Artist: 50 Cent
Birth Date: July 6, 1976
Birth Name: Curtis Jackson
How'd You Come Up in The Game?:
I was introduced to Jam Master Jay by a friend of mine and he gave me my first shot to get on a record. But the Tour Schedule for Run DMC became so hectic that he couldn't concentrate on me. I moved forward and ended up meeting Corey Rooney and got a record deal at Columbia. He was Jennifer Lopez executive producer, that's how I met her. My first album came out in 99. But I got shot, and dropped from Columbia Records. I had to figure out how to market myself. So I spent a few months out of town to heal up and everything. When I came back down I started working the mixtape circuit. I tried to have a song on every mixtape on the street. I wasn't in a hurry cause it would have been my 3rd record deal and I wanted to be successful the Third time around.
How'd You Come up with the G-Unit Concept?:
G-unit stands for Guerilla Unit. I didn't use Guerilla because that group had that Video Out. Remember that cartoon? So I used G-Unit Instead. It was 6 of us at one point. Myself, Yayo, Sha Money & 2 other guys. Lloyd was too young at the time.
Artist: Lloyd Banks
Birth Date: April 30th, 1982
Birth Name: Christopher Lloyd
How'd You Get in The Game?:
My Story starts in Queens. I grew up around the corner from 50. Me and Tony Yayo lived on the same block. I've been rapping for a long time, its just something I did. Even when I was in school, 11 or 12, instead of doing my work I would write down everything around me. Even when I wasn't rapping I would write. It was something I did in my spare time. I was young, 50 is 7 years older then me. The things I was rapping about wasn't what he was going through. The things I'm going through now, he was going through then.
Yayo is older he went on the road with 50 on the Nas promo tour, the Cash Money/ Ruff Ryders Tour, and I was still at home. So I got on local some mixtapes and created a little buzz around the neighborhood.
How'd You Hook Up With G-Unit?:
When I was doing the local mixtapes, that was around the same time 50 got shot. When you get shot sh*t changes. You start saying "who's really your friends?" Or who's around because you're a good person to be around? A lot of people stayed away including the label. When I made that decision to get with 50 in the game it was more like you know what "sh*t happens in this game". I'm going to be in the game with somebody I'm going to take a bullet for and vice versa. I was in the hood, if you told me I can make a million dollars, I'm like yeah I'd rather die for a million dollars then 10 dollars.
Everyone in the Hood had their opinion, why you waiting on 50. But every week Yayo was coming home from somewhere new, with something new to tell me. So I was like, I'm gone ride behind him. Soon as 50 came from the hospital he came to get me, we got together and he showed me a list of a bunch of DJs. Before you knew it we went into the studio and did 18 songs. The Next Day we were On every single mixtape hittin' the streets.
Artist: Young Buck
Birth Date: March 15, 1981
Birth Name: David Brown
How'd You Get in The Game?:
Rap Music, Music was always a part of my life from the beginning. I got in the game from just being heard back in the day. I ran into Cash Money and it didn't happen from there. That was the first established group of people that I met who were ready and were making money in the game. That was 4 years ago. Music has always been a part of me but It just got serious in the past 5 or 6 years.
How'd You Hook Up With G-Unit?:
After my situation with cash money didn't work, I went back to Nashville, TN. I did whatever it takes to make money. I built a relationship with Juvenile. I was at home, and he decided to create a label. So I decided to go out with him on the road, and record, shop myself and with him. We went to NY two and a half years ago .. Juvi had a studio in his bus, and was looking to work with other artists. 50's name was brought up and I was a fan, so I really wanted to make it happen. So 50 ended up coming through, and brought Banks & yayo. We just vibed, we played songs, and he was playing his shit, I was playing mine. It led to us recording a song. It was on "50 Cent's The Future" Mixtape. I had a little 8 bar verse titled a "little bit". From then, I just stayed in touch. 50 said that if my situation happens, I'll come for you, I'll holla. And he did.
