New York, NY (May 19, 2008) – An anonymous G-Unit rep recently spoke with Vibe.com to quiet rumors of a 50 Cent /News Corp $300 million deal.
“If this were true, we’d know first,” the source said. The rep went on to defend a posting about it on ThisIs50.com by saying, “We don’t discriminate against news.”
Uh, yeah, well, personally, I don’t believe it. Granted, the report initially surfaced on gossip site MediaTakeOut.com, but other respectable, non-gossip publications have run stories about it, too. And seriously, who cares if it is true? It would be another windfall for 50 Cent and further proof that the record business model is changing.
According to the deal, 50 would give News Corp a large stake in all aspects of his brand, including music, concerts, books and G-Unit Records. He would receive $150 million up front, with the other $150 million coming in stock options (making him one of the largest shareholders in the company); his record label and artists would also be absorbed into the MySpace Records umbrella. 50 remains under contract with Interscope, however, but has only one album left to deliver… the awesomely titled “Before I Self-Destruct.”
I think it’s only a matter of time. Moves like this are smart for mega artists, even one who sits in such a perilous position as 50 Cent. His empire looked to be in trouble when “Curtis” hit shelves, but by all accounts, he’s back on track with an aggressive new web site, profitable world tour, forthcoming albums from his crew and a bevy of mixtapes with singles that are finding a home on radio.
For the record, I don’t get down much with dude’s music unless it’s on in the club, but his business acumen is really impeccable.
