50 Cent
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. 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.
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. 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. 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. He
banged out track after track, despite no income or backing, with
his new business partner and friend Sha Money XL. They released
the red, white and blue bootleg, "50 Cent Is the Future,"
revisiting material by Jay-Z and even Rapheal Saadiq.
Not since the summer of '94, when radio would play absolutely
anything Notorious B.I.G. related, has hip-hop seen buzz like
this. 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. 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. 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.
http://gunit-50cent.com