50 Cent is hip-hop royalty. Bursting onto the scene in the early 2000s, the Queens rapper had a lot of success as a musician. However, by the latter part of the decade, his image and sound failed to align with what was being pushed by major record labels.
Following the success of Kanye West’s 2007 album Graduation, and with the South delivering a new form of electronic hip-hop with trap, gangster rap had no place in the mainstream, so the rapper adjusted his focus.
Speaking to the renowned hip-hop publication XXL last year, 50 Cent revealed that his next album would be his last as he looks to cement his place in film and television. Like many artists following his music career, the rapper (real name Curtis Jackson) seamlessly transitioned into the Hollywood arena to take on acting, producing and directing.
When asked if he had any more aspirations with regard to music, Jackson replied, “I probably think I’ll deliver one more full-length album, then the other things I do will be connected to film and television. I’m having so much success in this area that I have opportunities to keep releasing music through the projects that I’m bringing.”
Jackson has previously disclosed that he alone curates and executively produces soundtracks and theme tunes for all his shows. He also feels incidental music is often just as important as the script. When asked if he would ever record a track with Method Man, who stars in Jackson’s Power Book II, 50 revealed that he would consider it an honour to work with him, as he is actually his favourite Wu-Tang member.
“Possibly, yeah, that’ll be a good idea, actually! Meth, he’s my favourite Wu-Tang member. When they came out, he stood out like a sore thumb. It’s hard to have those types of moments in hip-hop.” Although Jackson is not on our TV screens in music videos anymore, he is most definitely still making music. The rapper has contributed to the soundtracks of all his television works, including Black Mafia Family, Power, and Raising Kanan. You can listen to Jackson on the Black Mafia Family theme song in the video below.
