent

50 Cent came to town just a few days ago to do a fireside chat. He wanted to talk through his vision and his ideas with the local community. At that point, you would think...based on the comment sections on social media stories about 50 Cent...that it would have been full of thousands of people. Just people all pouring into the Shreveport Convention Center to talk to 50 Cent, to hear from 50 Cent, to have their voices heard, and their questions answered.

But instead, it was a couple hundred people, and they were almost all supporters. It felt like everybody that was there, was there to support 50 Cent. Not the people who are questioning it or pushing back against it. They seem to have stayed at home.

So everyone that "doesn't trust" his plan or vision could have actually turned out and put all of their comment section garbage to the test. But they seem to want to save their positions for social media, not social interaction.

50 Cent's Multi-Million Dollar Investment

But I don't understand what the real big problem is. What is the problem if 50 Cent wants to invest in Shreveport? Why are you upset? Were you really going to buy the properties he bought? Which by the way account for more than a dozen properties, and he has spent over $4.5 million dollars. Were you about to do that? Were any of the detractors about to do that?

Not to mention, the G-Unit team says 50 Cent has now invested over $10 million in the Shreveport area.

All the people who seem upset that 50 Cent has his logos on fencing in downtown Shreveport, had that explained that away too. It was easily explained that he wants to fence those off because he is a mogul...he has money, he has a name, and you could see people trying to 'trip and fall to create some kind of dramatic incident on his newly acquired property, so they could try to sue 50 Cent. That's his explanation, and I understand it.

But what I don't understand is why all of these people are coming for 50 Cent? He is saying and acting as though he wants to actively make Shreveport better. But we have people who are against that?

Those people aren't ready to do what 50 Cent is ready to do. They're not ready to spend the money. They're not in a position to try and do something themselves. So why would they be upset? Why would they try to stop 50 Cent from doing something? I'm just confused about it.

Imagining a New Downtown Shreveport Skyline

If you don't trust it, and you don't think that it's going to happen...that's fine. I even support you voicing that opinion. It's America. It's a free country...First Amendment. But just don't be obstructionist. Question...but don't deny.

Lets say 50 Cent comes in, and he makes all of this happen...if the G-Dome goes up 14 stories high in Downtown Shreveport, and he puts LED screens on the outside of all of his businesses and morphs downtown into an incredible skyline. Are you still going to say it's not going to happen, or you don't trust him?

I do wonder how many of these people that are being critical of this motion, will switch up if this succeeds. How many will claim to have 'always supported 50 Cent and his plan'?

Why Having a "Shreveport Stepdad" Is Worth the Risk

Now, what if we say "it is going to happen, I believe in 50 Cent, and I can't wait to see what he does" if it doesn't happen? Are we out anything? Sure, in the long run, there's probably like a tax dollar here or there that's going to go towards this. But in reality, you and I...we're not out a bunch of money or time. He is.

It's a lot better to invest something, into someone with a vision and the ability, than it is to sit online to just finger-peck away some negative thoughts. Shreveport's got to change someday, and if 50 Cent wants to be the guy that does it...I'm okay more than "ok" with 50 Cent becoming a Shreveport stepdad.