Sittin' here

As you may already know 50 Cent fascinates me! I think that the way he carries and markets himself is extraordinary! I'm feeling the way that he's promoted his album, I love the way he promoted his last album! I have heard 'Get righ or die trying' a couple of times, but it's not an album that I own. So you could easily argue with me that musically he's arse-backwards (I wouldn't agree, he's definitely a talented artist!) but you couldn't argue that 50 Cent is a music industry legend! He's played the game (literally and metaphoricaly) with the greatest aplomb. At the same time making his own rules that artists and lables have been trying to emulate since. You can't deny, that no-one artist has set-up his own label and had the immediate success with it that 50 has. Lloyd Banks sold more then 2 Million records. Young Buck not only made a brilliant South album, but he sold more than 1 Million copies of it! The G-Unit album had top selling singles and moved something in the region of 3 million records. In the period that The Game was signed to G-Unit, he sold well over 1 million copies. He will continue to do numbers on 'The Documentary' under G-Unit's name for years to come. But, I get the impression from your average rap fan, that they think he's stupid? You go and talk to your MTV Base Junkie, or your underground mixtape head, and I'm sure you'll get the over-whelming impression that 50's an idiot! I think that this is his greatest asset!

50 shouts G, G, G, G, G-Unit! Like a roided up, jail bird! But he's got kids and grown men alike shouting his catchphrase and the name of his record company all day long! 50 graces magazine covers and posters wearing his bullet-proof vest, showing perhaps, a cowerdess and enjoyment of the ignorent life. But you look deeper and see that 50 is doing what Jay-Z told us needed doing. He brings the suburbs to the hood! He manages to create a lifestyle in the mainstream media that not only excites the middle-class and the suburban youth (key demographic!), into believing that 50 is the most wanted man in America and a man who just to be associated with could lead to you being shot. But he also keeps the ghetto saying 'That's real, 50's got his enemies and he's a diamond selling artist!'. 50 attatches his brand to a Reebok trainer, an Ecko clothing brand, and his soldiers (fans) have a uniform. Constantly promoting the name G-Unit! 50 seems only to associate himself with quality products. Reebok being a leader in the trainer market. Ecko being an absolute head of the hip-hop clothing market! 50 has a compter game in the works, he has a movie about his life that will be written by the man who writes 'The Sopranos'. This isn't luck or coincidence! This is marketting savy of the highest caliber, somthing that I respect.

I was prevoked into writing this post after reading an interview with 50 on www.allhiphop.com . 50 really impressed me with his articulation and contempt for the lesser in his category of artist! The way that he sums up those that try and impersonate him with little strory or character, really make me think how clever he is! The way that he talks about his son an his crew. The fact that it's almost written in stone that the oldest member of G-Unit Tony Yayo will sell millions of records, fills me with a respect for 50 that he could be the new Jay-Z. Not musically, I don't think we've seen the new Jay-Z, musically! But when you factor in, 50's new album pushing at least 5 million records, The Game selling at least 1 Million more, Yayo selling about 2 Million (and I think that's an understatement!) the new G-Unit album selling about 4 Million. You've got one man starting a movement and selling around 25-30 Million records inside 5 years, off of 8 albums. You have to admit that 50 is a master of marketing! With Buck, Banks, Yayo and 50 surely prepping follow ups to their own platinum efforts and rumours that 50 will add one of the South's hottest prospects Lil Scrappy to his roster, there seems to be no sign of relent!

I've said it before and I'll say it again! "I'm looking forward to hearing 50's new album!"



Even if the artwork is a bit fruity.

Tego