Rapper's Delight With hoodlum chic, a personalized bulletproof vest, a high-profile feud with Ja Rule, and nine -- count 'em, nine -- gunshot wounds, Eminem's protégé 50 Cent embraced all the gangsta-rap trappings of the last 10 years (not to mention a bit of the '70s badass black-buck mythos) and fashioned himself into the ideal thug for 2003. But what sets him apart from countless other wannabes is a knack for penning some of the catchiest choruses this side of Burt Bacharach. Bare-chested and bandanna'd, 50 (born Curtis Jackson) hijacked the country's imagination with his felony melodies: He sold 6 million copies of his major-label debut, ''Get Rich or Die Tryin','' and nabbed five Grammy nominations.

In a circuit where violence and crime add cachet, the success of 50 -- who raps openly about his early life as a drug dealer -- is no shocker. ''His story is made for TV,'' says fellow rapper Talib Kweli. ''He embodies the dangerousness of being a young black male, which is what hip-hop celebrates and sells very well.'' 50 brought along the drama from his first release; ''How to Rob,'' his edgy 1999 single about ripping off other rappers, cemented his confrontational rep. But it's anthemic songwriting like his hit single ''In Da Club'' -- and its infectious ''It's your birthday'' refrain -- that keeps him in flashy jewels and crisp white tank tops. ''It's somebody's birthday somewhere, so when that [intro] comes on, there's a million people like, 'Yeah!''' says Jay-Z, who headlined a tour with 50 this past summer. ''When I hear that record, I hear somebody in the studio having fun.'' Roc-A-Fella Records head Damon Dash says 50's success is all about the right hook. ''He knows how to make a record that everyone can dance to.'' --by Neil Drumming , with additional reporting by Rob Brunner

 
Charles Mims
http://www.the-sandbox.org
 
 
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