50 Cent Bows Out of Rap, Blames the ‘Stupidity’ of Current Hip-Hop—But Wait, Didn’t He Write “Candy Shop”?
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, the man who once brought us “Candy Shop”—a song using candy as a thinly-veiled metaphor for oral sex—has revealed why he no longer wants to rap. And his reason? The current state of hip-hop is too… well, stupid. That’s right, the guy who gave us lines like “I’ll let you lick the lollipop,” says today’s rap requires him to tap into his “stupid side” to make music.
Candy Man No More: 50 Cent’s Sour Take on Today’s Rap
In a recent interview, 50 Cent explained, “If you listen to the music that’s out right now, I have to tap into my stupid. I have to tap into the stupid side of me to write the right thing when it comes time to write the music.” Bold words from the artist whose biggest hit, “In Da Club”, brilliantly used a classic Dr. Dre beat to ask for—wait for it—hugs. “You can find me in the club, bottle full of bub, mama I got what you need if you need to feel a buzz,” he croons, before inviting you to “come give me a hug if you into getting rubbed.” Shakespearean, really.
Meanwhilte, Nas, an actual lyricist, somehow still creates music.
RELATED: 50 Cents Best 21 Songs
His Shift to High-End, Thought Provoking Movies and Mediocre TV
But 50 isn’t done. He went on to explain that the “stupidity” of current rap is why he’s shifted to film and television.
“This is why I haven’t created as much content as I was creating in the past and I started going towards film production and development,” he said.
Because apparently, the best way to avoid dumb content is to, you know, make Power—a mediocre show that pales in comparison to the more humorous, sharply written, and far better-acted Succession. While Power has found success in its own lane, it’s hard to argue that it matches the level of cinematic craftsmanship or nuanced performances that Succession brought to the screen.
The Irony of 50’s Lyrics
Lest we forget, this is the same lyrical genius who once wrote, “When I die they’ll read this and say a genius wrote it,” only to follow it up three lines later with,
“I’m similar to a squirrel, lookin’ for a slut with a nice butt to get a nut.”
Truly, the Bob Dylan of hip-hop. Someone please inform 50 Cent is famous for two reasons: Dr. Dre and he survived nine gunshots. Too bad the shooter didn’t have an extendo.
50 Cent’s Shift to Hollywood: Trading Beats for Scripts
To 50’s credit, his pivot to television has been commercially successful. He’s been a longtime Diddy critic, ended Ja Rule’s career, and Get Rich or Die Trying hits harder than Cecil Fielder. And gain, 50 Cent was right about Diddy.
And maybe it’s a good thing he left rap behind—after all, if he “Candy Shop” is smart, I can’t imagine what a dumb 50 Cent track sounds like. Relive the lyrical genius of 50 Cent:
