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 streets, 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, it's clear that 50 has exactly what it takes to ride
down the road to 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,
whose 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 1/2 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.
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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 didn't 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 Eminem's
smash movie, "8 Mile." With several huge hits already
under his belt, 50 Cent is poised to be the artist to beat
next year. He's coming 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 it's 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.
Check
the 50 Cent E-Card featuring 3 album tracks and 3 videos
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