When it comes to other artists’ success, rapper 50 Cent says his influence can not guarantee anyone else longevity in the music industry.
In 2003, the “In Da Club” rapper launched his career and founded G-Unit Records. In the beginning, the artists signed to the label’s roster were his G-Unit group members Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and Tony Yayo. 50 would ultimately go on to sign other acts such as singer Olivia, rapper The Game, Mas$e and Mobb Deep.
Each of the aforementioned acts experienced varying levels of success while signed to the label. But compared to 50’s career, no other G-Unit artist has sustained a high-level of success. Consequently, some of the label’s former artists have expressed frustrations regarding the way 50 impacted their careers.
“What’s ill is when you’re in the seat, the driver’s seat, a lot of times — no, every time something goes wrong it’s your fault,” the “Power” co-creator told “97.9 The Box ” on Friday (July 29). He continued , “If you ask artists why their career didn’t go the way they want, it’s the record label. See what I’m saying? I happened to become the record label. So all of those artists that were around and didn’t do exactly what they thought they were supposed to do, it’s my fault that it didn’t. They give it to me individually now like, ‘It’s not the company. It’s him.’”
The one exception is rapper O.T. Genasis. The Massacre rapper signed O.T. to his label in 2011, but the partnership was short-lived. “I had him for a record,” said 50. “After that record didn’t work, he went and made a hit record,” he added.
While things did not work out with O.T. and G-Unit Records, 50 said he and the rapper have a phenomenal relationship. Something he can not say when it comes to many of the label’s former artists. “He [O.T.] was let go to go do that. And he went and made that hit and he made his money. The other people are upset because they felt like they coulda did it. ‘If you had did it for me. So it’s your fault you didn’t do it for me.’ I can’t make people buy records,” said 50. Peep the full interview below.