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This was something I put together from his interview in Spin Magazine last Summer of 2007. I figured that even after 7 months of being written, it could still be enjoyed and drawn from. Peace...

50 Cent vs. Divine0313

July 16, 2007

While 50 may have many fans, I can honestly state that I’m not one of those. But his interviews are definitely entertaining if you sensibility wants something to debate with. This is something I conjured up with the use of Spin Magazine’s interview with 50 Cent which was released in July 2007. This link is to the unnabridged version of the conversation that wasn’t released in the hardcopy print. Within the quotations are answers and questions from that meeting and Spin’s writer’s words are in bold while 50’s words are in the slimmer font.

http://www.spin.com/features/magazine/2007/07/0707_50cent/

A few things to take for granted when it comes to 50 Cent are that we’re talking about someone whose main factor behind almost of his moves has been money and he’s good at it. Secondly taking on a name that belonged to a well known thug from the 80’s in BK named Kelvin “50 Cent” Martin, a personality that Infamous Times on their DVD “The Original 50 Cent” (2005). Then there’s also the building of a career by mentioning rappers names anytime a new release was set for a date and taking Ja Rule’s exact formula of making commercial music.At first I just took this interview for a joke and laughed a bit through it. Especially being that 50 has very logical ways of justifying incomplete ideas. One of the things that stand out are his reasons for making music full of activities he claims in his music to have done or capable of doing while out rightly stating that he he’s never have or won’t do in reality.

“I haven’t ever shot anybody.

But everybody thinks you have.
Why?

Well, you’ve said so in interviews, both directly and indirectly, and you rap about it all the time.

That’s an assumption; there’s no proof I’ve ever shot anybody.”

Now there are various rhymes where MCs are claiming the title of the realest in the sense that they’re not just rappers or just talking about what they have done before or what other people have done, but still do. Then when the interviewer who wants to know the real, the MC claims that it’s just entertainment. How smart would it be to admitting to crime play if one really does do it? But then again if it’s not the MCs’ lifestyle on record that’s being portrayed, then why claim to do it? Why support the illusion?

“You see this [holds up a platinum, bling-encrusted cross]? I don’t wear this all the time. But when I go out in the street, I put it on. You know why? Because these kids, I’ll blow their high if they see me without it. And they sure don’t wanna fuckin’ be you if you don’t have the stuff that excited them about you in the first place.”

I guess that’s why. The childish desire of wanting to be the sole acknowledgement of what’s recognized as success in America, which is based on capital, of course. Self esteem issues? So although 50 claims that 3 minutes of music of fantastical violence that one hasn’t lived won’t affect a child, a 3 minute video where the platinum white Jesus cross is displayed or being seen in the street with it, will affect a child where this child will have such a hope of walking a similar path. 50’s first album is considered by many a classic. But albums that have modeled the fashion where this album went such Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx” displayed a lifestyle change by the end of the album where the pursuit of the righteous path of family and loyalty was adhered to. Biggie’s “Ready To Die” ended with a suicide for being sick of the drug dealer’s lifestyle. Big Pun’s “Capital Punishment” displayed the drug dealer’s awakening to being a pawn of a bigger scheme where the police and government were seen in their proper position as oppressors of the people by the end of the album and even remorse for living the life. But exposing and glorification are 2 different things on one topic of sharing about an issue.

Next is the over bearing view of music being made solely for the purpose to sell records as opposed to an artist who makes art to be artistic? I’m not saying that one shouldn’t be concerned with their earnings while being artistic, because let’s be honest it’s not good art but currency that supports a life consisting of necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. But art not being done for the sake of being artistic is just illogical, as obviously the interviewer Charles Aaron was trying to point out. Not to 50 it isn’t.

“Yeah, it’s hard to imagine Ghostface is going to stop cursing, especially considering his last couple of records.

The peanut gallery: “Nobody even cares what he does.” “Who’s listening to him, anyway?” “That was the ’90s, B. Kids don’t even know Ghostface anymore.” “The streets are different now,” says Yayo. “Guys like Ghostface don’t matter. They don’t. They had a run, but it’s over.”

But can’t he just make a great record, even if it doesn’t sell, and we can appreciate it as listeners, as hip-hop fans?

No, because a great record is embraced and enjoyed by the public. And it’s played in cars and clubs.

What if it sells a couple hundred thousand copies, isn’t that valid? Or does it have to sell millions for you to take it seriously?

In my camp, a couple hundred thousand records is a failure. From my perspective, if I sell 200,000 copies, after selling 12 million records, it’s considered terrible.

But maybe he’s trying to make a different kind of record?

What, the kind people don’t buy?

No, one with incredible, detailed storytelling that’s moving and powerful, and isn’t dependent on some obvious hook.

Look, I understand all that. But if you’re on a major record label, and he [Ghostface] is, and you sell a couple hundred thousand records, that was a failure. Your fuckin’ photos and videos aren’t recouped with 200,000 copies sold.

OK, but can you at least acknowledge that a commercial flop, like, say, [Ghostface’s] Supreme Clientele, can still be an artistic achievement?”

So okay, let’s stop listening to Rakim’s albums, KRS’ albums, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Liquid Swords, Ironman, Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Let’s Get Free, Black Star and any other artistically great album for not selling 700,000 copies in its first week is what is being suggested here?

“…when I make music, I make it with the intention that the world’s gonna enjoy it. I have music that I feel like is really good music, but I haven’t released it. There’s things playing at my house right now that’s never gonna be played on the radio. And that music isn’t out there, because I didn’t feel like enough people would actually respond to it.”

To make music to move people is understandable, but to move units and bank balances is a different cause. It’s like Jay-Z’ sophomore album (In My Lifetime, Vol. 1) where “A Million and One Questions” and “Streets Is Watching” will move the listener to understand Jay’s view of seeing things meanwhile “Sunshine” with Foxy (who’s known for not writing rhymes) and Babyface on the hook singing and sampling from an 80’s hit record is obviously made with a totally different intent. Cash Rules Everything Around Me, but we the Gods never claimed it to rule us.

“It’s crazy to think that you’re going to make a record and put it out commercially for the world to listen to and then say you made it for yourself. And I’ve heard it countless amounts of times from artists in different periods. They’re like, “I don’t really care about the sales, this is about the art form.”

“Peanut gallery: “That’s bullshit, man.” [Laughs] “That’s bullshit. That’s what you say when you know nobody gives shit about you.”

“Sometimes, they just get out into a different space where they don’t know what to write. I’ve been around rappers, what was the freestyle guy, Supernatural? He was incredible, he could rap about anything, about Mars and cars, whatever, and Craig G was like that. But they didn’t have a specific thing that they were basing their music on that people could embrace.”

“Would you ever make a record just for yourself, and put it up for free online, just as an artistic statement.

Any artist who tells you they made the record for themselves is just saying that ahead of time because they’re afraid nobody’s going to embrace it. They say, “I’m just doing this for me, this is real hip-hop right here.” Come on, man, nobody cares about that shit, they want good music. If it ain’t hot, it ain’t hot.

So it’s not helping the art form if it’s not “hot.”

You’re actually hurting the art form, if your music isn’t urgent enough to drive people to buy it, you’re hurting the art form. You’re just another shitty release on the schedule.”

At this point it’s not about convincing one or another person, but really what do people think? Is this a claim because one doesn’t know how to make music that hasn’t been done yet and create brand new sounds and ideas and rather letting the demands of white washed or redneck record executives affect the music? Or is the creative MC that is only doing it for the art a pendejo (sucker) for being concerned with originality and skill and/or saying something that’s beneficial to the listener? But in this interview what takes the cake, for me that is, in grabbing my attention, was not even in the talks about Oprah, I can agree that she’s technically not Black anymore, for a long time now, or even the talk about hoes and pornography, or trying to compare what’s more detrimental for the kids between Scarface and 50’s album but this claim instead.

“OK, but can you at least acknowledge that a commercial flop, like, say, [Ghostface’s] Supreme Clientele, can still be an artistic achievement?

“He didn’t even write that album, man,” says Yayo, his eyes narrowing.

What?

Yayo: “He didn’t write it. That kid from Far Rockaway — Superb — he wrote that record. You know Superb from Far Rock?

“No, and that’s a pretty serious charge.”

So c’mon now, Ghostface is being ghostwritten for? That’s a serious career boosting statement for Yayo after selling not so many records with the very commercial formula 50’s implemented for his albums. We’ll see what develops from this as 50’s third album is set to release soon.