Hate it or love it, the underdog's on top," Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent) declares on The Game's new album, The Documentary. Since 2003's release of
his Shady/Aftermath debut, Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 50 Cent's name has been synonymous with success. After a multi-platinum solo effort, he banded his G-Unit troops together and utilized a divide-and-conquer technique to take over rap, releasing the group album Beg For Mercy and continuing with consistently solid solo efforts. All the while, 50 made sure that his presence was felt in more than just music, landing clothing deals with Ecko and Reebok, and more recently, an endorsement deal with a vitamin water company.
Unfortunately, for haters and chart-toppers alike, 50's not done yet. With two new videos -- "Candy Shop" in the afternoon, and "Disco Inferno" in the after hours -- in rotation, an autobiographical movie in the works, and a solo album hitting stores next month, he plans to continue his tenure of world domination. In an interview with BallerStatus.net, 50 Cent talks updates and upgrades in his G-Unit roster, conscious hip-hop, and his new album.
BallerStatus.net: What's been going on man?
50 Cent: Chillin man, doing good. I'm on a promo tour now, so I'm moving around, getting everybody ready for my new album. I'm excited about that, the new album is serious.
BallerStatus.net: By many, you're considered the King of New York. A few years ago, you had gotten shot and left the hospital without a deal; what do you think were the main factors in your own behavior and strategy that got you here today?
50 Cent: Just being consistent. When I was shot and dropped off of Columbia Records, there were was definitely a point where nobody thought that I was going get another shot. New York City music is kind of based in New York, all of the major companies have office space, representation and employees that you can go meet to play your records. Me being from New York, and having the buzz that I had in the underground, and not being seriously considered [for a record deal], it all came from my reputation in the street. I had a little aura around me from activity in the actual hood that made labels afraid to do business with me, especially after I got shot. It's a better investment for a company to invest in a studio gangsta, or someone who's just making up those harsh realities, than it is for them to business with someone who is actually from that environment.
BallerStatus.net: All right, I want to talk about some of your newest G-Unit inductees. First, tell me about Olivia; how you found her, what made you sign her, etc.?
50 Cent: Olivia was actually signed to Interscope Records. They played me her music, and I met with her, and she had the same management, she works with Violator. Once I heard the music, she showed more vocal ability than I thought she had at that point, and I was excited about the project. She's still low-maintenance, because she wasn't getting diva treatment at J Records...she was there first. Her experience at J Records was kind of parallel to my experience at Columbia, so I could understand it. I thought it would be a cool way to diversify the perception of the brand G-Unit, by doing music away from aggressive rap music. Banks, Buck, Yayo, myself, we all write music that reflects the harsh realities. Her music is a really different project that I've been focused on for a while now, about seven months. I feel like it's a really good album, you can expect it to hit the streets in May. We call her the first lady of G-Unit
It just was a better situation for me. I could've got other female artists that were involved with Interscope Records. Maybe a Mya, or somebody else, but they had already experienced being out as an artist, and had received treatment that would make them higher maintenance for me.
BallerStatus.net: Next, Spider Loc.
50 Cent: Spider's out the West Coast. He's a new artist; he's hungry. He's a bit different from Game; they're both from the West, but Game is such a student of hip-hop that it's hard to tell what coast he's from when he's rapping, until he says something specific or makes a reference to a gang. Other than that, it could be an East Coast record 'cause he makes references to a lot of people that are considered East Coast rappers or different people. Spider is more Los Angeles as far as slang is concerned.
BallerStatus.net: There are rumors that Lil Scrappy is joining G-Unit too; can you speak on that?
50 Cent: Lil Scrappy is signed to Lil Jon, and has another situation that he's tied into right now. I like him as an artist, so if it was possible, I would work with him. But if it can't be resolved, then he's gotta move forward and do what he's doing.
BallerStatus.net: So you're pursuing him?
50 Cent: I'm entertaining the idea. He's also managed by Violator, so while his management is seeing if it's possible to do something like that, then they can get back to me, because I've already expressed my interest.
BallerStatus.net: You've already got a southern artist, a west coast artist, and now a singer in G-Unit, and you've also said that you were a fan of Talib Kweli and a few other conscious artists. Would you ever consider signing a "conscious" MC to G-Unit?
50 Cent: Yeah! You know what? I'm conscious, I know what I'm saying, but I'm not classified that 'cause I'm not a teacher. Everybody doesn't want to be taught through their music, some people just want to have a good time. At some points, I like listening to Talib Kweli, listening to Common Sense, Mos Def, or other artists that people might consider conscious. Sometimes it's cool for that, I don't want to hear all the aggressive music, I'd rather hear something else and just lay back. I can get into them when I'm in that zone, and when I want to hear the other sh-t, I've got that available for me too. For me, it's what mood I'm in, my musical preference. But of course I'd be interested, if I found someone who was as talented as they are.
BallerStatus.net: I'm not going to dwell on beef, but rumor has it that Interscope upper management barred Jadakiss from making a response track toward you. Is there any truth to this?
50 Cent: I think that's Jadakiss' people putting out some sh-t to make it seem like people are influencing him not to respond. Why the hell would Interscope Records tell him to respond? Think about it. If they say, "Lyrically, Jadakiss is such a threat," that they're asking him not to respond; from where? This guy hasn't even broken a million records, as far as sales are concerned around here. These are just the simple facts. Some people listen to their music, and enjoy it and pick their favorites; they need to call their cousin and tell their cousin to buy his CD so they can count more. You're only touching a small base of people. My artists touch more people than they do, music-wise. There's nobody on my label -- from Lloyd Banks, to Young Buck, to Game, and I'm one hundred percent sure that Tony Yayo's going to exceed that -- but there's nobody on my label that has sold under a million records.
BallerStatus.net: Tell me about your video for "Disco Inferno."
50 Cent: Oh my video for "Disco Inferno" is kinda raw, did you see it yet?
BallerStatus.net: Nope, not yet.
50 Cent: It's exciting man, it's like the BET "Uncut" video. I got a chance to show 'em getting their back in motion (laughs). I had a lot of fun making that video. You're going to be able to tell when you see it though, we shot it in Los Angeles, Jessy Terrero directed it, he directed "Candy Shop" and like six other videos. We've got a good thing going; it’s not broken, so we aren’t trying to fix it you know.
BallerStatus.net: It's sort of ironic; the song is a radio hit, but the video is completely opposite.
50 Cent: I did that on purpose, because I wanted to be edgy with it. I leaked that record on my own, I just put "Disco Inferno" on the streets myself, and it's the number four record in the country. My first real single off of the album is "Candy Shop," but I put that out to get everybody going.
BallerStatus.net: Your new album, The Massacre, comes out next month. Get Rich Or Die Tryin' sold 11 million; do you think you can outsell that?
50 Cent: Yeah, I'll outsell it. If I sell it under, I feel like a failure. But everything I did on Get Rich Or Die Tryin', I did for the first time. Now, I know what's expected of me and I'm prepared a little more.
BallerStatus.net: Outside of sales, how would you compare the actual quality of new album to Get Rich? Better? Same caliber?
50 Cent: I think it's a little better. I'm sure the record has more details in it, I spent more time developing the right concepts for it. There's a song on the album called "Baltimore Love Thing," it's about heroin; well it's actually about addiction. That's why I call it "Baltimore Love Thing," because of the high rate of heroin addiction in Baltimore, Maryland. I made the record, I think it's exciting; throughout the song, I make heroin human. So I try to imagine what it'd be like to be in a relationship that's abusive and you're trying to leave, and listening to outsiders down-talking the actual relationship. "That's not her fault, that's the sh-t talking to her." It's past that, its drugs. So I created a song based on that.
BallerStatus.net: You've made your whole reputation on being the underdog, winning under adversity; nowadays, you're considered as a favorite. How hungry are you this time around, and what do you think keeps you so ambitious despite your superstardom?
50 Cent: Immortality. That'll keep you level-headed. You've got an artist around you that sold eighteen million records while you did eleven. And he's had the consistency to have projects go back to back. I'm surrounded by a lot of things that keep me grounded and keep me hungry, and wanting to do well. I also wanted to develop my record company; I moved forward with Beg For Mercy right after Get Rich Or Die Tryin', then I went with Lloyd Banks' The Hunger For More, then I had Young Buck's Straight Outta Cashville, then The Game's The Documentary, now it's time for me to come out again. A lot of people don't realize that it's been two years since they've heard me by myself. This album almost didn't have Banks, Buck, Yayo, or Game on it; at the very end, we did a remix to the "Hate It Or Love It" record (from The Game's album), and it'll be extra on the album, as a bonus cut.
his Shady/Aftermath debut, Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 50 Cent's name has been synonymous with success. After a multi-platinum solo effort, he banded his G-Unit troops together and utilized a divide-and-conquer technique to take over rap, releasing the group album Beg For Mercy and continuing with consistently solid solo efforts. All the while, 50 made sure that his presence was felt in more than just music, landing clothing deals with Ecko and Reebok, and more recently, an endorsement deal with a vitamin water company.
Unfortunately, for haters and chart-toppers alike, 50's not done yet. With two new videos -- "Candy Shop" in the afternoon, and "Disco Inferno" in the after hours -- in rotation, an autobiographical movie in the works, and a solo album hitting stores next month, he plans to continue his tenure of world domination. In an interview with BallerStatus.net, 50 Cent talks updates and upgrades in his G-Unit roster, conscious hip-hop, and his new album.
BallerStatus.net: What's been going on man?
50 Cent: Chillin man, doing good. I'm on a promo tour now, so I'm moving around, getting everybody ready for my new album. I'm excited about that, the new album is serious.
BallerStatus.net: By many, you're considered the King of New York. A few years ago, you had gotten shot and left the hospital without a deal; what do you think were the main factors in your own behavior and strategy that got you here today?
50 Cent: Just being consistent. When I was shot and dropped off of Columbia Records, there were was definitely a point where nobody thought that I was going get another shot. New York City music is kind of based in New York, all of the major companies have office space, representation and employees that you can go meet to play your records. Me being from New York, and having the buzz that I had in the underground, and not being seriously considered [for a record deal], it all came from my reputation in the street. I had a little aura around me from activity in the actual hood that made labels afraid to do business with me, especially after I got shot. It's a better investment for a company to invest in a studio gangsta, or someone who's just making up those harsh realities, than it is for them to business with someone who is actually from that environment.
BallerStatus.net: All right, I want to talk about some of your newest G-Unit inductees. First, tell me about Olivia; how you found her, what made you sign her, etc.?
50 Cent: Olivia was actually signed to Interscope Records. They played me her music, and I met with her, and she had the same management, she works with Violator. Once I heard the music, she showed more vocal ability than I thought she had at that point, and I was excited about the project. She's still low-maintenance, because she wasn't getting diva treatment at J Records...she was there first. Her experience at J Records was kind of parallel to my experience at Columbia, so I could understand it. I thought it would be a cool way to diversify the perception of the brand G-Unit, by doing music away from aggressive rap music. Banks, Buck, Yayo, myself, we all write music that reflects the harsh realities. Her music is a really different project that I've been focused on for a while now, about seven months. I feel like it's a really good album, you can expect it to hit the streets in May. We call her the first lady of G-Unit
It just was a better situation for me. I could've got other female artists that were involved with Interscope Records. Maybe a Mya, or somebody else, but they had already experienced being out as an artist, and had received treatment that would make them higher maintenance for me.
BallerStatus.net: Next, Spider Loc.
50 Cent: Spider's out the West Coast. He's a new artist; he's hungry. He's a bit different from Game; they're both from the West, but Game is such a student of hip-hop that it's hard to tell what coast he's from when he's rapping, until he says something specific or makes a reference to a gang. Other than that, it could be an East Coast record 'cause he makes references to a lot of people that are considered East Coast rappers or different people. Spider is more Los Angeles as far as slang is concerned.
BallerStatus.net: There are rumors that Lil Scrappy is joining G-Unit too; can you speak on that?
50 Cent: Lil Scrappy is signed to Lil Jon, and has another situation that he's tied into right now. I like him as an artist, so if it was possible, I would work with him. But if it can't be resolved, then he's gotta move forward and do what he's doing.
BallerStatus.net: So you're pursuing him?
50 Cent: I'm entertaining the idea. He's also managed by Violator, so while his management is seeing if it's possible to do something like that, then they can get back to me, because I've already expressed my interest.
BallerStatus.net: You've already got a southern artist, a west coast artist, and now a singer in G-Unit, and you've also said that you were a fan of Talib Kweli and a few other conscious artists. Would you ever consider signing a "conscious" MC to G-Unit?
50 Cent: Yeah! You know what? I'm conscious, I know what I'm saying, but I'm not classified that 'cause I'm not a teacher. Everybody doesn't want to be taught through their music, some people just want to have a good time. At some points, I like listening to Talib Kweli, listening to Common Sense, Mos Def, or other artists that people might consider conscious. Sometimes it's cool for that, I don't want to hear all the aggressive music, I'd rather hear something else and just lay back. I can get into them when I'm in that zone, and when I want to hear the other sh-t, I've got that available for me too. For me, it's what mood I'm in, my musical preference. But of course I'd be interested, if I found someone who was as talented as they are.
BallerStatus.net: I'm not going to dwell on beef, but rumor has it that Interscope upper management barred Jadakiss from making a response track toward you. Is there any truth to this?
50 Cent: I think that's Jadakiss' people putting out some sh-t to make it seem like people are influencing him not to respond. Why the hell would Interscope Records tell him to respond? Think about it. If they say, "Lyrically, Jadakiss is such a threat," that they're asking him not to respond; from where? This guy hasn't even broken a million records, as far as sales are concerned around here. These are just the simple facts. Some people listen to their music, and enjoy it and pick their favorites; they need to call their cousin and tell their cousin to buy his CD so they can count more. You're only touching a small base of people. My artists touch more people than they do, music-wise. There's nobody on my label -- from Lloyd Banks, to Young Buck, to Game, and I'm one hundred percent sure that Tony Yayo's going to exceed that -- but there's nobody on my label that has sold under a million records.
BallerStatus.net: Tell me about your video for "Disco Inferno."
50 Cent: Oh my video for "Disco Inferno" is kinda raw, did you see it yet?
BallerStatus.net: Nope, not yet.
50 Cent: It's exciting man, it's like the BET "Uncut" video. I got a chance to show 'em getting their back in motion (laughs). I had a lot of fun making that video. You're going to be able to tell when you see it though, we shot it in Los Angeles, Jessy Terrero directed it, he directed "Candy Shop" and like six other videos. We've got a good thing going; it’s not broken, so we aren’t trying to fix it you know.
BallerStatus.net: It's sort of ironic; the song is a radio hit, but the video is completely opposite.
50 Cent: I did that on purpose, because I wanted to be edgy with it. I leaked that record on my own, I just put "Disco Inferno" on the streets myself, and it's the number four record in the country. My first real single off of the album is "Candy Shop," but I put that out to get everybody going.
BallerStatus.net: Your new album, The Massacre, comes out next month. Get Rich Or Die Tryin' sold 11 million; do you think you can outsell that?
50 Cent: Yeah, I'll outsell it. If I sell it under, I feel like a failure. But everything I did on Get Rich Or Die Tryin', I did for the first time. Now, I know what's expected of me and I'm prepared a little more.
BallerStatus.net: Outside of sales, how would you compare the actual quality of new album to Get Rich? Better? Same caliber?
50 Cent: I think it's a little better. I'm sure the record has more details in it, I spent more time developing the right concepts for it. There's a song on the album called "Baltimore Love Thing," it's about heroin; well it's actually about addiction. That's why I call it "Baltimore Love Thing," because of the high rate of heroin addiction in Baltimore, Maryland. I made the record, I think it's exciting; throughout the song, I make heroin human. So I try to imagine what it'd be like to be in a relationship that's abusive and you're trying to leave, and listening to outsiders down-talking the actual relationship. "That's not her fault, that's the sh-t talking to her." It's past that, its drugs. So I created a song based on that.
BallerStatus.net: You've made your whole reputation on being the underdog, winning under adversity; nowadays, you're considered as a favorite. How hungry are you this time around, and what do you think keeps you so ambitious despite your superstardom?
50 Cent: Immortality. That'll keep you level-headed. You've got an artist around you that sold eighteen million records while you did eleven. And he's had the consistency to have projects go back to back. I'm surrounded by a lot of things that keep me grounded and keep me hungry, and wanting to do well. I also wanted to develop my record company; I moved forward with Beg For Mercy right after Get Rich Or Die Tryin', then I went with Lloyd Banks' The Hunger For More, then I had Young Buck's Straight Outta Cashville, then The Game's The Documentary, now it's time for me to come out again. A lot of people don't realize that it's been two years since they've heard me by myself. This album almost didn't have Banks, Buck, Yayo, or Game on it; at the very end, we did a remix to the "Hate It Or Love It" record (from The Game's album), and it'll be extra on the album, as a bonus cut.
