50 Cent doesn’t always play well with others, and has no qualms about his reputation. With over a decade in the game, a net worth teetering closer and closer to billionaire territory, and success in music, movies, film and merchandising it’s safe to say that 50 has more than solidified his place as a viable branding entity.
But that storyline hasn’t been told without his share of rifts. By the time his “How to Rob” track earned a following, it was clear that he wasn’t in the game to make friends; and so it comes as no surprise that after all the rappers he’s battled, exposed, and humiliated, 50 is still game for a good face-off. Underneath the strong build, he feels more used than anything else. According to the Queens native, rappers intentionally start beef with him just to get shine.
On the newly released “My Life” single featuring Eminem and Adam Levine, 50 briefly opens up about the ill-fated G-Unit alliances with The Game and Young Buck. The verse echoes a level of vulnerability too pure to be boxed in as a certified jab at his two former comrades, yet he’s already earned a response from Game, and ignited another feud with French Montana, along the way.
In the middle of the chatter, “My Life” shot to No. 1 on iTunes in less than 24 hours, leaping past the likes of Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” and Korean rapper Psy’s claim to fame “Gagnam Style.” On the music tip, 50’s popularity hasn’t wavered.
The precursors to “My Life” didn’t crash and burn, but never quite reached the heights of how we expect a 50 Cent record to perform. The summer saw the release of his the Lost Tape mixtape, downloaded more than 560,000 times on Datpiff—more proof that fans were starving to consume whatever he put out.
Three years after his last album, 50 tells Hip-Hop Wired about finally moving in the right musical direction, making “My Life” a cross-genre hit, Floyd Mayweather, and why he’s not afraid to disappoint people.
—
Photo: Vibe
