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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-f**k personality, there is no doubt that
50 Cent will Get Rich or Die Trying.
Bottom Photo: US rap artist 50 Cent performs at the Reggae
Sumfest, Friday night, July 21, 2006 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
(AP PHOTO/Collin Reid)
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