>>> I LOVE THAT MUSIC. WELCOME BACK.
WELCOME BACK. WE KNOW OUR NEXT GUEST FROM HIS
HOSTING DUTIES ON "AMERICAN
NINJA WARRIOR."
NINJA WARRIOR."
>> THE LAST TIME HE WAS HERE HE TESTED OR SKILLS AND DROVE CRAIG
UP THE WALL, LITERALLY.
>> IT WAS A TIE.
NOW HE IS URGING FANS TO CHANNEL
THEIR INNER WARRIOR IN AN EFFORT
TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS.
A NEW BOOK CALLED EVERYONE CAN
BE A NINJA.
>> WELCOME OUR FRIEND AKBAR
GBAJABIAMILA.
GBAJABIAMILA.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> I WAS PRACTICING SO HARD.
>> YOU NAILED IT.
>> BUT YOUR FULL NAME, I AM NOT
GOING TO SAY -- CAN YOU SAY IT? >> OF COURSE I CAN. YOU SAY IT?
>> OF COURSE I CAN. CAN YOU?
CAN YOU? >> THAT WAS SO CLOSE.
ILL GIVE IT TO YOU.
ITS LIKE AN OBSTACLE.
A NIGERIAN ACCENT.
>> YES.
>> WOW.
>> HERE IS THE THING.
I LIKE THE FACT -- YOU KNOW MY HUSBAND IS NIGERIAN.OU KNOW MY
HUSBAND IS NIGERIAN. MY KIDS HAVE NIGERIAN NAMES.
>> HEY!
>> HEY!
>> WHOA-HO.
>> CAN YOU MAKE STEW?
IF YOU CAN, COME OVER.
HERE IS THE THING.
ITS SO IMPORTANT YOU TALK ABOUT IN YOUR BOOK HOW YOUR FATHEROUT
IN YOUR BOOK HOW YOUR FATHER ENCOURAGED YOU TO HAVE PEOPLE
SAY YOUR NAME. QUITE OFTEN YOU SHORTEN IT OR
MAKE IT COMFORTABLE FOR OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE CAN LEARN YOUR NAME.
THERE IS POWER IN THAT.
>> BEFORE IT BECAME COOL, BEFORE
23ANDME MADE IT COOL TO HAVE
AFRICAN IN YOU AND MAKE IT A
CULTURAL THING, I WAS TEASED
RELENTLESSLY.
I REMEMBER GROWING UP TO WANT A
COMMON NAME.
CANT I JUST BE, YOU KNOW, A
DEXTER OR A JOHN OR SOMETHING?
I REMEMBER MY DAD COMING HOME. KIDS WOULD LITERALLY NOT WANT TO
PLAY WITH ME BECAUSE MY NAME WAS
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT.
NO, YOU MAKE THEM SAY YOUR NAME.
AND I REMEMBER THAT WAS A
TURNING POINT IN ME.
AND THEN SO BEFORE I WOULD HIDE
WHEN THE TEACHER SAID, THATS
ME, THATS ME, SO THEY DIDNT
HAVE TO SAY MY NAME.
EVERYBODY LAUGHED.
I WAS LIKE, YES. PEOPLE LOOKING AT ME LIKE -- I
STARTED SAYING IT WITH PRIDE AND
IT CHANGED.
IT CHANGED.
>> YOU GREW UP IN SOUTH CENTRAL L.A.?U GREW UP IN SOUTH CENTRAL
L.A.?
>> YES.
>> AND ONE OF SEVEN KIDS. WHAT WAS THAT FIRST STEP?
WHAT WAS THE TURNING POINT FOR
YOU THAT LED TO THIS CONFIDENCE
TO BE ABLE TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT
VULNERABILITY?
VULNERABILITY?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT?
I TELL YOU, FOR ME THE TURNING POINT WAS SEEING PEOPLE THAT I
GREW UP WITH DIE AT SUCH A YOUNG
AGE.
AGE.
AND EVEN, TOO, THE FACT THAT I
HAD A GUNPOINT -- I WRITE ABOUT
THIS IN THE BOOK. AROUND THE CORNER WHERE NIPSEY
HUSSLE WAS SHOT.
I HAD A GUN POINTED TO MY HEAD.
AND IT WAS THEN THAT I KNEW I
WANTED TO CHANGE MY LIFE.
I DIDNT WANT TO BE A PART OF
THAT.
I DIDNT WANT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND ME TO DICTATE MY FUTURE.
OFTENTIMES, WE CAN GET INTO THIS
WOE IS ME, IM FROM THE HOOD, I
GREW UP IN THE HOOD, THIS IS MY
LOT IN LIFE.
SO I WRITE THIS BOOK TELLING
PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN TAKE YOUR
CIRCUMSTANCES AND JUST
ABSOLUTELY JUST DISREGARD -- I
MEAN, REJECT IT.
DONT USE IT AS A TOOL TO MAKE
EXCUSES.
USE IT FOR SOMETHING THAT IS
GOING TO PROPEL YOU FORWARD.
>> YOU HAVE BECOME A FRIEND OF
THE SHOW, AND AS A FRIEND OF THE
SHOW WE CELEBRATE MILESTONES. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS YOU HAD A
VERY SPECIAL MILESTONE
YESTERDAY?
YESTERDAY?
>> I DID. YESTERDAY --
YESTERDAY -- >> YOUR BIRTHDAY.
>> I TURNED 40.
LOOK, I LOOKED AT MY BIRTH
CERTIFICATE.
I WAS BORN AT 8:45 P.M.
I WAS HOLDING ON TO 39. TECHNICALLY, 24 HOURS IN A DAY.
>> YOU ARE A FAN OF REESES?
>> YES. >> THE REESES CAKE.
>> I AM A REESES PIECES -- OH,
MY GOODNESS.
MY GOODNESS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
OKAY.
YES, I WISH EVERYONE TODAY,
EVERYONE CAN BE A NINJA.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> OH, MAN. >> YOU BLEW OUT THOSE CANDLES
LIKE MITT ROMNEY.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS. THIS IS FOR A LATE NIGHT SHOOT,
THIS IS WHAT I EAT.
>> THANK YOU SO. FOR BEING HERE..
FOR BEING HERE. EVERYONE CAN BE A NINJA IS OUT
TODAY.
FIND OUT MORE IT ON TODAY.COM/SHOP.T ON
TODAY.COM/SHOP.
>>> AND "AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR"