Go Behind the scenes with Andrew Silberstein '08 to find out why Kanye West is on top and 50 Cent's solo career is over.
July 19, 2007: Kanye West’s record label Def Jam Records pushes back the release date for Graduation, his third studio album, to September 11, 2007. According to West, the album artwork is taking longer than expected to finish. (He had hired famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to design the cover booklet.)
July 20, 2007: 50 Cent, whose forthcoming album, Curtis, is slated to drop 9/11 as well, hears of Kanye’s release date change. 50 discusses the release date showdown with New York hip-hop radio station Hot 97. In an interview with DJ Funkmaster Flex, the G-Unit CEO states, "It's coming out September 11th and I’m not pushing it back. I’m not moving under any circumstances.”
August 7, 2007: Shortly after hearing 50’s rigid words, Kanye West proposes a television-style debate between the two hip-hop superpowers to take place on September 11 on Black Entertainment Television’s famed video countdown show, 106 & Park.
August 10, 2007: 50 Cent agrees to participate in the proposed debate. In an interview with urban culture web site SOHH.com, 50 Cent claims, "Let's raise the stakes. If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I'll no longer write music. I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out any more solo albums.
The internet explodes. The showdown turns into something like a presidential election. Hundreds of thousands of hip-hop heads add their favorite candidate to their buddy icons, desktop backgrounds, email signatures, and Myspace profiles.
The two rappers make appearances on BET’s 106 & Park as planned. Kanye West sells 966,000 copies of Graduation his first week, while 50 Cent’s Curtis pushes 691,000. 50 tries to call “foul play” on Kanye and label Def Jam, but he’s just being a sore loser. If he stays true to his word, as of September 18, 2007, 50 Cent will not be putting out any more solo albums. Ouch.
