Chill Moody’s newest venture is a book about a little girl with magical golf clubs

Chill Moody didn’t plan on writing a children’s book.

A story about a young athlete was bubbling in his head. And the West Philly-born rapper and serial entrepreneur wanted to turn it into a screenplay, mirroring the upbeat, have-faith vibe of fellow rapper Bow Wow’s 2002 film, Like Mike.

“Instead of basketball [like in Like Mike], I wanted the story to be about golf,” said Moody, whose real first name is Eric.

“And instead of a little boy, I wanted my main character to be a little girl.”

But movies take forever to become a reality. Moody, always ready to churn out his next nice thing, wanted to get this fictional little girl, who rocks a red golf tee and wields golf clubs passed down from the ancestors, into the world quickly.

So Moody, and his coauthor and cousin, Danielle Kellogg, decided a children’s book would be their best bet. This way, Moody could share his message of inspiration directly with his target audience. His character would come alive with every page turn; and a skilled rapper, Moody could write a story that rhymed.

“There had to be alliteration,“ he said. ”So, I named her Gia,”

Moody’s Gia the Golfer was released in December.

The 36-page picture book, featuring vibrant illustrations by local artist Stephen Hatala, is available on the Barnes & Noble website and Amazon, where it sells for $14.99.

So far, Moody said, he’s sold a few hundred copies of Gia the Golfer. And, he said, 100% of the profits will fund his nonprofit We Golf Now. The two-year-old nonprofit encourages Philadelphia’s Black and brown youth to develop confidence, social, and networking skills through playing golf.

“We serve over 100 kids,” Moody said. “We teach kids how to play golf, the business of golf, and introduce them to careers and job opportunities.”

Moody sees Gia’s spark and optimism in all of his young golfers.

When we meet Gia, her grandfather, Geo, has just died. She and her mother are going through his things when Gia discovers golf clubs that belonged to Geo, a star golfer and winner of a lot of tournaments. She takes the clubs and practices on her own and seems to be a natural. Her mother signs her up for golf classes and, following in her grandfather’s footsteps, she excels and decides to compete in a tournament.

But on the day of the tournament, the golf clubs — that twinkle like they could be magical — disappear. Gia has to play the game without them.

“I wanted to teach children about memories and dealing with grief,” Moody said. “And that even if you lose something that you think is important, you aren’t at a loss.”

Moody, 40, finished writing the book in 2024. He shopped it to publishers for nearly a year before taking the self-publishing route.

“I didn’t want to sell the books out of my trunk like I did with my music,” Moody said. “But then I remembered I did this so we could tell our children’s stories. I remembered I could do this … I bet on myself.”

Moody is used to taking bets on himself.

Under Moody’s nicethings umbrella, he has released several flavors of kombucha and partnered with City Winery for a limited-edition wine.

In September, he partnered with Lansdale’s Boardroom Spirits and released Tequila Transfusion, a mix of tequila, grape, ginger, and lime, his version of the country club cocktail.

Just like his drinks, Moody has big plans for Gia.

“I’m thinking animated cartoons and plush toys,” Moody said. “I want her to blow up as a brand. Seriously, I’m thinking Gia will be the next Dora the Explorer.”