The image is an ancient crossbow weapon brandished by the pin striped, power-suited, hip-hop warrior 50 Cent aka The General… and it speaks volumes about the artist’s return for a second round. XXL magazine’s controversial, iconographic cover shot of the street’s most famous survivor, merely sets up the battlefield for his new album, The Massacre – 50’s first solo album since 2003’s colossal debut, Get Rich or DieTryin’. The game will clearly be played strictly as 50 defines it and the March XXL issue, on sale February 1, reveals 50’s battle plan to the world –first.
50’s first move for *The Massacre, due March 8, is an exclusive and brutally honest interview for the magazine 50 calls, “…the best place to get unaltered info on hip-hop culture. (XXL) knows a good thing when they hear it.”
“We’ve been documenting 50 Cent’s career way before he signed the deal with Eminem,“says XXL Editor-in-Chief, Elliott Wilson, “He’s the most controversial artist in hip-hop today and I’m thankful that he came to us first to share his always provocative views.”
Acknowledging the pressure of following up one of hip-hop’s most successful debuts,
50 addresses those who question his encore attempt. 50 says, “If they doubt me, then that’s cool. It makes me feel like I’m making my first album again. I’m trying to
destroy [Get Rich Or Die Trying].” He confidently continues, “Musically, I’ll never top how you felt when I first came out. Music marks time… But I can make a better record.”
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While fellow label-mate, Eminem, is looking to move away from conflict, with the song “Like Toy Soldiers”, 50 Cent is back to stir things up. On the album and this interview, he disses fellow New York rappers and expresses his disdain for New York’s lack of support. A new song “Piggy Bank”, on which he disses Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Nas and Kelis, hasn’t been officially released but is quickly becoming the talk of the music industry.
As many already know, the beef begins with Ja Rule and Murder, Inc., and as for the rest, 50 flexes in the direction of his detractors, “I’m responding to the actions of others. I’m not actually starting it. When they are in their articles, they say “Fuck 50” off the record. But they won’t say it to my face. And the difference between them and me is I don’t have a problem saying ‘fuck them’ in front of them.”
They may be in the same camp, but Eminem’s desire to end rivalries finds no comrade
in 50. “I don’t think Em is realistic”, he says, “On certain levels, he’s being logical. Anybody, like I said, would want to avoid those type of situations. Em’s seeing if it’s possible to not have these issues. Why? Because he makes hit
records.”
With multi-platinum in sales from Get Rich or Die Tryin’, one might wonder whether 50 realizes that he also makes hit records and could afford to cruise with his
sophomore album and avoid conflict. Don’t worry, he’s far from comfortable and he’s
gone beyond dissing, it’s more like Divide, and then Conquer, especially when it
comes to Ja Rule.
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“I might sign Ja Rule when he’s done at Murder, Inc. After I destroy him, I’ll rebuild him,” says The General, “Because he never was strong enough to individually go against me. He needs the support of everyone else to try to attempt that. And they should have been smart enough to tell him not to directly go against me.”
Even respected labelmates aren’t beyond 50’s wrath. Especially, when they record hit
songs with Ja Rule. Consider his commentary on Jadakiss:
“I don’t even see him [Jadakiss] as competition. When you can’t break a million records, and you call yourself going platinum? I know your numbers is 800 and change, and you can’t get over that hump? And you haven’t put out a record with your voice on the chorus? He’s a great rapper, but he’s not a great songwriter. I got artists under me that are better than him.”
After the issue’s release there will surely be more response records to 50’s
comments, building even more anticipation for *The Massacre. Which is exactly what 50 wants.
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Wilson reveals in his editorial, the crucial key to The Man in The Power Suit, “50 is the only MC that gets it: All publicity is good publicity. He’s the only artist in hip-hop today that doesn’t bitch and moan loudly when stories that are critical of him run in our magazine. He understands that all sides have to be
covered. It’s only right, Mr. Got Rich ride with the realest hip-hop mag on the
market.”
*EDITOR’S NOTE: At the time of this release it is unknown as to whether the name of 50 Cent’s new album would be “The Massacre” or “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” as according to HHDX’s own EXCLUSIVE interview with 50 Cent https://hiphopdx.com/features/id.359
