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50 CENT
More so than any other music since the
blues, hip-hop is all about stories. And its stories are
both criminal minded and grand, making them enthralling
and unbelievable, but also making them only as
interesting and convincing as the teller. That’s why,
despite being blackballed by the industry, without a
major-label recording contract, heads still gravitated
to Jamaica, Queens realest son, 50 Cent, like the
planets to the Sun. 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson 26
years ago, is the real deal; the genuine article. He’s a
man of the street, intimately familiar with its codes
and its violence, but still, 50, an incredibly
intelligent and deliberate man, holds himself with a
regal air as if above the pettiness which surrounds him.
Couple his true-life hardship with his knack for
addictive syrupy hooks, its clear that 50 has exactly
what it takes to ride down the road to the riches and
diamond rings. 50 is real, so he does real things.
Born into a notorious
Queens drug dynasty during the late ‘70s 50 Cent lost
those closest to him at an early age. Raised without a
father, 50’s mother, who’s name carried weight in the
street (hint, hint, dummies), was found dead under
mysterious circumstances before he could hit his
 teens.
The orphaned youth was taken in by his grandparents, who
provided for 50. But his desire for things would drive
him to the block. Which in his case was the infamous New
York Avenue, now known as Guy R. Brewer Blvd.
There, 50 stepped up to get his rep up, amassing a small
fortune and a lengthy rap sheet. But the birth of his
son put things in perspective for the post adolescent,
and 50 began to pursue rap seriously. He signed with JMJ,
the label of Run DMC DJ Jam Master Jay and began
learning his trade. JMJ would teach the young buck to
count bars and structure songs. Unfortunately, caught up
in industry limbo, there wasn’t much JMJ could do for
50.
The platinum hitmakers
Trackmasters took notice of 50 and signed him to
Columbia Records in 1999. They shipped 50 to Upstate NY
where they locked him up in the studio for 2 ½ weeks. He
turned out 36 songs in this short period, which resulted
in Power Of A Dollar, an unreleased masterpiece that
Blaze Magazine judged a classic. 50’s stick up kid
anthem "How to Rob" blew through the roof and playfully
painted him as a deliriously hungry up-and-comer
daydreaming of robbing famous rappers. But 50 and the
fans were the only ones laughing. Unable to take a joke
Jay-Z, Big Pun, Sticky Fingaz, and Ghostface Killah all
replied to the song. "It wasn’t personal. It was comedy
based on truth, which made it so funny," says 50 Cent.
In April of ‘00 50 was
shot 9 times, including a .9mm bullet to the face, in
front of his Grandmothers house in Queens. He spent the
next few months in recovery while Columbia Records
dropped him from the label. 50 didn’t fold, he flew.
Right into the zone.
He banged out track
after track, despite no income or backing, with his new
business partner and friend Sha Money XL. The two
recorded over 30 songs, strictly for mix-tapes, with the
soul purpose of building a buzz. 50’s street value rose
and by the end of the Spring of ‘01 he’d released the
new material independently on the makeshift LP, Guess
Who’s Back? Beginning to attract interest, and now
backed by his crew, G-Unit, 50 stayed on his grind and
made more songs. But it was different this time, rather
than create new songs as they had before, 50 decided to
showcase his hit making ability by retouching first
class beats which had already been used. They released
the red, white and blue bootleg, 50 Cent Is the Future,
revisiting material by Jay-Z and even Rapheal Saadiq.
That’s when the
unbelievable happened, and hip-hop history was written.
The energetic CD caught the ear of supa MC Eminem and
within a week Em was on the radio saying, 50 Cent is my
favorite rapper right now. Em looked to mentor Dr. Dre
to confirm his belief in the young hitmaker, and the
good doctor co-signed. Floored by the appreciation of
the greats, 50 didnıt hesitate in signing with the dream
team. In the wake of his acquisition 50 Cent has become
the most sought after newcomer in almost a decade. Not
since the summer of ‘94, when radio would play
absolutely anything Notorious B.I.G. related, has
hip-hop seen buzz like this.
Ever the clever
businessman 50 didn’t let the opportunity escape him and
quickly released another bootleg of borrowed beats, No
Mercy, No Fear. The CD featured only one new track, "Wanksta",
which was certainly not intended for radio, but the
streets couldn’t wait for the official single and within
weeks "Wanksta" became New York’s most requested record.
Thankfully the stellar cut has found a home on the
multi-platinum soundtrack to Eminemıs smash movie, 8
Mile. With several huge hits already under his belt, 50
Cent is poised to be the artist to beat next year. With
over ten incredible tracks stashed from last Spring, and
newly recorded winners courtesy of Eminem, who’s really
cut his production teeth of late, and hip hop’s
greatest, highest selling producer Dr. Dre. "Creatively,
what more could I ask for?" he asks jokingly. "You know
if me and Em is in the same room then its gonna be a
friendly competition, neither of us wanna let the other
one down. And Dre??? C’mon." Promising an LP of the
caliber of rap classics like Illmatic, Ready to Die, and
Reasonable Doubt, 50 Cent’s debut promises to set the
pace for hip-hop in coming years. The product of his
unrelenting drive, talent and, frankly, his real-ness,
50’s official first album promises to do for him just
what it says. With his infectious flow and viciously
funny I-don’t-give-a-fuck personality, there is no doubt
that 50 Cent will Get Rich or Die Trying.
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