50 Cent is feeling the pressure

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Hip hop mogul 50 Cent has been hearing it from the naysayers that his G-Unit empire is on the decline. He told MTV.com, "I heard them talking on the radio about G-Unit is over, because they seeing some of the artists having difficulties. What you're seeing is the music business. Nothing just works in the music business. There's no company that has had a higher success rate than G-Unit since I showed up. I've accomplished what took people 10 years to do in business, in three....One project doesn't work and G-Unit is over?"

The rapper added, "What about 50? Put that pressure on me. Cause I'mma smash their head as soon as I come back."

50 Cent is working on his new album, Before I Self Destruct, which he hopes to release this spring. So far, the rapper has recorded with J.R. Rotem, Rich Harrison, and Timbaland. He explained that working with Timbaland was so expensive that he feels pressure to use the music they created. The rapper said, "I don't live in Florida, so I have to go to Florida to work with Timbaland. I feel like I'm paying airfare for my entourage, I'm paying hotel fare for my entourage, I'm paying studio time. I'm in there with Timbaland like, 'I need to make a f***ing hit.'I feel obligated under those circumstances. My intentions are to go there and make the record. But if they mail the music to my house, I might listen and go, 'I don't know if that's the record.'But after I came there, I want to make something." G-Unit Records will be releasing projects by Young Buck and Hot Rod before 50 Cent's album but the rapper is confident. 50 said, "I feel like this year is my year. And there's absolutely no competition. I'm gonna dominate again. It might seem unfair, but I'm gonna do what I came to do."