Nima : First off about your youth, where in queens are you from?
50 Cent : I'm from South Jamaica, Queens.
Nima : How did you get into rapping?
50 Cent : Well I did it off and on for a while, I always enjoyed rap music.
Nima : How did you hook up with JamMasterJay?
50 Cent : A friend of mine introduced me to him.
Nima : How would you describe your style?
50 Cent : How would I describe my style.. hmm.. oh now they say it's gangsta music..
Nima : What happened to your Power Of Tha Dollar project?
50 Cent : My Power Of The Dollar? The record, I completed it and uhm, I dropped the first street single, which was supposed to be the b-side of How To Rob, and it did extremely well, it had really alot of effect. Today when I have a conversation, we somehow never end up on the topic that it was supposed to be. My first impression was a strong impression and uhm, the A-side of the single was supposed to be Thug Love with Destiny's Child. I got shot, two days before I was supposed to shoot the video. I got shot up so I wasn't physically able to, shoot the video.
Nima : How did that shoot-up change your life?
50 Cent : I feel like.. it changes your life a lil bit. Like when you get shot at nine times, you start makin a dream for a reason. You got a purpose.. I'm still tryin to figure out what my purpose is..
Nima : You're "How To Rob An Industry Nigga" track made alot of noise, positive and negative. If you could go back in time, would you take the same decision as you did?
50 Cent : Absolutely, many people think that like when you sign a record deal as an artist, uhh when you sign a record deal, you made it.. Naahh.. its more like you got a opportunity to make it! Cause you don't have to be an artist.. most rappers feel like they artists in their owns, in their rights, thats not the way you become an artist.. there are things that come with being a successful artist.
Nima : How did you take the artists and the streets reactions to the track? Did people want you to appologize?
50 Cent : Yeah.. people wanted it, like they got phone calls at Columbia.. They work differently right, I don't appologize for nuttin I'm doin...Its self explanatory the record was.. It didn't hurt anybody by saying this so if they take it personal fuck em! I looked at it like, you on a major label, it might be a hundred other acts, on that label. You gotta do something to separate you from everyone else that's there, to get you the focus for a minute. Like with How To Rob, people stopped and were like "who is that?", you know in the company itself, after I released How To Rob, everybody knew who 50 Cent is, and is excited about 50 cent when he come to the building. A poster board ain't nothing but colorful piece of paper on a pole, without a record that makes it make sense. The ad that they use is just a pretty picture You know these are the things they do to promote projects without the actual music, and that ain't gone to nothin! Get a Sixty Seconds radio spot, ya commercial that shit ain't gone do nothin without them hearin some music that they actually doin
Nima : How did G-Unit get together?
50 Cent : G Unit is my record company, it is a group at this point because the deal is about to complete the negotiations. But Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks they are the first two artists that's up on IN the situation. We grew up together like, Banks is the youngest he's 20 years old.
Nima : How did Eminem approach you?
50 Cent : Eminem... Theo, my attorney and Paul Rosenberg work close together, like they know each other, they came up together so, I had a cd called "Guess Who's Back" and Em, right got a copy of it and he was in the middle of completing The Eminem Show, so he didn't get a chance to properly listen to it, but after he got that done he heard it and he was like "Ya'll need to come out here now!" so they flew me out on like Friday night, I fly to Los Angeles the next day and I met wit him and Dre and then after we met it was kinda all alright
Nima : Whats it like working with Em & Dre in the studio, any different than with the producers you've worked with?
50 Cent : Absolutely, both of them are perfectionists.. With Dre its like.. I do vocals, I write the vocals and then Dre would come and we'd do vocals, like we change.. not too much, but if he feels like I could say something a lil differently, we'll change that. And Em, he spins records and like he send me a skeleton and I'll write to it. Then we'll build the song around it.
Nima : How has being around Shady Records affected the music you're making?
50 Cent : Oh alot man! I think it made it uhh.. I got the best rappers, best producers around me. I'm getting better! This is like my album will be twice as good as my last album.
Nima : Do you plan to bring up G Unit the way Eminem did with D-12, like make them blow up too?
50 Cent : Absolutely, G Unit should be out in autumn.. My album is scheduled for February 11th.
Nima : I heard Lloyd Banks signed to Def Jam, is that true?
50 Cent : Nah thats not true, its like they makin' offers.. I got my solo deal offers now but I'm not gone do it like that, they all signed to my company! And we're all stayin in the same situation. Tony Yayo got a offer too separately, but not Def Jam, another company. You know how Wu-Tang came out and everybody end up on a different label? This is kinda similar to that. Or like The Ruff Ryders, or Rocafella Records.
Nima : Was the track Wanksta aimed at anybody special?
50 Cent : Nah nah man, its just like in general, there's alot of Wankstas out there, so you gotta make tracks like that.
Nima : What happened between you and Ja Rule, I heard you snatched Ja's chain in a club and sent it back to him in the mail! Is that true?
50 Cent : Ha ha ha, nah I didn't send it back in the mail but you know, they gave me a watch in exchange for it!
Nima : Was it Ja Rule's chain on the end of the gun of your "Guess Who's Back" cover?
50 Cent : Hahaha nah, that wasn't his, hahaha
Nima : You are a real workaholic, you drop new songs and freestyles like everyday on mixtapes, what pushes you to record songs all the time?
50 Cent : I like it you know, I think you gotta stay consistent, consistency is the key to all success. So I stay in the studio and make music constantly!
Nima : Is the album still dropping February 11th?
50 Cent : Yup, Get Rich Or Die Trying!!
Nima : Is the rumored track listing of Get Rich Or Die Trying thats on the Internet correct, or fake?
50 Cent : Some of em.... Now all of that's not accurate, but some of it is.. Oh I know where they got that from too, cause you know when I speak, when I have interviews and they ask like whats the name of some of the records on the album you know, and I say it.. So I guess they collected their information and wrote some things on it.
Nima : We have heard the track "In The Club" which sounds alot like a Dre track, can you confirm that?
50 Cent : Yeah it is a Dr. Dre produced record!
Nima : Will it be the first single?
50 Cent : Yup, we shot the video yesterday and the day before!
Nima : Who will be featured on your album?
50 Cent : Guest appearances? Uhm, I got a record I did with uhm, Busta.. Its a great record, came out really good! Uhm, Em, Dre, Usual Suspects *laughs*.
Nima : There were rumours that DMX would be on the album dissing Ja Rule.. is that true?
50 Cent : Ohh I mean I'm not sure if he's gone be dissing Ja Rule but.. me and X is gone definitely, you should look forward to hear us work together!
Nima : There was a mixtape by DJ Big Mike which had a few funny skits about Ja Rule. Are we going to see those on the album too?
50 Cent : Uhh.. Nah actually I'm trying not to make my energy totally focus on Ja Rule..
Nima : Which producers have you got on the record?
50 Cent : Production is various.. we got, uhm, Megahertz, Dre, Em, Primo, Sha Money XL...
Nima : Could you describe the album for us?
50 Cent : I'd say the album is classic. Em and Dre, we did an interview with MTV yesterday and Em compared it to his second album, my first album coming out feeling like his second, he wish that his first album would have come out like that.
Nima : How do you deal with the worldwide exposure, you were on 8 Mile and stuff, are you happy now?
50 Cent : Absolutely, you know what I mean, Im workin.. I'm nottin new! This is my first album and I'm a new artist to the world, but I've been around for a long time!
Nima : Will you be on DETOX or OH MY GOD?
50 Cent : Yeah, look forward to seein me.
Nima : Have you been in the studio with Rakim?
50 Cent : Nah, I haven't recorded with Rakim..
Nima : Are there any producers that you would like to work with, or artists?
50 Cent : Uhh, everybody I'd like to work with I've had communications with so far, uhm you should look forward to hearin 50 Cent and Jay-Z!
Nima : Whats your view on the Eminem/Benzino beef? Are you going to get involved, or stay out of it?
50 Cent : Thats not beef! When I first heard about that, I thought there was a situation where they like ran into each other, but they never ran into each other! Its just you know, Benzino is taking shots at Em cause he's doin' so well, hopin' it would give him some attention!
Nima : How do you think The Source will review Get Rich Or Die Trying?
50 Cent : I think it will be visible that their review is based on their situations, which makes their magazine even worse! They can give me 2 Mics! *laughs* I don't give a fuck, I don't care what they give! But at the end of the day, the album gets two mics, and its hot as fuck and everybody hearin' is goin "yo this record is crazy"!
Nima : Would you ever work with Nas, Mobb Deep or the Bravehearts who you have already worked with?
50 Cent : I worked with Nas and The Bravehearts before, but I doubt that you'll hear us on records together again..
Nima : Did anything happen between you and The Bravehearts?
50 Cent : Nah, I mean Jungle and Wiz is cool, Nas's businesses makes me uncomfortable workin' wit them.
Nima : In the early 90's, there were alot of dope rappers, and only few wack ones. Nowadays its the opposite. What do you think happened?
50 Cent : HipHop is growin, they openin up.. They see the possibilities.. People rappin what they feel like the world will embrace it if its a pop record. Or they perform that when they get a RnB singer and they singles is about a girl.. And they see some people had success with that and they follow that.. and thats what you gotta do!
Nima : If one day, people ask you to do a pop song, or work with some singer or anything, would you do that, or rather try to keep the street credibility?
50 Cent : I mean it depend on the record.. If I feel the record is a hit record I'll do it, I wanna make good music, you know what I mean? Like Im not stupid enough to say "no I won't do it because I wanna be street" *laughs* If the record is a hit, you know I'm wit it!
Nima : What albums do you bump at the moment?
50 Cent : I got that uhh, Missy Elliot record, I've been playin' it. I did a remix! I'm on that album!
Nima : How did that Missy Elliot remix happen? Were you happy with it?
50 Cent : Well Missy is managed by Violator and we felt like we had that in common, so they.. uhh.. it was real easy for us to put it together. They said "Missy got this crazy record, we want you to get on it" I thought it was a hit, I jumped on it, I was right!
Nima : Whats your view on Bootlegging?
50 Cent : Bootleggin.. can be used a form of promotion.. Like when you create a buzz for your stuff, I have no beef with bootleggin.. I mean when people hear good music, thats when they buy the CD anyway! And I think when people buy bootlegs, they buy it cause they got cheated! I think they download it, cause in the past they bought CDs that maybe had 8 cuts...once they hear you enough to know that you're gone get them a good record, they gone end up spendin money on your CD.
Nima : Now a little personal question.. Did you listen to the WC album "Ghetto Heisman"?
50 Cent : Yeah I got it, he played some joints for me himself. I think it would have done better if Def Jam wouldn't have fucked up him over with that shit.. Something was wrong with the CD at mastering, they got a skip and nobody was paying attention to it. .And they pushin it all back cause of that.. Shit like that is when the companies hurt the artists.. you know what I mean?
Nima : Are you afraid something like that could happen to you too?
50 Cent : Hell no, I mean it depends on.. I think that I express myself to the people that I work with, so no point to beef with me. I'm not rapping because I don't much of a choice, I rap for a livin!
Nima : Who is signed to Shady Records and Aftermath?
50 Cent : Aftermath is loaded, like you got alotta great essence.. You got Ice Cube, Rakim, you got new artist Joe Beast, new artist Brooklyn, thats on aftermath but theres some more acts I'm not really familiar with.. Shady is Eminem, D-12, Obie Trice and I'm kinda splittin between the two, cause my deal is a joint between Shady and Aftermath.
Nima : Are you planning to go on a tour anytime soon?
50 Cent : Yeah right after the uhm, single and then my album, when the album drops I'm tryna do it.
Nima : Would you come overseas too?
50 Cent : Absolutely.
Nima : With the whole Shady Records, Aftermath, a whole show like Up In Smoke Tour with everybody?
50 Cent : You want me to bring everybody? *laughs*
Nima : Oh yeah, something I was wondering about, I was listening to that track, also from the DJ Big Mike Mixtape where you were dissing Ja Rule and you say something like you know the Stylist he's fuckin and that you paid him 50 thousand.. What's up wit that?
50 Cent : Yeah you'll hear it February 11th *laughs* it's on my album!
Nima : What was the story about that?
50 Cent : Oh yeah, I got the guy he had relations while he took the drug Ecstasy, a friend of the stylist that I used told me that he knew the guy, know what I mean. He had a date with him, and I paid for it.
Nima : Do you have anything to say about Suge Knight?
50 Cent : I wonder if he has anything to say about me! *laughs*
Nima : Any last words, Shoutouts or Fuck You's?
50 Cent : Haha nah I'm straight man..
Nima : Ok man, thanks alot for taking your time.
50 Cent : Aight, Peace