When 50 Cent said he'd quit music if Kanye West sold more albums than him this week, you may have unwittingly misconstrued 50 Cent as saying that he'd quit music if Kanye West sold more albums than him this week.
Clearly, though, that isn't the case – 50 Cent didn't mean that he'd actually quit music, or forever, or if Kanye West sold more albums than him this week. Because now, possibly because copies of Kanye West's Graduation album are massively outselling copies of 50 Cent's Curtis, 50 Cent has only decided that he'll quit music if sales of Kanye West's album don't drop by 70% next week, and only so long as 'quit music' means 'release at least one more album after this one'. And good for 50 Cent – we don't want him to quit music either. That's because less 50 Cent albums obviously means more 50 Cent movies, and that alone is why we're currently writing this next to three wheelbarrows brimming with unopened copies of Curtis.
In the history of rap feuds – be it Tupac Vs Biggie or Jay-Z Vs Nas or Snoop Dogg Vs the UK or Diddy Vs flame-assed jive turkeys or Suge Knight Vs his own legs – no rapper has ever said that they'll quit music forever if they don't win. That's because they understood that this sort of thing polarises people into those who like you, those who hate you and those who don't care but they'll buy a copy of Kanye West's album if it means you'll quit music because they think it's funny. And very often, as 50 Cent is discovering, those last two groups outnumber the first one.
By now you know that this week saw 50 Cent releasing his Curtis album in direct competition with Kanye West's Graduation album. That alone would have boosted sales for both albums, but 50 Cent wanted to take it further – he wanted to have a debate with Kanye West about who is better at rapping and stuff. And then 50 Cent took it just that little bit too far – he said that he'd quit music if Kanye West outsold him. Here's the money quote:
"If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on Sept. 11, I'll no longer write music. I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out any more solo albums."
Now – possibly because he misjudged Kanye West's ascendant popularity compared to his own career freefall, or maybe because Kanye West throwing at tantrum at MTV helped boost his sales, or maybe even because people don't like 50 Cent and want to see him fail – the inevitable has happened. Kanye West is outselling 50 Cent. And that means that 50 Cent will now have to quit music, right? Not quite, because 50 Cent has just slung out a bunch more desperate provisos, as the Los Angeles Times reports:
Even with his future solo output seeming to hang in the balance, little attention has been paid to 50's opt-out clause — his promise to quit only if certain terms and conditions are met. "And I bet this, when Kanye West's sales come in, he's gonna have a 70% decrease [the second week] 'cause Def Jam is gonna buy records to keep him closer to 50 Cent," he continued. "So watch the first week and then watch the second week. Watch his [expletive] drop off the planet. We keep our angles covered before we make a decent bet." In a conversation with The Times, the rapper confirmed that a steep second-week sales drop for "Graduation" is a central part of his challenge.
So 50 Cent thinks that Kanye West's record label is rushing around buying up copies of Graduation just to make 50 Cent quit? Fair enough. But even though chart manipulation on that scale is almost impossible to achieve, 50 Cent is convinced that Kanye West's album sales will drop by 70% next week. Congratulations Fiddy, you've just made sure that everyone who already owns a copy of Graduation will go and buy another copy next week just to make sure you go away forever.
And anyway, even if Kanye West's sales go up next week it doesn't mean that 50 Cent will actually quit music immediately – he's already recorded the follow-up to Curtis and that'll be released at some point in the future too. It was apparently set to be called Before I Self Destruct, by the way, but now there's a chance that 50 Cent will rename it to After I Self Destructed Then Made Up A Bunch Of Lame Conditions And Then Self Destructed Anyway And Started Drinking A Tin Can Of Rain Water For My Dinner.
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Evorgleb says
The world seem to be crashing down for 50 Cent. Homie has been sitting on top of the world for a while. But now he’s getting sued. His album isn’t selling the way he thought. People in his own camp are leaking videos early and we are reporting over on Highbrid Nation that 50 may be about to hang it up for good. Isn’t it ironic that the iTunes bonus song for Curtis that was produced by Kanye West is the song where he says goodbye to the industry?
Big Chested Blonde says
Another hack no talent that the consuming public has gotten tired of. Good riddance to that crap.
Sammy says
50 is a wack ass mutha fucka… he shuld go sleep nd spend all he’s robbed off people… wen kanye’s finished wit his ass, he’ll need more ciara’s pay to put food on his table.
PD says
George Strait would out sell both of those hacks any day of the week.
BossaMon says
Just another bragging lying POS dat don’t got what it takes to follow through. yeah talk tough 50 cent (now worth about a nickel) then flim flam it around when da shit goes down on ya.
Avellino says
To all you idiots that think 50 is gonna go broke after this album SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!! How stupid are you. He already has money.MAD MONEY, This is fun for him, hes bored, I dont think he cares if his record doesnt sell at all. I bought them both and I feel ther both good in there diff. ways. Depending what mood Im in Ill choose a CD. Goofy,Happy- KANYE. Serious, Pissed off- 50CENT. One last thing, any 50 song the volume stays up even at traffic lights, I cant say the same for KANYE.
coco says
How funny. What he said was clear: he won’t put out solo album anymore so don’t give us that crap that 70% blah blah blah. He talked too much and I think people were just turned off by it.
bjorn says
I’ll make sure to buy enough copies of kanye’s new album just to see 50 cent out of the music industry
I hate kanye though
music insider says
Looks like 50’s prediction was correct. The prediction of a 70% decline is becoming a reality. I guess Def Jam’s staff really made an effort to buy a large amount of Kanye albums for week #1. Something Stuart said was probably a far reach. Seems like big Stuart (the 50 hater) didn;t think that was possible. Although you didn’t say 50 was crazy by predicting that, you implied it. Anyhow, I’d love to see what your going to say now. Probably nothing though. I bet you won’t give this any attention considering your such a 50cent hater. Later Mr Heckler. BTW you remind me of a wanna be Bill O’reilly copy
Adam Gade says
Yeah Hecklerspray, you’re just like Bill O’Reilly! All American and in trouble for nasty phone calls to associates and hypocritical…just like ol’ Bill.
GhostFace says
Man your both tools!
Yes Kanye’s album dropped 76% in week 2 . . . . but ‘Curtis’ dropped in sales by 79%
Which means Graduation > Curtis Or Curtis = Large waste of money – both for 50 and me.
Now I’m no 50 Cent hater (more of a K-Fed Hater) but the album just isn’t great.
50 Cent had one good album – Get Rich or Die Tryin. Curtis just sounds like it was made up on the spot – freestylesc, and it’s all the same “Look how rich I am, I like to shoot people and I **** women”
Well . . . .I don’t care how rich you are 50 that is for your enjoyment only – I get nil enjoyment from it. 2nd Shooting people? How is that cool? Anyone can pull a trigger, I’d rather hear about lesbains than about how many finger muscles you have (Unless I’m angry, then I want to hear about knives, knives not guns) And 3rd Everyone raps about ****ing women! Sooo why would I listen to 50 Cent rap about it when Ne-Yo does it soo much better.
Theres worse artists than 50 Cent . . . Like Soulja Boy, But there is also many many more better.
50 was soo much cooler when he wasn’t rich :(
g-unit allday says
if you do not like 50cent you is wack fuck all you hater
big daddy says
I wanted Kanye to win the battle the whole time:D.But Kanye and 50 are both kool.
bala says
i like him very much . his songs r unconcious me