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50 Cent Biography

About 50 Cent The platinum hitmakers Trackmasters took notice of 50 and signed him to Columbia Records in 1999. They shipped 50 to Upstate NY where they locked him up in the studio for 2 1/2 weeks. 50 Cent is more than just numbers. He's drama. "When I get mad, I can do things and say things that aren't nice." Although he'd already burned holes in the hip-hop underground, 50 Cent first received national attention after being questioned by authorities in regards to the assassination of his mentor Jam Master Jay. Previous to this, the rapper suffered the murder of his drug-dealing mother at the age of eight, sold crack since the age of twelve and, more recently, was a victim of a shooting that left him punctured with nine bullet holes, including one to the face. Combine catchy true-to-life murder ballads with the fact that he rides around in an SUV that's both bullet and bombproof, and it's clear to see that 50's thug life is a major spoke in the marketing wheel. His hardcore life experiences fit neatly into the stereotypical box the music industry is so fond of shoving rap artists into. Perhaps that is why many other popular underground artists such as Journalist and J-Live are still underground in terms of record sales. No one denies the talent and appeal of these artists. But perhaps their marketing downfall is the fact that they speak on education, family values, spirituality and respect; subjects and concepts indigestible to the rap machine-beast that feeds on images of the ultraviolent rage-filled Black male. And besides, as many marketing geniuses will tell you, people don't want to hear Black guys talking about love or education. That's not real. And that's not what sells. Maybe it doesn't sell simply for that fact that it's not hyped. If less violent, but equally talented emcees had the same marketing frenzy behind them, perhaps their record sales, too, might skyrocket. But we'll never know as long as the cycle of "They don't want it, so I'm not selling it/I didn't hear it on the radio, so it must not be any good" mentality continues. Definitely not one to let the marketing machine speak for him, 50 Cent sums it up: People look at me and they go, 'Well, he's crazy.' I'm all right with that." Until we, the savvy hip-hop consumers, decide to speak for ourselves as well, 50 Cent will remain what he is; a real talent with a violent past and dubious future, marketed to the world as the best our hip-hop nation has to offer. Source: Amazon.com