“America has turned into a crack house. A place to distribute product, we don’t manufacture nothing so we got to get back to that. Even the clothes we’re wearing is being shipped back on a slow boat from China.”
50 Cent’s long awaited fourth album Before I Self Destruct was released on iTunes today, just a week early before its official release on November 16th.
Taking his place back at the top of the charts with his latest hit single “Baby By Me” featuring Neo and produced by Polo The Don, 50 revealed that it wasn’t the creative process that stalled the album and caused it to be pushed back for nearly six months.
But in fact, it had more to do with the business and the climate of the recording industry we’re in right now. With only two albums going platinum this year so far, Jay-Z’s Blueprint III and Eminem’s Relapse, 50 wanted to make sure he was in that company.
“They was out of whack (Interscope Records) because they fired half the staff. The person that was in new media is now my product manager. Her responsibility… she’s doing the job that three people used to do. Everything just shifted around and is now all crazy. So now I had to go back to redevelop what that system is within the system before we released this record and then it was to sit down with Eminem, Dre, Paul Rosenberg, Jimmy Iovine and Chris Lighty. Then we sit there and go this is the single, this is the second single, this is where we going with after that. Then it’s let’s launch this project and “Baby By Me” is out.”
When the album officially hits stores next week, a special edition will include two new movies, “Before I Self Destruct” and “Two Turntables And A Microphone: The Life And Death Of Jam Master Jay.” Since downloading and bootlegging is at Mt. Everest and shows no signs of deteriorating, 50 reveled that these additions have to be included with the music nowadays because technology has made people no longer support real art anymore. Citing what will bring about regulation of pirating music, Curtis checked in with V-103’s Greg Street while in Atlanta debuting his new fragrance “Power By 50” at Macy’s, stating,
“When the blockbuster films that bring in a $120-million a weekend ain’t bringing in no money, what’s it going to do with our economy? All we got is entertainment in America. Everything you got, all the devices… the TVs, the microphone I’m talking on, it’s made in Taiwan. Thailand, China, Bangkok. America has turned into a crack house. A place to distribute product, we don’t manufacture nothing so we got to get back to that. Even the clothes we’re wearing is being shipped back on a slow boat from China. As far as these clothing companies, when we do license agreements and deals… Sean John’s kid’s clothing is made by the same person that makes Roc-A-Wear kids clothing [and that] is made by the same person that makes G-Unit’s kid’s clothing so it’s one big manufacturer.”
Proving why he is a marketing genius as his latest project and fragrance are hitting stores close to the holidays, he also spoke about his deal with Lighthouse Beauty who manufactures the cologne.
“[My deal] it’s different because I actually own the company. I own equity, portions of the actual company that we developed as opposed to me just doing a license agreement with someone else. They keep asking me is the fragrance for men or is the fragrance for women, the fragrance is masculine, it’s for men. It smells great so some people think it should be unisex, but it’s not, it’s for men. It’s what I feel like what I would want to wear. Prior to possessing the ability to create my own fragrance, I enjoy Creed, so you know what kind of inspired me to create this. They should also look forward to me launching Kim Kardashian’s fragrance.”
While Fif prepares his potential conquering of the whole entertainment realm, he also added his insight on Before I Self Destruct and pointed out a few flaws of his peers in the process.
“I feel like it’s a classic. [Nowadays] these artists make great compilations; it’s not a good album. They got an album with 5 or 6 rappers on one song. I love it when they all on there saying we hate 50. It makes me feel like I’m big, like Mike brought everybody together to say “We Are The World.” I bring everybody together to say, “We hate 50.” Why, because I run it with iron fists.”
As Hip-Hop’s Mr. Jackson starts off on his latest onslaught, check out the video to his new single “Baby By Me” below which stars Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland as his leading lady.
