50 Cent on Music and the Tech Business

Musical success in the iTunes era hinges as much on image and crafted messaging as it does on songs. Being an artist is in many ways like being a startup entrepreneur. Both are constantly looking to tap into an audience, build that following, and create a product that can both stand the test of time, stand up to the competition, and be adored by fans.Fourteen years ago Curtis Jackson could barely pay his bills. Dropped from Columbia Records and recovering from a failed hit that put nine bullets in him, the future of the man who would become known as 50 Cent was very much in question. By his own account he was blacklisted from the rap game, repeatedly cut from record labels, music shelved before it was ever released.

But as luck would have it another former never-do-well rapper–Eminem–heard one of 50 Cent’s controversial records and believed in him enough to fly the New Yorker to Los Angeles for a high-powered meeting that would change his life forever. Books. Movies. Video games. Brand endorsements. Clothes. Headphones. There’s even a charitable energy drink that donates a portion of each purchase to ending world hunger. The man’s come a long way from selling drugs on street corners in Queens.