Rap superstar 50 Cent has accused the media of focusing too much on his violent past - insisting he is a good role model for children.
On his way to the top, the star made much of his drug dealing past and the occasion he was hit with nine bullets in a drive-by shooting.
But 50 - real name Curtis Jackson - wants the press to now concentrate on his achievements, insisting he can be a good example.
He tells MTV.com: "I see myself as a role model because I've been taking advantage of all the options and opportunities that have been created for me.
"They may not consider me as a role model because I write about harsh realities - the things that actually go on in the environment that I came up in - and I ain't going to change that. But what I say to the kids is: 'Watch what I do, not what I say.'"