Column:
Fiddy vs. Kanye: Rap battle
Published Sept. 7, 2007
Do me a favor and purchase Kanye West's album, Graduation, on Tuesday. Do not, under any circumstance, spend money on 50 Cent's album, Curtis. I'm trying to get everyone I know to take part in 50 Cent's public humiliation at the hands of West.
Let me give you a quick background: Curtis has been scheduled for release on Sept. 11 for ages now. A couple months ago, West's camp announced the release of Graduation had been pushed up from Sept. 18 to Sept. 11, putting West and 50 Cent in direct contention with one another. 50 Cent then announced that if West's album outsold his, he would stop making records. He later retracted that statement.
I'm sure many of you have seen the most physical product of this feud — the Rolling Stone cover that was unveiled Wednesday and prominently featured a standoffish photo of the two rappers face to face. Every time I look at it, I can't help but notice that 50 Cent looks remarkably like an angry gorilla with brows furrowed and mouth in a scowl. He even has that classic Neanderthal protruding brow ridge.
On Wednesday, immediately after Rolling Stone revealed the cover, I watched the behind-the-scenes footage from the cover shoot online. 50 Cent spent almost the entire video cursing West's name and trying to discredit his music and crew. West spent that time discussing Rolling Stone and his upcoming album. I can't help but notice how secure West seems — secure enough to not resort to flinging cheap insults — whereas 50 Cent has just about as much poise as a pizza-faced ninth-grader.
Also, when you compare the two at their most fundamental reason for existing (the music), West still manages to come out on top. I'm sick of 50 Cent's tired rhymes and his apparent mouthful of rocks and prepubescent lexicon: "Isn't it ironic how erotic it is to watch 'em in thongs/Had me thinkin' about that ass long after I'm gone."
Really?
West's rhymes are frequently intelligent and self-aware (he knows he's an arrogant asshole), and his skills as a producer are pretty spectacular. He's produced hits for Jay-Z, Common and Alicia Keys, among others.
But, the problem that is immediately posed is this: Even if Graduation turns out to be better than Curtis, will it sell more copies?
50 Cent has more commercial appeal because he produces music that is easier to like and is less controversial (He never declared that George Bush doesn't care about black people.)
Instead, he voiced his support for our commander in chief on several occasions. West has many fans in the indie crowd, but a problem in that lies in our complete apathy toward spending money on albums. Hey, scenesters, I'm urging you. Please do not be too cool to go buy this album.
This whole feud is likely just a publicity stunt, but I don't care. Once both albums have dropped, even if 50 Cent and West celebrate together, one will still look at the other's album sales and end up either swollen with pride or crushed. I'm certain that if 50 Cent loses to West, he will be forced to look back on his methods and reevaluate them, maybe becoming a better artist as a result. He probably will not actually stop rapping, but maybe he will stop writing rhymes about guns and ice. Maybe he will even become a more creative producer.
Or maybe not. You can just find him in 'da club.