July 30, 2007

50 Cent Gets Down With YouTube

Duncan Riley

38 comments »

YouTube has announced a new music competition that will be judged by leading artists 50 Cent, Common and Polow da Don.

YouTube OntheRise Rap Edition is a follow up to last year’s YouTube Underground contest and seeks to discover the best rap and hip-hop artists in the United States.

Unsigned talent who aspire to be professional artists have until August 17 to submit their videos. The final winner will be announced September 7.

The winner will be awarded a trip to New York City to professionally record a single for G-Unit/Interscope Records, a $10,000 gift card from Guitar Center, and their video will be featured on the homepage of YouTube.

Further contest information is available here.

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Ryan Milnes

July 30th, 2007 at 1:46 pm

I wonder if this is an ad from payperpost. HAHA
Duncan Riley

July 30th, 2007 at 1:58 pm

Ryan
I can assure you it’s not…indeed it’s not even my sort of music, but I’m told some people like it
Ed

July 30th, 2007 at 2:09 pm

who still likes 50?
cheapstingybargains.com

July 30th, 2007 at 2:11 pm

And I thought Presidential debates on youtube were bad!
alex

July 30th, 2007 at 2:25 pm

Great idea… poorly executed with 50 cent =/

There are many other rappers out there that would have been a better fit than 50.
Alaska Miller

July 30th, 2007 at 2:30 pm

it’s sad that no other video sites has much traction.
Jesse

July 30th, 2007 at 2:39 pm

@5

Fiddy got shot, and so many other rappers didn’t.
Colin C.

July 30th, 2007 at 2:45 pm

At least 50 cent raps. P Diddy is a media whore that only wants to promote his non musical products.
RaJesh Anandakrishnan

July 30th, 2007 at 2:50 pm

wow - its a big treat for winners to be in the home page of Youtube. Its interesting to see new concepts coming and not sure how big it will become. There is one blogger who updates the mails he read every day and calls it as “Mails I Read” http://www.mailsiread.com
Todd

July 30th, 2007 at 3:00 pm

I was going to copy and paste some fitty-cent lyrics, maybe change them to include references to Clown Co. and YouTube…

..but I could not find a single line of any song that didn’t contain the “n”, “f” or “c” word.
god

July 30th, 2007 at 3:03 pm

Finally this could be a chance for me to be famous, wow. Hint: I’m already big on YouTube.
Ryan Milnes

July 30th, 2007 at 3:19 pm

Fiddy cent sucks. He shot part of his movie “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” in Wasaga Beach Canada. There was a big fuss about how he shouldn’t have been let into Canada since he has a criminal record. I for one don’t want him here
Mike

July 30th, 2007 at 3:20 pm

He’s about as much of an artist as I am a ballet dancer….
Jimmy

July 30th, 2007 at 3:35 pm

@12:
So he sucks because he filmed in canada? I don’t see what you’re getting at…

@13:
His music isn’t for you, so naturally you don’t understand it. Kind of like how a rocker probably wouldn’t understand country music topics, etc. I don’t really like 50 cent, but I will stick up for him in the respect that he can rap well. His timing, rhyme schemes, and sometimes sobering-real lyrics are refreshing in the age of money rappers. Then theres his commercial stuff where he becomes a money rapper himself… it’s all subjective, really. The fact of the matter is that he’s successful as a musician.
Marshall Kirkpatrick

July 30th, 2007 at 3:49 pm

See Rabbit Bites on 50cent http://snipurl.com/1oysa classic stuff
kappy

July 30th, 2007 at 4:01 pm

@ everyone who has mentioned 50 cent in any way, shape, or form: let’s not forgot who else is going to be judging this contest… COMMON! Are you kidding me? Common is one of the best song writers in the game. 50 may be the bigger star, but Common trumps him in REAL hip-hop… 50 may be thug b/c he got shot, but at least Common’s messages are a bit more positive and intelligent. Plus he’s got decades of wisdom on 50. The only thing I like about 50 is that Vitamin water commercial he’s in… he should try to incorporate more symphonic sound in his music.

But… YouTube is smart and knows that 50 is more mainstream than Common and will thus pull out all the little thugs from the woodwork to enter this contest. I’ll be watching…
Laceface

July 30th, 2007 at 4:05 pm

What is the “c” word? Am I that far behind?

Regardless, We should be happy that artists (or not, depending on your opinion- any way you look at it he is notorious) are embracing YouTube and similar sites to promote/create/encourage ideas.
Duncan Riley

July 30th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

Mike (13)
lol
poponthepop.com

July 30th, 2007 at 4:32 pm

Great post!
Matt Harwood

July 30th, 2007 at 4:39 pm

Bit like using Rosemary Connelly on the latest Aerobics videos. She’s over the hill, almost under it.

Yes, a Friends joke.

Actually, thinking about it, I doubt she can climb any partially-mountainous terrain these days.
Clyde Smith

July 30th, 2007 at 4:51 pm

50 Cent’s a trip and a much more savvy marketer than people realize.

When his first album came out, he said that all reporters wanted to talk about was him getting shot so he just kept pushing that story. He rarely brings that up on his own in current interviews but he knew how to stay on message and build an image for his target market when he got the opportunity.

I alternately praise and attack 50. Praise for his smart marketing. Attack for his rather degraded view of the world.

I don’t usually link to my own posts in my comments at TechCrunch but some people may find an essay I wrote a couple of years back that compares 50 Cent’s take no prisoners approach to the kill or be killed approach of Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and, especially, Mark Cuban.

50 Cent and the Violence of Money
http://www.prohiphop.com/2005/.....d_the.html

Glad to see this discussion didn’t go racist like it would have on most tech blogs. People like 50 Cent deserve most of the criticism they get and I can never fault someone for not liking a certain form of music.

Good looking out, Duncan.
Saeed

July 30th, 2007 at 4:58 pm

He’s a savvy businessman as well as a street-credified, kevlar-vest wearing supernatural thug - Our pal fiddy owned 10% of vitamin water which was recently purchased by Coca Cola for $4 BILLION…not bad at all
Tal

July 30th, 2007 at 5:27 pm

Now that YouTube is owned by Google I think they might be reading our company gmail conversations Our site exists solely to find the next big thing. Thanks for the post! http://www.dopetracks.com
xxdesmus

July 30th, 2007 at 5:39 pm

#3 Ed

Sadly, MILLIONS of people still like 50 Cent. Personally, I am a fan of real hip hop, not the hip pop BS they play on the radio (yes, that includes the Game).
Clyde Smith

July 30th, 2007 at 5:42 pm

@22 Saeed

There’s no documentation of the actual ownership stake of 50 Cent in Glaceau but lots of people are still spreading the 10% hype which was widely picked up by blogs and gossip columnists many of which were on mainstream media sites.

However Forbes claims the “estimated” take was $100 million but they don’t cite sources:
http://www.forbes.com/lists/20....._M80Q.html

Via Idolator who hoovered it up cause it was in Forbes:
http://idolator.com/tunes/wind.....269191.php
sean3

July 30th, 2007 at 7:06 pm

I think there is a lot more to 50 cent than meets the eye. A lot of you are still asking the question “who likes 50 Cent” which was outside the scope of this post. This post was more so reflecting on one of his many accomplishments. What I think many people should be focusing on is his potential to bring more money to there business. He’s relevent to a wide variety of audience listeners and those same consumers happen to be the consumers most companies want to offer their products to.

As far as his music goes its no longer a matter of his quality of music or will he deliver on the record sales. With a record breaking history of 2 multi platinum albums 1st album sold over 11 million, and the 2nd sold over 9 million.(to put that in prospective most albums released under hiphop does an average of 100K - 500K in sales) HIS numbers speak for themselves. Not to mention his vitamin water deal kicked back $100 million in his pocket. Plust his G-Unit clothing campaign did better or comparable to pdiddy and also Jay-z at Rockawear.

As a matter of fact he’s extended his talent so far outside of the box that he’s gotten himself a post on techcrunch. Like how often does a “rapper” as you wanna call him lands a spot on one of the leading if not “The leading tech profiling blogs on the internet.

I wanna give the author of the post kudos for recognizing a few things. and a slap on the wrist for some of the ignorant commenters who was too lazy to extend their knowledge about the guy.
aandarian

July 30th, 2007 at 7:38 pm

I just don’t like it because if “fiddy” is your poster boy for this contest, then you’re going to get “rappers” just like him, not TRUE hip-hoppers, rhymesayers, or underground workaholics who deserve a break and some cash.

Just more fools rapping about their Magic Sticks.

When you know good hip hop, you know good hip hop. Hes not it.

To me its just sounds like YouTube+50= more press, not “lets find some real artists out there.” Just questioning their motives.

Props for Common though.

Just frustrated. Boo for YooToob
Clyde Smith

July 30th, 2007 at 8:59 pm

Duncan, you wouldn’t know this but that short bat 50’s holding in the photo you posted is basically a weapon.

Not that the TechCrunch crowd will notice.
Wes

July 30th, 2007 at 9:23 pm

I think this is about driving even more traffic to YouTube and they could easily have chosen any other popular rapper.
50 cent aren't famous

July 30th, 2007 at 9:43 pm

50 cent tried to be famous…

I bet countries like Europe, Middle East, Asia, South east asia, south American, and countries have no idea who is 50 cents.

I’m talking real fact. 50 cent isn’t famous. You can ask kids in Africa… They think you are talk about money or you just being crazy. You should try it.
House of Hancock Inc

July 30th, 2007 at 9:54 pm

I really am not impressed with the rewards at all compared to other prizes given for contests on YouTube… it really signifies how much the music industry takes advantage of their artists and in return their artists do the same.
Great Contest Scam

July 30th, 2007 at 10:01 pm

Only 100% blacks will win the vote.

marketing plan sucks…
Thorson

July 30th, 2007 at 10:30 pm

Damn! Aha Marking Plan for sure! 50’s already set for live, he knows how to invest, other rappers just buy cars, booze and spend cash on top model woman, 50 on the other hand, got clothes, water, books, movies/dvd, music, foundations… All thay shyt, he knows how to look good in the public dis spite his reputation as a gangsta ……… Up next should be T.I. aka TIP!
Andru

July 31st, 2007 at 4:44 am

@29. 50 cent is one of the only rap artists to have toured every continent to sold out shows. He may not have the best music but he is a smart business man. The same could be said for artists of all genres.
Andru

July 31st, 2007 at 4:44 am

@29. 50 cent is one of the only rap artists to have toured every continent to sold out shows. He may not have the best music but he is a smart business man. The same could be said for artists of all genres.
LonelyBloggers

July 31st, 2007 at 6:41 am

I think everyone here are a bunch of old ‘fuddies’ — I’m not a huge 50 Cent fan, but what a wicked person to have onboard to headline this contest. Right on target, if you got the bucks then bring on the stars to drive even more awareness to YouTube. 50 Cent is still massively popular with the kids..
Tray Jordan

July 31st, 2007 at 9:23 am

Me like 50 cent. he is better than dime and nickel. mr blueman!!!!