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“The bottom line is, I’m a crook with a deal
If my record don’t sell, I’mma rob and steal
You better recognize, n****, I’m straight from the street
These industry n****s is starting to look like something to eat”
—50 Cent, How to Rob (1999)
50 Cent recorded his semi-facetious "How to Rob" song in the Trackmasters’ recording studio in 1999. Around this time, many of the trademarks of the 50 Cent brand were crystallizing into a concrete form. For instance, the Trackmasters had just advised him on how to put his already great songwriting skills to even better use, and he had just abandoned some of his experimental rap styles (according to the Trackmasters, his demo tape included material that sounded like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony).
While 50 Cent was a decent and self-sufficient earner in the streets of Southside Queens, the wealth we know him for today wasn't part of his brand yet. The "How to Rob" anthem cited above would play an important, if not the most important role in creating the conditions for that epic transformation.
The fact that 50 Cent built his career on the hype of this wealth-scheming anthem makes it all the more ironic that wealth-scheming opportunists are now not only scheming on his pockets in a way that resembles aspects of his song, but they’ve also compelled him to make a decision that could signal the start of the end of the incredible career that this song made possible.
Grand Opening ....Gradual Closing?
50 Cent’s court-ordered debts themselves (totalling more than 25 million dollars, so far) aren’t necessarily hurting him in a fatal way. Even if 50 were secretly unable to pay his 25 million dollar legal debt, this wouldn’t necessarily be a problem either. There are all sorts of discrete ways it could have been handled if 50 were broke for the time being (which is questionable), including non-disclosure agreement-backed settlements outside the court.
However, what is fatally damaging his brand the longer this drags on is all the speculation in the media and the public. The reason why it’s so damaging is because 50 Cent’s hands are now completely tied, perhaps for the foreseeable future. More serious developments could be underway as well, as his rivals are having a field day ridiculing him on social media, and they are becoming bolder by the day.
While some West Coast and southern artists have traded shots with 50 Cent since his Aftermath signing, East Coast artists generally have been much more reluctant. This seems to have changed now, as artists and their entourages are lining up with explicit and proactive callouts of their own (e.g. Jay Electronica, P Gutta and Meek Mill). Some of the people 50 has targeted have struck back with unminced comebacks of their own (e.g. Sha Money Xl and his ex-girlfriend, Vivica Fox). This is in seeming contrast with the mild or passive aggressive reactions that have often followed 50's barbs, including some of his (former) associates.
If 50 Cent has millions of dollars tucked away somewhere out of reach of his creditors (which I consider to be a reasonable assumption), he can’t really use that in his defence when people are openly speculating on whether his legal debts signal his downfall. Not if he wants to avoid giving the judge a reason to have more sympathy for his creditors. This means that he has to suck it all up while his fans are waiting for convincing rebuttals that he can’t really give them.
Moreover, with creditors keeping an eye on his every move, he will have to limit his overt ‘lifestyle spending’, which is playing in the hands of his rivals the longer it lasts. Since lavish spending can paradoxically generate more income and attention, especially in hip-hop (people naturally gravitate towards ‘winners’), a more sober spending regimen, in public at least, is also going to impact his income and social media presence on the long term. 50's breathing room when it comes to investing in promising ventures is also limited now, as long as this standoff lasts. Given how much 50 sacrifices with this move, mere reluctance to fill the pockets of his creditors with his hard-earned millions seem an unlikely motive for his chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. I'm sure that plays a role, but there could be real underlying financial problems.
Media attention around 50 Cent has traditionally, to a large extent, focused on 50's rivalries and jabs on social media and in his music. But as more and more of his dirty laundry has come out in recent years, 50 could be nearing a threshold where he could be at a significant disadvantage when it comes to trading barbs online. For the first time in 50 Cent’s career, it looks like he can no longer throw jabs from the safe position of having a ‘clean slate’; he’s going to have to consider keeping a low profile. Needless to say, this is going to further weaken his ability to control his reputation in hip hop as "that guy you want to leave alone."
