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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.
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
(c) 50Cent.com
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