Declining album sales, troubling radio interviews, alleged street fights, and dissent within the ranks - at every turn, 50 CENT has a new obstacle staring him down. But he remains firm. And productive. And wildly arrogant. And as he tells TOSHITAKA KONDO, you'd miss him if he were gone. From VIBE's July 2007 issue, on stands now.
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's Farmington, Conn., estate sprawls out over 17 acres. There's an indoor pool, a nightclub, a pseudo-strip "club," a game room with Gucci-embroidered walls, and a pond in the backyard. Boxing's favorite villain, "Iron" Mike Tyson, once lived in this mansion, but now it's a monument to 50's success - and almost 100 miles away from the hardscrabble run of Southside Queens, NY, where he was raised.
On this April afternoon, 50 seems at peace. He's happy to play tracks from his forthcoming
Curtis (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) in his basement studio. Alongside him is longtime cohort Marvin "Tony Yayo" Bernard, 29, who energetically raps along to each song. Seeing them together is surprising - Yayo is facing misdemeanor charges for harassment and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly slapping Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond's 14-year-old son on March 20 on a New York street corner. Rosemond is the manager of The Game, 50's longtime rival. A few weeks after, and on the evening of 50 Cent's VIBE photo shoot in NYC, shots were fired at Yayo's mother's house in Queens. At press time, no arrests had been made in the shooting.
But 50, now 32, is nothing if not loyal, even as key parts of his empire are in disarray. In addition to Yayo's legal situation, there's also the recent departure of G Unit Records President Michael "Sha Money XL" Clervoix III. Rumors of dissent between he and 50 spread widely (according to Sha, he departed to run his own management company). Then there's David "Young Buck" Brown, who, on New York's Hot 97 (WQHT-FM), recently talked about brokering a truce with his boss' adversaries The Game and Jadakiss, leading to speculation that he might be kicked out of G Unit. Buck, along with fellow G Unit member Lloyd Banks, is being managed by Sha. There's the fact that 50 Cent's G Unit Records, now four years old and responsible for the sales of more than 16 million records, has suffered significant financial blows lately. In the last year, Mason "Mase" Betha, after a series of G-Unit Radio/Whoo Kid mixtapes, has left the fold (he is now signed to Steve Rifikind's SRC Records, home to Akon). G Unit's lone singer, Olivia (Olivia Theresa Longott), has been dropped. There's still no M.O.P album. Mobb Deep's 2006
Blood Money and Lloyd Banks' 2006
Rotten Apple both had underwhelming sales, moving 269,000 and 329,000 records respectively. And, finally, in early May, it was reported that 50 was placing his beloved Conn. mansion up for sale.
Though 50 still holds sway over an expansive empire - G Unit Records, G Unit Apparel, a Reebok shoe deal, and partial ownership of the Glaceau vitamin water company - times, for someone whose bar of success is the stratosphere, are tough. It's this turmoil that could make 50's third album,
Curtis, hip hop's most important album this year. Another SoundScan monster will hush up naysayers predicting G Unit's demise and inject excitement into the panic-stricken music industry. A flop? Well, that's a different story.
Despite the pressure, the new music is vintage 50 at his confident, shit-talking best - bragging about his murder game on the grimy Havoc-produced "187" and spewing out humorous sex metaphors on "Amusement Park." His first single, "Straight To The Bank" - which features twinkling pianos and dramatic strings from Dr. Dre and smug laughter from Yayo - makes it clear that the money is still coming by the truckloads. This
Curtis? It certainly doesn't sound like the death of a dynasty.
VIBE: You've said you're showing more vulnerability on this album. Why?
50 Cent: I think rappers turn themselves into superheroes. They got the coolest shit, even when they ain't got no money. I'm at a point where I'm secure and don't have to front for nobody. It's just initially I was writing from an aggressive standpoint. But "Hate It Or Love It" and "Many Men" had a little vulnerability in it. Now I find myself in a space where I'm starting to feel like people like to see me not win. That puts me in a comfortable space, because I'm more familiar with people not believing.
Why did Sha Money XL step down as president of G Unit?
We didn't have an argument, or differences. If you have someone around you who's valuable, who could be more productive running his own company, then are you a selfish person for [not] allowing him his own opportunity?
To read the rest of this story, pick up the July 2007 issue of VIBE, on stands now. Also: Our 25 sexiest stars - from the bounty of Beyonce to the loquaciousness of Lil Wayne. T-Pain takes it to the strip club and Kimora Lee Simmons works it out on the pole (but not together). Trey Songz stays cute. Forever. Only in VIBE. Now walk it out. Ayyy!
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