Tha Unit On Top

Evolution

Its said that men are defined by adversity. And no one knows adversity like Curtis "50 cent" Jackson. The Southside Jamaica, Queens native lost his mother to murder at the tender age of eight, spent his teens dealing crack and was a convicted felon by the age of 20. After a promising start at a rap career in the late 1990's, his first album was shelved by Columbia Records. He was shot nine times in May 2000, hospitalized for 13 days (he would be in recovery for nearly five months), only to rise up through New Yorks street mixtape scene, crushing a raft of naysayers and rivals, and explode into 2003 as hip hops biggest star.

Building his crew and record label, G Unit, into an industry powerhouse, expanding his business into sneakers, clothing, video games and most lucratively, beverages, 50 reigned supreme for years, amassing a fortune estimated to be in the $400 million range. Sept 2007, though, marked a sea change. When 50 lost a heavily hyped first week sales showdown to Kanye West, critics seized the moment to declare the end of an era. Though his album Curtis opened at No. 2 with a strong 700k sold, and went on to sell well over a million copies in a depressed music market, the numbers paled in comparison to the massive, multiplatinum successes of his previous two efforts. Things got worse this summer. After going back to their street roots with the modern day mixtape classic Return of the Body Snatchers, and goin at enemies like Fat Joe on the follow up Elephant in the Sand, G Unit's sophomore album, TOS sold a measly 228k, 2.4 million fewer than its 2003 predecessor. As he preps his fourth solo shot, BISD, 50, for the first time in five years is looking to make a comeback.

There have been other disturbances in the empire. On June 16, a YouTube video surfaced of G Unit member Young Buck performing a solo show in Tampa, Florida. In the clip, Buck who'd been defying crew doctrine by publicly squashing beef with adversaries like The Game and Jadakiss, emphatically yells out "Fuck G Unit" from the stage, and goes on a rant about missing royalties and 50's lack of street credibility. The response came quickly, but it was not via diss track or mixtape mockery, as 50 had done in the past. Rather, a previously recorded phone conversation between him and Buck went up on the Web site Missinfo.tv. During the call, Buck apologizes for prior transgressions and acknowledges a debt he owes the G Unit general, before breaking down into tears and admitting that he often gets "confused" and that he was "out of line". Listeners were shocked. And Bucks been largely quiet since. But while 50 of old might have further capitalized off the controversy, using the turmoil as a selling point for the TOS album, the new 50 opted to leave the matter alone.

Then in July, Nas threw a jab on the song from his untitled album, "Queens Get The Money". ("My assignment since he said retirement," said the Q Borough elder statesman, referencing 50's proclamation that he'd retire if he lost the soundscan battle with Kanye, "hiding behind 8 Mile and the Chronic/Gets rich but dies rhymin/Thisis high science"). 50 didnt even flinch. Most recently, when he teased Kanye, mocking his auto Tuned R&B hit "love Lockdown" at a performance in Albany, NY, this past Sept, the barb came off as playful banter, rather than the kill or be killed venom his fans were once accustomed to. Days later, Kanye responded in kind, writing, "I guarantee, this will be 50's favorite album of mine," on his personal blog.

Has raps self proclaimed "bad guy" grown weary of the beef? Or is this just a new strategic direction for the genre's grand champion chess player? Maybe theres just too much at stake this time out. The new album is 50's last studio requirement with Interscope Records-a company he called to task last year for its continued sponsorship of the Games career. (The last disc in his five album deal is a greatest hits option.) And, aside from music, he's been maneuvering into movies and television lately. Following his 2005 big screen debut, Get Rich Or Die Tryin', and his recent role opposite Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino in the cop thriller Righteous Kill, he's directing, producing and starring in a feature-length companion piece to his new album. The DVD, also called BISD, will be packaged with all copies sold of the CD. (A second DVD, a documentary album 50's late musical mentor, JMJ, called Two Turntables and a Microphone, will be included in a limited edition deluxe version.) And 50's reality show, The Money and The Power, premiered on MTV in November.

With big things on his mind and little time for bullshit, the brolic MC sat with XXL at Industria Superstudio in Manhattan's West Village for a discussion of issues past, present and future. Adversity defines the man. You are witnessing the evolution of 50 cent.

"Your new album BISD, has an interesting title. Whats the concept?"

For me, its conveying dysfunctional behavior in the environment I grew up in. Its a body of work that people can appreciate. Its being articulated in a way that they can enjoy it. its probably something that you shouldnt enjoy. You probably I.D. with it immediately, but you wouldnt want to tell nobody that you went through it, too...Portions of the actual writing is not traditional for rapping. Its more Clark Kent than Superman.

"Meaning its less exaggerated?"

Yeah, its more bare. A rapper creates a superhero from a ghetto perspective. Our superheroes and role models in the neighborhood were drug dealers. Those were the guys that acquired the finances to the point to buy what our imagination said were the better things in life. They had the nice cars, the jewelry, the nice clothes. They had the things that generally end up in rappers material...Some rappers acquire it. but the artform itself says to be authentic and write something that directly applies to you.

"You said a rapper creates a superhero. how do you make a superhero out of 50 cent? How do you exaggerate that reality?"

You dont. You write your life. But it gotta be something interesting about these people. Kanyes car crash is parallel to my shooting. You gotta write adversity on some levels. If not, those kids on the cover of your last issue (Dec 2008) are writing something thats somebody has to I.D. with, because thats the lifestyle that they're portraying. We can sit and watch a film thats far from the lifestyle that we live and enjoy it, because its well done--the same with music as an art form. If you write music and its well done and it feels good when it comes on, I dont care what he talking about. I'm not from Bankhead, but when Shawty Lo said it, it feels good, "Bankhead been pulling capers." It just feels good. It wasnt so lyrical, like, "Ahhh, you heard what he said?" Nah. But it was the type of shit that we needed at that point. That song definitely connected. Sometimes what I think happened with New York City was that it started to become so complex, because the competition in NY is so fucking crazy. The bar is raised to the point...How do you beat somebody who-uh...When you say, How do you outdo 50 cent? Are you saying, How do you write from a street perspective?

"Yes, how do you write from a street perspective and have it feel real and bring you close to the street without having to actually go through the dangers of it?"

What you realize when you really think about it is, the cycle in the actual neighborhood is supposed to dispose of, destroy 50 cent. Its a really special case and a really special situation to make it to the position that I'm in.

"Do you think hip hop has become desensitized to the dangers?"

If you take it from the beginning to where it is now--I mean, the storm always looks different from the eye, from the middle of everything thats going on. And I'm the actual source of it, so I dont understand that. I'm only being what I was then, after acquiring new information and being inspired to go in different spaces and orchestrate deals with an entrepreneur's spirit...Everyone's assumption is their individual truth. So if they assume that I'm that dangerous, thats my life--period. I dont even know anything different from what you're talking about.

"So whats 50 cents individual truth?"

Well you know, thats not completely me. On the record, thats me being an artist and trying to convey a portion of the emotions that I feel. Its not all of them. Thats why I find interest in film projects. Hip hop is so competitive that it doesnt allow you to be vulnerable. You have to be in a space where you're willing to take on the next person. My neighborhood conditioned me to be the same, so I dont have a problem with it. You can do that or you can learn to watch people disrespect you and dust it off like it dont matter.

"Like Jay Z?"

Absolutely, Jay is Gandhi.

"And 50 cent is not?"

Nah. People can interpret our responses differently. He'll bear the disrespect for what? For working to be in a great position. So for creating the comfort that he desires for his life, he has to bear the disrespect. Because they'd like to be where he is. Thats an interesting concept, because Jay rather just let em go. My take on it is, Yeah, I'ma say something back, and he gonna wish he never said what he said. he gonna wish he never came around here sniffing around me.

"Theres often been a confrontation between you and another rapper around the time of your album releases. Not this time, why?"

I didnt set it up, I didnt set it up none of those times. You think I asked for the disrespect from Fat Joe on Rap City? Thats what restarted everything. And later on, I think he acknowledged it. Later on, he said, "yo, they threw some shit at me that he said a while back." And he responded aggressively. And me, I'm like, "Where the fuck is this coming from? I'm not even thinking about him right now."

"Nas threw a shot on "Queens Get The Money,", and you didnt respond. You getting all Gandhi on us?"

Man, Nas is cold as ice. Nas is the block of ice that sunk the Titanic...I didnt even hear his record. I didnt even hear what you talking about...I really dont want to talk about Nas. I think he's at one of those points to where his career's finished, to be honest. He's had some great moments and made good music in the past, bu he no longer has the interest of the general public or myself.

"So if its not beef, what keeps you inspired this go round?"

Fortunately for me, I've been able to maintain the general interest creatively. I've been inspired and made material that people can actually enjoy. If that wasnt the case, they wouldnt even care what I'm saying...The Artists that have different boundaries, they can do different things. For instance, if I released "Love Lockdown," they would not buy a 50 cent record. They would say, "What the fuck is going on? This shit is wack".

"Do you feel trapped because you're regarded as raps bad guy, and you cant be as experimental?"

Well, I gotta give you something that has an energy to it that I gotta feel myself. I go through my own music, and go through available production, until I find things that jump out at me. I cant just make up records based on what I wanna make, and say what I wanna say and what feels exactly the way I feel. No, it has to be strategically designed for the climate of whats going on.

"A record like Kanyes "Love Lockdown" isnt exactly your lane, but does that mean its not good?"

I enjoyed his other records since then. he impressed me. "Heartless" and "Coldest Winter". And he might actually be right, this might be the album that I really like from him. When he said it, he was probably being a little humorous, but he got some balls, man. He's willing to go ahead and make an R&B album. Thats a lot. he could not recover from this...I think thats cool, if your fans will permit you to be creative in that way. From a business perspective, you gotta offer what performs. The public will tell me that Curtis is a failure. And I sold 700k copies in the first week. So what do I gotta do? Reach a million, at a minimum!

"Thats the bar you set. Your the Soundscan Killer, remember?"

Right, but if we're gonna call that a failure, then somebody identify what a win is for me. All I need to know is what it is, and then I'll go ahead and go. Musically, from my perspective, Curtis was exactly what I aimed for it to be. Or I wouldnt have presented it to the public. I listen to my music before I put it out. I'm listening to it, and I'm hearing it, and I'm like, Yeah this is what I wanna do now.

"What about the sales of TOS? Did that bother you?"

Not at all, for what I did. i shot one music video. I shot "I Like The Way She Do It" and "Rider pt. 2" on the same day. It was on the same film budget...The TOS project was exactly what it needed to be. And I wouldnt have released it if I didnt feel it... Now, when we get ready to do a 50 cent album, those numbers will be different. If my album was coming out and I felt like I'd only be doing 270k the first week, I'd stop marketing and promoting it. I would even put it out. Its not even worth the money.

"Your contract with Interscope is up soon. This new album, then a greatest hits option, and then you're a free agent. Any idea where you're headed?"

After negotiations I can confirm where I'm headed.

"Could you ever re sign to Interscope? Last year, you accused them of funding an "anti 50 cent movement" by putting out The Games music."

It doesnt matter, because its just business. I dont personalize it with the actual business. They're not my friends. These are people I do business with. to me, they're like Chase or Bank of America--they finance it. As long as everybody does their job, we'll move forward. How can you say where you're at is the wrong place to be when everything that you can make reference to has been that. All of my success is from Interscope, so I cant look at them and totally say that they are not the place for me. I put more pressure on the performance of my music. if I'm undeniable creatively, if I position myself where what I'm doing is undeniable, then the public wont deny me.

"Lets talk about the Young Buck situation. Why did you release the phone conversation?"

I already saw who Buck was. And I seen that he was gonna continuously be that, and that wasnt gonna be healthy for either one of use. So its better to destroy him than destroy both of us. The type of person he is--spontaneous and impulsive and then you add addiction to it--you got someone who is in a real destructive space. So I cant allow me or my business to be damaged in any way.

"Do you tape all of your phone conversations?"

Nah, Just the ones that I know are necessary to tape. Thats not the first time that he's said things and went back like that. If I would've told you everything that you heard in that conversation, you would say, "50's upset, or 50's angry at Buck for some reason." I'm not angry with him. now you know what was being said on that conversation was true, because you heard it out of his mouth...How do you explain to the public that someone owes you a quarter of a million dollars and still disrespects you? "Fuck G Unit." If he owes you a quarter of a million dollars, why are you doing it? Because you been tryin to help him. And you cant help that kind of person.

"Hearing him break down and cry was shocking"

I guess people dont think-I dont know why it would be shocking. When your dealing with the actual person. its a difference between the persona and what he presents to the public versus what he was saying. That wasnt the first time we had a conversation like that...Thats not the first time he broke down.

"In the past, you've capitalized off of public beef. But after you released the audiotape, you left it alone."

I didnt have any intentions to hurt Buck. I released the tape as an explanation to give the public an understanding of what was actually going on. I never woke up feeling like I'm gonna hurt Buck. Thats why I dont understand--no, I do understand. its the fucking drugs. Drugs spin him out of control to the point that he's saying those disrespectful things. You know, when I met Buck, he couldnt touch the radio on the tour bus with Juve. He had to ask permission to touch the radio. He earned over 8 million dollars under me. But the uncomfortable thing is under me. Because they dont make the adjustment. They want the audience there to be screaming for Young Buck, not 50 cent. And for some fuckin reason, they coming for 50 cent. This is their personal dilemmas. Artists that I've supported in the past have had those issues...The closer he stays to me, it puts him in a better space. If you dont fucking understand, and you know that you spinning out of control, then you supposed to come out and fuck with somebody who konws what the fuck to do. then you'll be all right. But if you continuously going in that different direction with it, then what you gonna do? I dont even have interest in talking about it...Thats one of the several ass whuppings I took for the commitment to people and being supportive of them.

"Your packaging the new album with BISD the movie. What made you decide to do that?"

I think, conceptually, what the film offers is the cause and effect that a lot of urban films dont. Maybe Juice is the only one that I can think of that explains the actual behavior. Its hows Pac's character, Bishop, running from Old Man Quiles, running from Radames and running from the police until he's tired of fucking running. Then he gets the gun and he changes, like, "Now muthafuckas are gonna run from me. I got the juice." In Menace 2 Society, they showed us O Dog, and we liked Larenz Tate so much as that character that they didnt have to explain his behavior. They told you through dialogue he was Amercias nightmare: young, Black and didnt give a fuck. Buc they didnt explain what conditions or what circumstances made him that way.

"Why do you think that was?"

I dont think they understand it. There is a portion of it that is highlighted, and its actually conveyed through the music that way. Theres no enough time for you to convey why in music. You gotta just discuss the action, and thats it. In film, you can build an explanation for it.

"You were considered to be Americas nightmare. How does your success change that? Is your lifestyle less dangerous?"

Well, I never got rid of the lifestyle that I lived when I considered myself still in danger. I never stopped taking precautions. The cars never stopped being bulletproof. The circumstances that I came up under are still the circumstances that I am under. Why would you make an adjustment that makes you vulnerable, and then call yourslef conscious of your circumstances? Or like, for people to view you as an intelligent person, and you just put your guard down...After you get shot, you know its real, so you start changing your circumstances. You dont put yourself in a space where somebody got an easy go at it. You make it hard.

CLos23

thanks man

younggun11

Curtis Was not a failure becoz it sold 700 000 units, even 50 said that it was a dud becoz it didnt stay long enough, shit sold 700 000 first week and 1.3 mils at the end, when GRODT sold around the same and around 8 mils in USA..

Curtis only sold that much due to Kaney Buzz and Fanbase, but 50cents singles failed to hold him strong...

I thought 50 realised that..

I mean, i aint trynna start Game vs 50 shit, but DA sold 358 000 first week and Stayed strong for 1 mil overall, and Curtis sold twice as much First week and only 300 000 more???

But than again, that was the time sales were starting to get low, Not like anybody thought 50 would do GRODT numbers.

Curtis was a Failure becoz Still Kill and All them other singles were wack as fuck, Even Ayo Tech Didnt get that many spins, 50 needed a much bigger single to Hold Curtis for longer, but his shit was so wack.

Honestly, Cutis was mad wack, not lyrically, 50 is 1000 Times Better than Jeezy,. Plies and Rick Ross puttogether lyrically, Specially with Jeezy hardly ever Rhyming, but its just that 50 lost ear for beats man, he picks all these wack ass beats like Amusement Park and Straight to the Bank, i mean, wtf was that???

Did you know that Still Kill was a regected beat from Dre To Bishop, and they gave it to 50 and Akon...Shit was so distorted and out of beat, i like the rawness by 50., but it was so Cheap and Wack.

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I cannot stand Eminem and His Fans, I hate Wiggaz and if I see ya on the streets, i am beating your for real, been like since in 2002, and still like that, Ya all corny as fuck!

Stay Fly

dope reading....nice explination on the young buck thing......and i hope this album will be dope....

Farai4

King 50 always has good interviews.

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Bad News

DA did 900K
and LAX 560K (Yayo numbers, Karma is a bitch, remember when game was clowing yayo for selling that hahahaha)

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younggun11

Da sold 904 000 when it was off the soundscan but kept selling under Top 200, it was 969 000 in March 2008, and As today it sold 1 million copies.

Source Billboard.com

LAX has sold 571 000 and Still selling u dumb fuck, Yayo stopped selling @ 465 000, While LAX is pushing 12 000 last week with 571 000.

58 GAME LAX 12,189 -7 13,102 571,265

Fuking Retard

And if You Havent Noticed, Its 2008l, In 2005, Game sold 2.7 mils, and Yaya sold 465 000, in 2008, Game is selling around 600-700 000 in USA alone, and yaya,Well, He doesnt have an album.

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I cannot stand Eminem and His Fans, I hate Wiggaz and if I see ya on the streets, i am beating your for real, been like since in 2002, and still like that, Ya all corny as fuck!

Tha Unit On Top

Someones mad. This kid is comparing Game to yayo, like Game isnt a bigger star than Yayo. Thats like someone saying 50 sold this, and Yukmouth did this, isnt he supposed to outsell him? Fact is, DA only sold cause of the shit with the album, shit, in this very issue of XXL they talk about it, here let me quote XXL "Finally after an introduction where he played second fiddle to Dre and Fifs contributions, 05's Doc and follow up that was hyped more for out of studio dramatics than actual content, 06's DA). And Yayo came out on house arrest, the same week Kanye did over 800k, and Yayo is the weakest in the crew, and was in jail while G Unit was blowing up, he wasnt even really that known, so comparing Game and Yayo is stupid, Game is supposed to sell more than Yayo. And DA aint at a mill, get real, and LAX is selling 12k, his shit is done, wont even come near a mill.

MS DIOR

thanks!...................

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CHR!SSY:TH3 OR!G!N@L..HATING IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY....FUCK YOU! ;)

MalitiaMan

props....a good read...i hope you aint write it urself because i know the unit on top likes to write a lot

SethDollar

cant wait till the magazine come out

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"MONEY ON DEMAND: HUNGRY" OUT NOW ON SETHDOLLAR.BLOGSPOT.COM!

ns_diplomat

good looking on the interview

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G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath!!
"Shout out to all the people in Montreal - Montreal is real hood. Real gangsta out there." - Juelz Santana

suss3it

He only comparing Game to Yayo cause next dude did it first. And really now, Game is a hell of a lot better than Yayo.

Anyway good read, and I really hope BISD is a good album.

keepitgangsta

lames are still makin different accounts on here and will continue to do so for the rest of their lives

younggun11

Billboard said that DA was selling around 1 mil, they usually have the figures, shit went off at 904 000 selling 3 000 a week, surely it pushed a lil bit close to a mil..Stop acting like a total Bitch and say what? DA sells 969k is a failure and if it sells 1 mil its a success?? comon G, U smarter than that..

LAX aint pushing a mil??? lol., look at the sales, if LAX sold 1 mil, That would be Fuking amazing, Today, Artists are lucky to Go Gold, look at whos actually going Platinum these days..

Besides, Digital Downloads and Ringtones is making money better these days and my life is all over Ring Tones and Digitals.

I am pretty sure that if LAX sells around 650 000 in USA and 900-1 mil worldwide is Good..

__________________
I cannot stand Eminem and His Fans, I hate Wiggaz and if I see ya on the streets, i am beating your for real, been like since in 2002, and still like that, Ya all corny as fuck!

younggun11

G-Unit's 2003 "Beg For Mercy" has sold 2.7 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while the Game's 2006 album "Doctor's Advocate" has sold 969,000 copies

I am pretty sure that Overall in all US retailers they pushed more than 969k shipped and i am sure that DA is Platinum, its just not certified.

Plus, Shit Pushed like 500 000 Outside USA,

__________________
I cannot stand Eminem and His Fans, I hate Wiggaz and if I see ya on the streets, i am beating your for real, been like since in 2002, and still like that, Ya all corny as fuck!

YGeeza

props good read, can't fuckn wait for BISD. Hope he drops another single soon.

iNfAMOUS G-CORP.

No dumbass, 50 sold 600,00 more overall. Do the math

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The consequences mean nothin', those semi auto's is bustin'
Crack sellin', predicate felon...spit big words but I can't spell 'em..
Put a shot to your melon - that'll keep your punk ass from tellin'...

passiveexistence

1.3 is only 300,000 more over 1,000,000.

passiveexistence

I just hope they grow up!

Barrack Obama

thanks for the good read

Joey111

What's wrong with 50 Cent's music since 06:

MostWanted00

......................

*50*CENT*WIFE*

Thanks for this as for 50 he just gotta stay focus ;)

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.....*M*K*J*.....B.I.S.D-NOV,16,09.....

Yuri Orlov

Lmao @ people having like 5different accounts and quoting themselves,co-signing themselves.Woah,how lame that is.Go fuck yourself or something,but stop fucking bullshiting on threads.
Dope interview,can't wait for "B.I.S.D.".

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50 Cent "Before I Self Destruct" - Album of the year, cop it when it drops!