Exclusive: 50 Cent Talks “My Life” Track, Feels Rappers Start Beef With Him For Publicity [PHOTOS] - Page 8
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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.
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Photo: Vibe
Hip-Hop Wired: Talk about the “My Life” record, it’s pretty different from what we’ve heard from you.
50 Cent: What stands out immediately is the vulnerability in the actual writing of the record. I kind of stay away from those points. We all have those moments that we don’t actually like to focus on because it’s uncomfortable. The only other song that I wrote that had that kind of vulnerability to it was “Hate It Or Live It.” I talked about growing up I was confused, by my mother kissing a girl. It’s not understanding what’s going on in front of you. Confusion particularly is a vulnerable state for artists or creative people. They don’t know where to start or where things in. On this particular project the confusion is when you get to the point, you finally become comfortable with the concept of winning and then people decide to go the other way in conversation. You haven’t changed as an actual artist—if anything you’ve grown—but they’re saying ‘I miss the old Fif,’ or things that you can’t re-create. All you can do is offer a portion of who you actually are to create a separation between you and other artists in music.
Hip-Hop Wired: On “My Life” your lyrics about Young Buck and The Game didn’t come off as something worth getting upset about, but did you know it was going to ruffle feathers?
50 Cent: I really don’t care. If you’re writing about a confusing moment that you experienced do you not write it because it may confuse somebody else?
Hip-Hop Wired: But sometimes the message can get lost because people get hung up on the wrong things.
50 Cent: That’s always the case, and you get people being more excited, they think that it’s an opportunity to do what’s easy, to find someone who has more notoriety than you. Pick a fight and argue until people start to notice you. That’s what they feel is the easy route. Every time people didn’t pay attention to Game particularly, he said “f-ck 50 Cent” loud enough to make them take a look at him. When I’m not actually being active on this front, because I’m diversifying my portfolio and absolutely,it doesn’t seem like the right thing for you to be saying because people don’t care about it at that point. They [rappers] find themselves in a position where they’re forced to have to work to generate interest real interest, just based on actual hit records, as opposed to just saying someone’s name and seeing how many bloggers will repeat what you said. [Laughs.]
Hip-Hop Wired: Do you feel like you’re being used in that sense?
50 Cent: It’s no way to escape it. It’s a fair exchange. In exchange for not really worrying about the light bill, you get these type of [situations]. That’s the swap that you made when you decided that you would be successful and famous.
Hip-Hop Wired: What do you feel Eminem and Adam Levine added to “My Life.”
50 Cent: The right tones so that it could be a song that arguably should be played on every format. My choice in production left a drum sound that feels like a familiar vintage Hip-Hop [track]. It feels like a drum loop, break beat, Hip-Hop style drums, that would make this a complete rap record. The tones, the things, the issues that are being addressed, my verses, and Em’s verses are things that say “This is a rap record, this should be played on urban and rhythmic radio.” At the same time, the tones that Adam actually brought to the record and Em’s notoriety on Top 40—when it comes to the radio—makes it something that should be played on every single format.
Hip-Hop Wired: Did you seek out Levine and Eminem because you wanted the record to be a crossover hit?
50 Cent: It was organic really, because I wanted to do a song with Adam [Levine] as a fan of his actual vocal ability. I talked about Adam in 2002, before anyone knew who [Maroon 5] was. [He] heard me talking about him when I was actually on my promo tour. He never forgot it. When I actually met him we talked about it and he was like “Yo we heard [your support back then].”
Hip-Hop Wired: There have been musings of a collaborative album with Eminem, is that in the works?
50 Cent: I like the idea of it. Creatively you’d have to split the record though. I’d have to go make records that I’m excited about, he’d have to make records that he’s excited about, while we both work ‘em in and make it together. I think that’s the way to do it for us creatively. I’m not sure it’d be the same record if we sat in the same room and produced the record each song.
Hip-Hop Wired: Is that something you guys even have the time to do?
50 Cent: It’d be something we’d have to [work out]. I don’t think there was time to do Watch the Throne, I think [Kanye West and Jay-Z] made time for it. We gotta’ make time, because there’s never a dull moment, there’s never a point that there’s nothing going on.
Hip-Hop Wired: We’ve spoken several times on this next album, are you satisfied with the direction of Street King Immortal?
50 Cent: I am. It’s a stronger storytelling component to this record, and that’s a part of what made people really enjoy my earlier material. When you hear this new album, it’ll either be your favorite thing that happened in music this year or it’s gon’ be something that you go “Okay I’m cool on that.” You know what I’m saying? It’s because there’s not very much that you can compare to it as far as the other successful projects that we’ve seen lately.
Hip-Hop Wired: To know you is to know that you’re confident, but is there any fear that this album might not be well received?
50 Cent:I never really think about that. I anticipate success when I do these projects but it always amazes me how fast it can actually happen. When you see the record [“My Life”] shoot to No. 1 in 12 hours, I didn’t anticipate that. I did expect the record to be No.1 but in 12 hours? God damn!
Then the riff-raff comes back around after you get the record right. Everybody’s excited, they [think] “How can I have an argument with this mother-cka’ so I can be seen?”[Laughs]. Isn’t that what the boy said? One of them said they gon’ kill me? Gunplay [said it]. I feel so nervous about that that I can’t even focus, I have to write a new hit?!
Hip-Hop Wired: Gunplay’s on house arrest, just so you’re clear.
50 Cent: Oh sh-t! Now I’m comfortable ‘cause on Dec. 8, I’m gonna’ be out there in Las Vegas [at] the Manny [Pacquio] and [ Juan Manuel] Marquez fight with Yurikas Gamboa and Mike Farenis as the under card. It’s the first co-promoted event from SMS Promotions and Top Rank. I didn’t know all these boys I have arguments with are on house arrest, now I’m comfortable letting everybody know where I’m at [Laughs].
Hip-Hop Wired: You were just granted a promoters license in Nevada, why did you want to move into boxing?
50 Cent: Initially the concept was established with me and Floyd [Mayweather] in mind. Floyd was like “I got two more [years] left in me.” I’m like “Two or three? Then you have to start thinking of your exit strategy.” Being 35, as a fighter you should start looking wher you [are]. When he’s saying these things to me, I [said] “Alright, let me look into it.” He asked me to help him with the promotional company, then he changed his mind. I’m not angry with him for changing his mind, it doesn’t matter. The fighters that I actually acquired over the time he was incarcerated, they retained their value. It’s cool, I moved forward in a promotional area without Floyd’s involvement. This was something I was trying to do to help him sustain, not fall into the traditional of professional fighters ending their careers and not being financially sound.
Hip-Hop Wired: So for the record you’re not mad at him, it’s all good?
50 Cent: I’m not angry with him at all in his decisions but he doesn’t make any money away from his income within the sport of boxing, so how does he survive if he doesn’t create ventures like SMS Promotions? That’s his job [to figure it out], we’re just here talking about positive things today.
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