Spring Break
The Infamous 50 Cent
The five things you should know about rap's baddest
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: Focus
1) Despite how big he is, he still works for Eminem and Dr. Dre
50 Cent is one of the biggest names in rap music, and even though his popularity has cooled during the past few years (his latest album, "Curtis," sold less than a third of "The Massacre"), he still remains a forefront figure in not only the music industry, but all facets of entertainment. While the public may associate 50, born Curtis Jackson, with bigger and better things, he hasn't forgotten his place in record label Shady/Aftermath's grand scheme. As Eminem and Dr. Dre finish up work on Em's latest, the May-slated "Relapse," 50 sits idly waiting for his turn up at bat.
"Because we collectively work on the projects together, whichever one is in the process of being completed is what we finish first," 50 said. "The public looks at me separate from Em and Dre because I'm more active. I have more material out. I think that they actually forget that I work for them, that I'm on their label."
2) His new album, "Before I Self Destruct," will be the most "exciting" album you've ever heard
When asked if he could describe his new album, "Before I Self Destruct," as briefly as possible, 50 said, "Exciting."
When "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" was released in 2003, listeners were given a top-notch rap album full of hard, gritty street jams. Its follow-up, "The Massacre," saw a move toward more of a club sound. "Curtis" returned to some of those earlier gangsta tracks but at the same time threw in some R&B-esque slow jams. "Before I Self Destruct," however, is on another level.
"Well, I can't really compare it to those projects because, to me, the perception of it is completely different," 50 said. "It would probably be a prequel to "Get Rich."
According to 50, the album will focus more on the struggles he faced when he didn't have successes to rap about.
"It's interesting because a lot of the rappers that haven't made it aspire to live life on the highest level and concentrate on writing success," 50 said. "It's more interesting for me at this point to write my struggles. When you get to a point where you're comfortable, a lot of time, you focus on actual struggles, because it's those struggles that define your character."
50 Cent is one of the biggest names in rap music, and even though his popularity has cooled during the past few years (his latest album, "Curtis," sold less than a third of "The Massacre"), he still remains a forefront figure in not only the music industry, but all facets of entertainment. While the public may associate 50, born Curtis Jackson, with bigger and better things, he hasn't forgotten his place in record label Shady/Aftermath's grand scheme. As Eminem and Dr. Dre finish up work on Em's latest, the May-slated "Relapse," 50 sits idly waiting for his turn up at bat.
"Because we collectively work on the projects together, whichever one is in the process of being completed is what we finish first," 50 said. "The public looks at me separate from Em and Dre because I'm more active. I have more material out. I think that they actually forget that I work for them, that I'm on their label."
2) His new album, "Before I Self Destruct," will be the most "exciting" album you've ever heard
When asked if he could describe his new album, "Before I Self Destruct," as briefly as possible, 50 said, "Exciting."
When "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" was released in 2003, listeners were given a top-notch rap album full of hard, gritty street jams. Its follow-up, "The Massacre," saw a move toward more of a club sound. "Curtis" returned to some of those earlier gangsta tracks but at the same time threw in some R&B-esque slow jams. "Before I Self Destruct," however, is on another level.
"Well, I can't really compare it to those projects because, to me, the perception of it is completely different," 50 said. "It would probably be a prequel to "Get Rich."
According to 50, the album will focus more on the struggles he faced when he didn't have successes to rap about.
"It's interesting because a lot of the rappers that haven't made it aspire to live life on the highest level and concentrate on writing success," 50 said. "It's more interesting for me at this point to write my struggles. When you get to a point where you're comfortable, a lot of time, you focus on actual struggles, because it's those struggles that define your character."
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