Posted under mtv
By Elliott Wilson, Founder and CEO of RapRadar.com
While Raekwon was probably elated to be included on MTV’s Hottest MCs list, I’m sure that 50 Cent is none too pleased with his placement in the nine spot. For him, the standards are way higher than that. As the former Editor-In-Chief of XXL magazine, I bore witness as the man born Curtis Jackson redefined hot in 2002 and 2003, revolutionizing the mixtape market along the way. His chokehold on the rap game culminated in the classic debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. That is the standard by which Fif lives in 2009.
So although his constantly delayed album Before I Self Destruct has had more false starts than an old DeSoto, 50 has kept himself omnipresent in the hip-hop scene. It’s hard to argue with his enduring relevance. He returned to the mixtape game with equal parts fury (War Angel) and finesse (Forever King). He crafted an endlessly entertaining and oft-comedic battle with rap heavyweight Rick Ross. And, most importantly, despite my occasional issues with his peanut gallery of bloggers, ThisIsȒ.com has set the blueprint for artists planting their flag in the new media world. Hate him or love him, Curtis ain’t goin’ nowhere. Only God can judge him.