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How A Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom isn’t just a book. It’s a revolution. With a title as audacious as its delivery method, Stacey Jackson’s debut novel-album hybrid launched globally, and is already sparking conversations about the future of storytelling. Dubbed the world’s first fully integrated musical novel, the project is a triple threat: a printed book, an immersive audiobook, and a full-length original soundtrack, each designed to work in real-time with the others.
“I’ve always seen life like one big music video,” Jackson says. “Scenes, moods, characters, and music have always been the emotional thread that ties it all together for me.”
That vision became the foundation for How A Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom, a bold and deeply personal work of fiction that lets readers scan QR codes embedded throughout the paperback and eBook to hear character-performed songs play exactly when they’re mentioned in the story.
No skipping chapters or flipping to appendices. Just instant, scene-synced access via whatever music platform you already use. In the audiobook edition, the songs are fully woven into the narration, creating what Jackson calls “a film score or a musical… part of the whole immersive experience.”
The result is an emotionally charged novel with a soundtrack that doesn’t just accompany the story, but rather is the story.
Jackson, the British-Canadian singer, entrepreneur, and former Snoop Dogg collaborator, knows how to bridge worlds. “Working with someone like Snoop was a game-changer,” she says. “That spirit of collaboration, along with that sense of humour and grit, absolutely influenced the tone of the story.”
The idea for the title was sparked in real life, too. “At the point I found myself working with such a talented musician and the clash of worlds was so surreal, my son blurted out, ‘Mom, how about calling the book How A Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom?’” Jackson recalls. “The phrase may have started as a bit of a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how true it was.”
The story centers on Stephanie Bloom, a character Jackson says draws heavily from her own experiences as a mother, performer, and entrepreneur. “Like Stephanie, I’ve had to juggle a million roles, all while chasing dreams that sometimes felt a bit delusional,” she shares. “I know what it’s like to be underestimated, to start again, and to fight for your creative voice.”
Creating this kind of multi-platform project came with more than a few logistical hurdles. “Syncing the timing of the book release with the music production was a bit like conducting an orchestra while tap dancing,” she jokes. On the tech side, Jackson worked with engineers and designers to ensure that once a reader picks their preferred streaming platform, the book’s memory-based QR system defaults to that choice for all future tracks, creating what she calls “a frictionless multimedia experience.”
Narrating the audiobook herself added another layer to the challenge. “It was my first time ever doing it. But I chalk all this up to being part of the entire journey as an artist,” she says.
Each track in the story reflects a specific character’s voice, personality, and genre, from sultry jazz to cheeky rap and soaring ballads. “Each character has their own genre, their own musical identity,” says Jackson. “The challenge, and the fun, was making sure the music reflected their emotional journey, not just the plot.”
So, which tracks might find life beyond the book? “Bombshell is definitely one I’m excited about,” she says. “It’s upbeat, empowering, and unapologetically fun.” Another standout is “Better Day (Reprise),” a duet between the lead character, and the rapper in the story, performed by Jackson herself and rising hip-hop artist Gravity. “It represents her growth and confidence,” she says.
Beyond the innovation, the story’s core is deeply human. “It’s about second chances, finding your voice, and refusing to let age, motherhood, or society box you in,” Jackson explains. “It’s also about grief, resilience, and the beauty of reinventing yourself, all with humour and heart.”
She hopes readers will walk away not just entertained but empowered: “I want people to laugh, cry, and feel seen, and maybe blast the soundtrack in the car while pretending they’re in a movie about their own comeback story.”
As for what’s next, Jackson sees this project as just the beginning. “Audiences today want more than just a book or an album. They want experiences,” she says. “Why not apply that to storytelling? I’d love to explore sequels, spin-offs, or even adapt this into a TV show where the music and story evolve together.”
With How A Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom, Jackson is breaking the mold and remixing the whole format. And in doing so, she’s giving fiction a soundtrack it didn’t know it needed.
(Courtesy)
Presented by: APG
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