50 Cent grabs Eminem's throne

2003-06-05 11:50

New Jersey - When 50 Cent's album debuted to record-breaking sales earlier this year, the rapper joked that mentor Eminem - rap's reigning sales king - was getting a little worried about his own status.

"He told me, 'Be easy money, you're up on my heels'," laughed 50 Cent, whose debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin, is the year's best-selling disc with almost five million copies sold.

"I've got his mojo right now."

That couldn't have been more clear on Tuesday night, at arguably the largest rap concert of the year.

Despite a bill that featured some of the biggest names in hip-hop, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, P Diddy, Nas and Lil' Kim, it was clear that 50 Cent was the star of the show, whipping the rain-soaked crowd into a frenzy as he paraded around stage in a bulletproof vest, with a posse of almost 50 in tow.

And when 50 Cent's performance was over, so, for many of the crowd, was the concert - despite the fact that Eminem was performing onstage. While there were still thousands of fans bopping their heads as the Oscar-winner performed hits like Without Me, a stream of people headed toward the exits.

Fresh face

While 50 Cent can hardly be described as a saviour of rap - Enimem and Nelly were responsible for the 2002's No 1 and No 2 selling albums, respectively - it's clear that the buff, bullet-scarred gangsta rapper has riveted the rap scene like no other.

In an interview earlier this year, rapper Fat Joe said one of the main reasons 50 Cent has become so popular much is because he's a fresh face on a familiar rap scene.

"We all reach our peak, and hip-hop is youthful music," he said. "I think the reason why 50 Cent has blown up as big as is his is because it's about time. People needed someone new."

But his gangsta lifestyle and raw charisma are also a major part of his popularity. Few on the bill were able to get the crowd excited for any extended period of time. Some in the audience shouted "Bring on 50!" when Lil Kim - her silicone breasts almost popping out of her flimsy top - gave her lacklustre performance.

Thug lifestyle

In fact, besides veteran rapper Busta Rhymes, whose frenetic rapping and energetic stage performance had fans jumping out of their seats, only 50 Cent and Enimem had the crowd riveted for any length of time.

A former drug dealer from Queens who was once shot multiple times, 50 Cent has embraced the thug lifestyle in ways even one of his influences, Tupac Shakur, never did.

Moreover, 50 Cent has a charisma and charm that appeals to both men and women, and he markets both aspects deftly. Women in the audience squealed as he removed his bulletproof vest to reveal his cut muscles and he sang his No 1 hit, the romantic (for hip-hop, anyway) 21 Questions; yet, soon afterward, he was giving them the brush-off, declaring himself a P.I.M.P. to the shouts of male fans.

His ongoing beef with fellow rapper Ja Rule has also boosted 50 Cent's hype; fans laughed uproariously when a taped intro to his show lampooned Ja Rule. - Sapa-AP

- SAPA