Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent) plans to Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (the title of his new album). In other words, he wants to achieve the American Dream. Yet, America has likely never heard it put quite like he put it before. Then again, no one has ever heard a story like 50’s before. His mother, Sabrina, was a “hustler.” She was murdered before Curtis was 8. He never knew his father. He went to live with his grandparents and was selling drugs before his teen years. “I started hustling at 12, my mother hustled ahead of me. I was only allowed to because they knew me, ‘Oh, that’s Sabrina’s little boy. Let him do something.’ In that situation I felt like I had no option.” In 1994, he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance, and served three years. Curtis Jackson went in, 50 Cent came out. Read the conversation with the hottest name on the streets …

Real Detroit: The release date for Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is 2/11 [Editor’s note: The release date was actualy moved to February 6.], which is the numerical police code for robbery in progress. Take me back. Tell me about “How To Rob.”

50 Cent: When I made “How To Rob,” I was on a major label with Celine Dion, Mark Anthony, Mariah Carey, all of these big stars. I had to make a record that made people ask “Who is 50 Cent?”

RD: Which is exactly what happened. So what went down at Columbia (Records)?

50: Columbia didn’t understand 50 Cent; to them, people [like me] only get shot on TV. I was shot three days before I was supposed to shoot my first video (“Thug Love” with Destiny’s Child). They freaked out. Major labels would prefer to work with “studio gangstas,” it’s less of a risk.

RD: After you were dropped, you hit the mix-tape circuit. Where did that motivation come from?

50: When I was at Columbia, I would ask questions, find out what people’s jobs were. If you put me in a hands-on situation, I’m gonna learn real fast. They didn’t realize the importance of the black market and mix-tapes, so I used the connections I made, and did what they weren’t doing. And I had the worst deal, Ma, for like eight albums.

RD: [Laughs] I guess everything happens for a reason …

50: If I didn’t get shot, I wouldn’t have gotten dropped from Columbia…

RD: If you hadn’t been dropped from Columbia …

50: I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in now.

RD: So you’ve always had a huge street buzz, sometimes more from controversy than from your music. Do you think that has changed now?

50: I’m glad that the music is doing so well, but there’s still controversy.

RD: What do you think is a common misconception about you?

50: People think I’m crazy. I’m not crazy.

RD: How do you feel about how you are portrayed in the media?

50: Two days ago, I was killed in LA. CNN reported that. What if my grandmother had seen that and had a heart attack? People talk about lyrical content. There is no media responsibility. Movies, the porn industry, it has to be across the board or it’s ineffective.

RD:

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