50 Cent: Vengeance Pt 1

[Myrealname]

In May 2000, while in Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent (real name: Curtis Brown) was shot multiple times as he sat in a car with a friend. His assailants blasted the then 22-year-old in his jaw and several times in his legs in an assassination attempt. And even though 50 says the attack wasn’t rap related it seemed to be a climax of several incidents rooted in the song “How To Rob [And Industry Nigga,” where he fantasized about jacking every rapper from Jay-Z to Old Dirty Bastard.

Prior to the failed murder, he was allegedly stabbed by Ja Rule and his crew The Murderers in the Hit Factory studio after an altercation in Atlanta. And even after getting shot and displaying enough strength to drive himself to the hospital, 50 got little to no sympathy. He was dissed and dismissed for dead by Jay-Z, Big Pun (RIP), Ghostface Killah and others.

But like that drive to the hospital, 50 Cent grinded the streets like he fathered VA’s Clipse and bombarded the streets with bootleg after bootleg until he got the attention of a certain multi-platinum emcee named Marshall Mathers. When the smoke cleared, a more chiseled, harder 50 Cent emerged – with a 7-figure deal and scars that reflect his all too real struggle. Read on as AllHipHop’s Jigsaw conversed to one of the realest rap dudes alive. (Hint: There's more to come...)

AllHipHop.com: First, let’s talk about “How To Rob,” where this sort of popped off. Did the industry just get bent outta shape for nothing?

50 Cent: Anytime you are aggressive enough to make your presence felt – They don’t understand, like at the time I was signed directly to a major label, through Trackmasters. I had to make a record that made sense, to make people say, “Who is that.” It was a good record, it worked. Anytime I do an interview or have a conversation it comes up. So it was effective. If I had to go back, I would do it all over again.

AHH: Fan really enjoyed that song. To us, it was funny.

50 Cent: I rap from the heart, so I want to smile. I’d rather just chill. I don’t walk through the streets like (make ice grill) – that’s fake. That’s somebody imitating what he is afraid of.

AHH: Today was the first time I ever saw you smile before.

50 Cent: The deal with Dr. Dre and Em, it’s a big deal, probably the biggest one that’s done this year for a solo artist. Financially it puts me in a good space. With that in mind, I had to lighten up a little bit. I’m blessed to have a situation that’s legitimate and to have my own company to represent artists that I invested in.

AHH: So did they take your crew, G-Unit, as well or is that a different situation?

50 Cent: That’s a different situation. They are going to get the first look at it as we develop a little bit.

AHH: It’s well documented, but lets talk about the situation with Eminem. How did you become Eminem’s favorite rapper?

50 Cent: I don’t know how I became his favorite rapper. Hip-hop is visible. If you don’t roll with a click, then you have to. If you going to do it without a camp, you have to do something that stands out. You signed to a major label, you dealing with Mariah Carey, Celine Dion – an you’re 50 Cent. How do you make the focus [on you]? You have to make records like “How To Rob…” You have to make those records to make everybody stop and go “Who’s that?” Everything you go through makes you who you are. Just like you are happy to be who you are, I’m very happy to be who I am.

I take the bad with that bad. Its all apart of the good things now.

AHH: We were a lil’ worried about you, as a person and emcee, that you were going to get killed.

50 Cent: You know what? In the beginning, when I got shot and stuff, I was like, my music was so violent that if I was to release it at that point, it would be nothing positive. I was so angry at that point. Now I got a chance to relax and do different things.

AHH: What were you so angry about?

50 Cent: Just coming from that [getting shot]. My mindframe was “there’s nothing you can do to me that hasn’t been done.”

AHH: At that time, we thought you were a lil’ crazy, because you were a new dude taking it to Jay, Nas, Ja Rule….

50 Cent: You know, I had a lot of people on that record [“How To Rob”] and Jay-Z decided he was going to [respond]. I seen him after that. I was at Summer Jam when he did his thing. I was backstage. We had a conversation before he went on. I ran into him and I was like, “I heard what you said and good lookin’” He’s looking at me like I’m not supposed to understand. I know the day after Jay-Z said what he said, I was on the radio – the very first time I was on radio.

Why would I not jump at the opportunity and do “Be A Gentleman” [a diss to Jay-Z]. Jay-Z said a quotable, “I’m about a dollar/What the F**k is 50 Cent” and no matter what, they are going to know that’s Jay-Z talking to 50 Cent."

[Myrealname]

50 Cent Cont… When artists get into these altercations, there are certain things I wont accept from you. I might not say something because I might honor what he is . But if you go at him and he’s not in a good space, he might come at you in a way that’s not rap. And the next time I see him, I’ma see him on that. Me, my boundaries is my kids, my son. If it gets that deep, then I think they should be dealt with.

AHH: What do you think about rap battles these days?

50 Cent: I think its hip-hop. But if you get on record and say, “I’m going to kill you,” you better hope I don’t believe you. In my situation, that’s very real. You tell me “When I see you, I’ma do this – I’ll kill you,” when I see you I am going to address it. Not because I am a super thug, just because I believe you.

AHH: Was your shooting behind rap or the streets?

50 Cent: Streets.

AHH: So, it had nothing to do with rap?

50 Cent: Rap, they weren’t going to be comfortable around anyway. They are comfortable where they are. If you look at it, you got the same artist coming out over and over again. Where are the new artists out? I feel that I am the only thing fresh that’s out.

AHH: Yeah, no doubt, I got the bootlegs. I’m not gonna lie.

50 Cent: Bootlegs – that’s what’s up.

AHH: Did you ever feel like quitting, I mean, you’d been grinding for so long.

50 Cent: I started thinking of a new way to do things. I got bored with just freestyling. I was really trying to deal with my legal situation with Columbia before I came back out with something that would really impact.

AHH: What about that J-Lo song? Was that one of your infamous street remixes or an official joint?

50 Cent: That was an official record. I did that with Trackmasters, who produced it.

AHH: Are you still cool with the Trackmasters?

50 Cent: Eh, I don’t dislike them. If you’re not a certain way…If your not gangsta because your lifestyles not that way – cool. Being shot wasn’t the hard part. You get shot and you survive, you aiiight. Now matter how many times, that’s just a number, but when you get out of the hospital bed and you realize that “I’m straight. I’m good” and they’re not prepared, that’s hurts worse ‘cause where I’m from cats get shot a lot. You got to a club, there’s a possibility that you could get shot and I’m sure you’ve been to a club where some type of altercation took place where there was danger. You might not go back next week, but the week after – or it might be another club where it can happen at again. It doesn’t stop you from being who you are, its just there. It hurt more that they didn’t have their business situation together.

AHH: Was it political that the Nas version of the J-Lo song came out instead of yours?

50 Cent: Yeah. It made sense because Nas was on Columbia and Jennifer Lopez is on Columbia. They are probably the only ones that can sell at Columbia.

AHH: What about Ja Rule? Is this beef ongoing?

50 Cent: It’s not ongoing because its not a back and forth issue. Its not a bunch of things popping off. But, um, he’s selling records, in a way that if I was doing it, I would be compromising who I am. I don’t respect it. Its good for him to sell records like that, because that’s his character.

AHH: Is it true that you knocked Ja out?

50 Cent: We had an altercation.

AHH: Can you talk about what happened in the studio when you got stabbed by Ja and The Murderers?

50 Cent: They say I got stabbed and I got three stitches. I don’t know if I got stabbed or I ran into something. I don’t like getting in depth with that situation because it feels like you’re telling. That’s what it feels like. I’ll speak on any issues. We has some altercations. Nobody was seriously hurt and that’s it. We don’t get along. I don’t like him. He don’t like me. "

(ahh)

[Jome]

Read on as AllHipHop?s Jigsaw conversed to one of the realest rap dudes alive.

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