In the skewed sales environment of mainstream rap, 50 Cents’ fired off a salvo that he just might regret: He has promised to retire if his next album Curtis doesn’t sell as many records as Kayne’s Graduation on September 11th. 50 trained his bullying on a figure that is both ill prepared to respond but may finally endanger his career to extinction, through inactivity. Kayne isn’t a battle rapper and may even lose to 50 on the basis of pure mechanical skill, but he doesn’t have to. Kayne seems content to let his music speak for itself while 50 Cents seems to be relying on publicity to push his album. All the while, the whispers within the music industry is that Kenny Chesney’s next album is a shoo in to sell more than both of these albums, making 50 Cents fears all but moot. 50 Cents’ tantrums has eclipsed a well known malcontent in Kayne and managed to make his fictive rival seem like a champion of art for art sake.
The declaration unleashed 50 is just the first of many publicity tricks in the run up to his album release. 50 issued a challenge to Kayne to debate which of their albums would sell the most, which Kayne wisely turned down. In addition, the next step 50 took in creating buzz was terrorizing the Interscope Records office, tearing a 70 inch plasma screen TV off the wall, throwing his blackberry through a window raining glass on a midtown New York sidewalk., and making yet another series of declaration. The first edict was that he was going on a vacation, an extended rendezvous, rather than promote his album. The second edict was that he would escape from the record labels clutches at any cost. What act could provoke such a bold proclamation and general hooliganism in the middle of New York?
A leak of his third single from Curtis, “Follow My Lead:” hit the internet before his preferred deployment date, which was sometime in October. Finally, this carnival was about the music. But wait, wouldn’t getting the music to the public as soon as there was demand only build on the anticipation. Not when the “leaked” singles from the upcoming album received tepid at best response. The official singles from the album, “Amusement Park” and “Ayo, Technology” failed to grasp the imagination, or worst yet the radio dials and TV screens of America. “Amusement Park” was seen as another “Candy Shop” an overt attempt to use flimsy sexual innuendo to get a girl flavored hit while “Ayo, Technology” lacks the panache of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake collaborations by themselves, essentially making 50 Cent’s a guest on his own song.
This would seem to indicate the “street” singles “Fully Loaded Clip”,” I Get Money”, and “Straight to the Bank” failed to ignite any riots or make any suburban teenager harbor any notions of being gully, with the possible exception of “I Get Money”. Then he released a mix tape only song, “Part Time Lover”, which in abstentious attempt at a for the ladies song which get sidetracked when he reflexively diss Lil Wayne, presumably to get a subliminal dig at the budding professional relationship between Wayne and Ye. You get the feeling that the man could have explored some of this with a mix tape instead of rushing this out to a mass audience, with all of the intended pressures of the endeavor.
Did Kayne waste the interim between his albums with such nonsense? His mix tape, despite having many rehashes from past albums, is well received. He expanded his musical palette by rapping over music from indie club music vixen Kid Sister, Erasure by Thom Yorke, and certified indie hit “Young Folks” by Peter, Bjorn, and John. The mix tape also contained two collaboration between himself, Pharrell Williams, and Lupe Fiasco which contain the seedling products of a supergroup called CSR. His leaks position him well for radio spins and his video so far have outstripped 50’s in plays on the two major outlets, MTV and BET. He made a well publicized and received appearance at Live Earth, topped with a performance with the reanimated Police. Kayne responded with music for his constituents and widen his audience at the same time, which would indicate albums sell would follow suit. His megalomania reveals itself as glee over the quality of his recordings, which was obvious from his appearance on Tim Westwood’s show on RadioOne. His album is about essentially about the correct things: no matter what you actually feel about the single “Stronger”, you have to admire someone who would take the chance of sampling Daft Punk for their first single.
September 11th could only serve to expose to a judicious morale killer to 50 Cents. His pointless beefing with figures outside of his sphere of influence only signals his desperation. Kayne fanbase is different from 50’s and he saw to it that they remembered that while 50 Cents rehashed his own themes at a new target. It almost reassuring to think that Curtis may soon follow his former rival, Ja Rule, into an involuntary exodus just as Ja Rule emerged from pop’s Afghanistan via Lil Wayne. This time, however, the reason for the fall can only be blamed on the man himself.
This chick has always teetered on the edge of a never will be...even her biggest hit to date is assisted by a smart hook with Too Short on it. I think her association with Ludacris has actually hurt rather than help her: but really, I don't think that she has it....she somewhere stuck between Eve and the holy menage of sex rap of Fox/Kim/Trina. If you had to pick between an R & B chick or her for a verse, go with the R & B chick.
