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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
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