EXCLUSIVE 50 CENT INTERVIEW: Meet Curtis

Curtis hasn't changed. When 50 Cent debuted with his highly-anticipated first album Get Rich Or Die Trying, he made his plan clear. The alternative to his "getting rich" was to "die." And when someone is willing to die for something, it takes simple math to figure out that person will go to any lengths to get what they want. Destroy someone's career? Hey, that's not as bad as dying. Promote violence on records? That's doesn't compare to dying either. What about disrespecting a few people? Hmmm, seems a lot easier than dying too.

The point is that 50 Cent's attacks on other rappers, his ability to use confrontation to promote his albums (first album: Ja Rule, second album: The Game, third album: Kanye), and his usual uncontrollable banter is nothing new. And for years, the fans have welcomed it. Actually, his fans have encouraged it by making him one of the most successful rappers our time.

Fast forward to 2007 and 50 has all of a sudden become the anti-Christ. On the set of "106 & Park" when 50 battled Kanye on their simultaneous album release date Sept. 11, fans heckled him to the point where he blurted out at them, "you little haters, you're like bloggers." His anticipated first week record sales for Curtis seem to be significantly behind the new hero, Kanye West (ironically, 50's latest rival). Predictable as it may be, it's still unfortunate. It's the reason why 50 has decided to name his next album, Before I Self Destruct. Because he already sees it coming.

In an exclusive interview with BET.com, 50 Cent discussed this fickle business of hip-hop, Jimmy Iovine, Ciara, Jim Jones, Kanye and, well, everything. Read on.

BET.com: Why are first week sales so important to rappers?

50 CENT: Because you never have a week that sells more copies than the actual first week, and it sets the strongest impressions at that point. So, like for me, having my first album sell 872,000 copies and then second album sell 1.14, I have high expectations for myself. But going into this project, just knowing the state of the music business period, I know it’s not actually achievable at this point to sell a million records [the first week]. So I felt 680k, 700k will be the [equivalent to selling] a million copies right now.

Okay, so with that said, is that your prediction for your first week sales?

50 CENT: It’s, like, 680, 700 thousand, in that area. You know, 'cause I felt that the only thing I can use to gage what’s going on right now is Justin Timberlake's sales and Jay-Z [who] did something like 600, 700 thousand copies. And remember those projects had so much more marketing put into them. My first week sales for the Curtis album are going to between 700,000 and 600,000 copies.

Just explain to me again, why this album is not going to sell as much as the second album.

50 CENT: I don’t think I’ll achieve the same numbers [that I did] on the Massacre. I just think, the youth audience that purchased the hip-hop material is more receptive to the idea of purchasing it in different ways. So they’re purchasing the ringtone and downloading the music. There’s artists out there that cater to a older demographic so they don’t have problems selling albums, like Robin Thicke.

Do you have any other predictions for first week sales for albums that may be coming out on the same day as yours?

50 CENT: Oh, I predict Kanye West does great.

Really? What do you think his album sales will look like?

50 CENT: Somewhere in the 6s [thousands]. I think he’s going to be high up in there. It’ll be close. But I do think he’s going to have a going to have a huge decrease following that [week] 'cause I believe Def Jam is going to purchase some of those records. They’re gonna have to do what they have to do to save face. They made it into an event. So of course, I saw an opportunity and I made it into the '50 vs. Kanye West.' Because Kanye isn’t really aggressive. He’s so passive that there was no competition. It was the thing that I said that made it '50 Cent vs. Kanye West.' Like I said, 'if I don’t sell more records than Kanye, I quit this. It's going to be my last album,' and then they started writing that all over the place, like 'he says he’s gonna quit.'

Did you mean that?

50 CENT: I got another album I already completed [called] Before I Self Destruct, that will be out shortly after this project. And then a greatest hits album is an option for Interscope as a record company. But [after that], I’ll have totally fulfilled my album requirements with Shady/Aftermath.

So does that mean that’s it for 50?

50 CENT: That means I’ll make music organically. I won’t be on a shot clock. If you notice, I got like a two year album cycle. In 2003, I was ASCAP writer of the year, 2005, ASCAP writer of the year, and I’m on my way to being ASCAP writer of the year for 2007 as I release this project.

Okay, so when is Before I Self Destruct is going to come out?

50 CENT: I was looking for it to come in February, but that’ll be a little close now that I moved [this] album back from June. So it’ll probably be at the end of the second quarter.

You don’t thank Jimmy Iovine on your record. You don’t ever thank Jimmy Iovine in the credits here. Why not? You've thanked him before? And you had a record out that said something about "EFF" Jimmy Iovine.

50: Yeah. No I don’t [thank him]. Because Jimmy Iovine didn’t actually help me make the record. I mean I say "Eff Jimmy" because…I found myself in an uncomfortable space releasing this project. I’m in a good space, musically with the public, and it's based on the actual music, not based on the launch of the actual music. Like Jay-Z’s momentum going into selling his last album was based on the actual launch, know what I mean. He can consider it a successful project, but to me, it would have to be a lot more. I think with that type of launch, with the material I’ve been presenting to the public, I could've done astronomical numbers because I've never seen that type of marketing. You gotta grant him that, he’s an excellent business man.

But the marketing was behind Get Rich or Die Trying, and the marketing was behind The Massacre. So why isn't the marketing behind Curtis?

50: Both of them (the albums), they were great, eventually. [The label] spent money, gradually. They didn’t necessarily set out to create the impression that it was the best thing before it proved itself. "Wankster" started working before they were even on it, and then they strapped it on to the 8 Mile soundtrack and it came back playing in the club. "Disco Inferno," I put that record out myself and they caught up to me with "Candy Shop." They were satisfied. Initially, my album was titled The Valentine's Day Massacre. I was trying to release it on February 14, and I had ideas. In the stores, everything changes around that time period. Like, the candy gets moved to the front of the stores, the flowers come out, and everything that says "Valentine's Day." So I had all these different ideas to utilize all that: teddy bears for the actual marketing plan, but I ended up not making the date, so I called it The Massacre instead. Then, because Game’s project was doing good, they just weren’t in a hurry to get to [my] next project. But because I wrote the records off of Game's album, I had four records in the top ten at the same time. I’m the only hip-hop artist they can compare to the Beatles.

But are you happy with the way your label is handling your project right now?

50: This album? No.

You are not happy?

50: No. You don’t get a second chance at a first impression. So, "Ayo Technology" came out on top of "I Get Money" so it didn’t allow it to grow at the pace it would've grown at. "Ayo Technology" is the bigger record, but "I Get Money" is a huge record at urban radio. I believe Top 40 crossover would have been receptive to the idea of playing that record after it tested as well as it did on those formats.

What was the strategy though? Because, before it was "I Get Money," it was "Amusement Park" and "Straight to the Bank." It was, like, four singles before the album came out.

50: Well, what we were attempting to do was create multiple impressions before we actually released the record. So it was supposed to be "Straight to the Bank" at urban radio while "Amusement Park" was at Top 40. And because the company is reactive instead proactive, they were waiting for me to start it. I mean outside of having, being vocal out in front of everybody, I don’t see where I can change their impression of 50 Cent at this point.

What about G-Unit? Will there be another G-Unit album?

50: Yeah, G-Unit album, they should expect it in the 4th quarter.

Who is G-Unit right now?

50: G-Unit right now is myself, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Young Buck.

So everybody’s cool now?

50: Everybody’s good. Really what was interpreted as a problem was me responding to what I created. I created a situation that wasn’t healthy for myself. Because they were relying on me too much on different levels. I created the whole thing around me when I should haved moved the artists off to let them establish themselves in their own level.

Okay so what about artists like Mobb Deep that were already established when they joined you?

50: Yeah, well, those artists will still have the opportunity to come out, but they’re on G-Unit as a record company. Like, when I’m making G-Unit as a album, I wanna have a direct focus on whose ideas we’re utilizing on this actual project.

Because you have a point where you have too much creative input and the record is all over the place, I get it. So…the Rolling Stone cover?

50: Yeah.

What was that like, you and Kanye together?

50: I mean, it was interesting. I mean I came in there. I was just being quiet at first, so he wouldn't be uncomfortable.

Why would Kanye be uncomfortable?

50: I don’t know. I don't have the slightest idea. He was uncomfortable and then I told him, 'Nah, you know, we good and everything’s alright.' I don’t have an issue with him, [but] I guess he didn’t know how I felt about it. He never said anything disrespectful about me or expressed any discomfort with the success that I’ve been having. I don’t have any actual issues with him. But when we get into debating on whose record to actually buy, then I’ll clearly indicate to you that my project is the better project.

What kinds of people enjoy Kanye West's music?

50: A small pocket of people that aren’t a fraction of the base that enjoys 50 Cent.

You guys don’t have the same audience?

50: I don’t believe that. I write from a perspective that’s a little more aggressive.

Unlike Kanye?

50: Yeah, I capture the harsh realities on some levels. Hip hop is a mirror. It’s a reflection of what’s actually going on.

So what does Kanye write about?

50: Nah, it's interesting when you say 'what does Kanye write about' 'cause they classify him as conscious, maybe 'cause of "Jesus Walks." And they classify me as gangsta based on my writing 'cause I ain’t never been in no gang so I don’t know how I fall under gangster. But, Kanye West comes out with "Jesus Walks" and returns with "Gold Digger," which content wise doesn’t even match up to something a conscious rapper would be writing about. And then he’ll put out a record like "Wait Til I Get My Money Right," while he got "Wait ‘Til I Get My Money Right" and I got "I Get Money." So I’m saying "I Get Money" and it might be taken as a negative 'cause they going to interpret it me bragging, but it’s just me talking about the position I’m in financially right now. And they can say 'Kanye West is preaching prosperity.'

So that’s the difference?

50: Yeah, well they can try to make it different based on whoever you ask will give you a different answer.

What is it about spending money or "I Get Money" mentality that appeals to rappers?

50: Well, because they don’t have [it]. A majority of hip-hop artists inspire to live life on the highest level, that’s why they have same jewelry that I may have on right here and mine will be real diamonds and there’s will be fake.

What’s going on with Ciara?
50: That was just a project I was working on. We worked on the actual 'Can’t Leave Him Alone.' Actually, Rodney [Jerkins] reached out to me. Dark Child. He produced that joint.

So you and Ciara are not dating?

50: No

You’re not dating?

50: No

You said something else on the Funk Master Flex show?

50: That’s Flex talking. It’s great for publicity. If he says something bad, I’ll say 'oh no,' and I’ll shy away from it immediately. It's like Victoria Rowell, like that I should have been calling you right away. But I just let that go too. If they wanna talk, let them talk.

What about Jim Jones? What's going on with that? Are you signing him?

50: Jim Jones was actually on "Rap City" with me. Nah, I wont be signing him. I don’t a have a problem with him. I kept out of the decision that Cam'Ron made to jump out there 'cause it damaged their whole thing. When I say 'Koch is a grave yard,' I mean 'Koch-is-a-grave-yard,' like, that is the worse place you could actually be in your career. When you get there, it’s an indication, especially after the majors invested in you prior to that. They believe there’s nothing left to invest in. You end up on Koch selling your CD independently. But there’s something significant about Jim Jones coming out of the graveyard. He’s coming out of the graveyard.

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