Chris Lighty was a huge portion of my actual career. It's difficult to adjust to not have someone around that's in your life, in your life.
You grimy as birds shittin' on the top of ya Fords.
I think it's impossible to actually be a role model. I think on some level, you'll have your flaws or defects of character, regardless.
The importance of 'Dream School' is monumental. Helping to inspire these students to reach their potential is personally gratifying.
I never had working papers. I never had a job. I sold crack until I got in the music, so this is the best thing that happened to me and I do it excessively.
When I have conversations with people, for some strange reason they think I'm gonna die and they're not. But you know what? Death means nothing to me.
If you're familiar with my man Uncle Sam, you understand the only way you can actually feel better about what he's gonna take, come the end of the year, is lifestyle. Only thing you can do is spend some of it.
50 Cent is a metaphor for "change". But originally it was a gangster from Fort Greene Projects named 50 Cent and I took the name when he passed and because he's not active, I thought it'd be cool to take it.
It's Fifty, not Fiddy.
There's a small group of guys in hip-hop that really have money. The whole culture talks about money, but it's a small group that actually has it.
My description of fun would be to sit on someone's couch and watch TV. Regular cable TV. When I'm in a hotel, on-demand is the same. I watch the TV in another language, trying to figure out what they're saying.
If I don't make music I'm going back to the hood. I'll sell crack. I'm gonna go back to sell crack if I can't make it in the music business and that's what I was doing before that.
I have received 16 Grammy nominations and I have no trophies, because I chose to write the harsh realities. I stayed true to myself and I've taken a little beating behind it.
Ya'll know what you need to do? Get together, make a We Are The World record.
It's not funny when you actually get shot, but afterwards, yeah, it's funny.
Without music I wouldn't have the ability to be in business. The opportunity to be in business came with the finances from music and the notoriety that comes with being successful as an artist. So I see myself as an artist first, but I'm absolutely conscious of business.
I'm not trying to save the world. As a musician and artist, it just ain't me.
I make music cuz it's almost like I can escape everything I was involved in. All I gotta do is make music. I don't do nothin but make music.
Because hip-hop has no requirements, you deal with people that have the least intelligence on the planet. Some of the people that compare themselves to me, compare themselves to me because they rap and I rap. They can't even read the contracts that they sign to be a rapper, to do the deal.
The competitive nature of hip-hop culture has always had battling involved with it. So you battle with the other artist but not necessarily in business and everywhere else.
Eating well was something I learned as I started to be successful and had to travel and perform concerts, which are an intense cardio workout.
What I do is take the jewelry back to the jeweler and they redo the jewelry with the same gold from the last thing.
It was great to watch her spin out of control because it makes the average person feel better.
I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ.
Obama is for same-sex marriage. If the President is saying that, then who am I to go the other way?
