Rapper 50 Cent says he will give up his solo career if his new album, Curtis, fails to outsell Kanye West’s latest effort, Graduation, both to be released Sept. 11.

“Let’s raise the stakes,” 50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson, told hip hop website sohh.com.
Rapper 50 Cent, seen here in January 2007, says he’s the underdog in the hip hop music industry while Kanye West wins all the music awards.
(Seth Wenig/Associated Press)

“If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on Sept. 11, I’ll no longer write music. I’ll write music and work with my other artists, but I won’t put out any more solo albums”

Strangely, the 32-year-old singer admits he was collaborating with West recently — although neither musician’s albums will feature that work. 50 Cent said he wanted to create “a new direction” for his music by working with West.

But that hasn’t stopped him from issuing the pledge, saying he’s up against a perception that he’s the top dog.

“I’ve worked myself into a space where I’ve become the favourite … Everybody roots for the underdog when he goes against the favourite.”

Last week, 50 Cent challenged West to a debate about who was better but West dismissed the challenge, calling it silly.

“When I heard that thing about the debate, I thought that was the stupidest thing. When my albums drops and 50’s album drops, you’re gonna get a lot of good music at the same time,” West said at the time.

In a long interview with the hip hop news site, 50 Cent says that he is, in fact, the underdog in the industry.

“The people who give out trophies, pick [Kanye West] because he’s safe,” said the Queens rapper, who has no trophies for his efforts.

“But my projects may be making a way bigger impression … by actually selling. That’s an indication of the public’s interest.”

West has six Grammys under his belt including two Best Rap Album trophies for 2005’s The College Dropout and 2006’s Late Registration as well as a Best Rap Song award for Diamonds from Sierra Leone (2006).

50 Cent’s last full-length solo effort, 2005’s The Massacre, was the best-selling release of that year — topping 1.14 million copies bought in the first week. However, his recent singles, Amusement Park and Straight to the Bank, released this spring, have flopped.

In 2005, he starred in a movie based on his life, Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

With files from the Associated Press

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