50 Cents and His Rolls Royce Phantom

Real Name: Curtis James Jackson

Date of birth: July 6, 1975

50 Cent (a.k.a. Fifty or Fiddy as pronounced in African American Vernacular English, born Curtis Jackson on July 6, 1976 in Queens, New York), is a popular African American hip-hop artist. Once almost unknown outside his hometown of southside Jamaica, Queens, he is currently signed to Eminems record label Shady Records and Dr. Dres Aftermath Entertainment. The rapper, who was the first to sign to Shady Records, was scouted before knowing Eminem. Eminem first encountered 50 Cent with MTV News reporter Sway Calloway; Eminem apparently had not heard any of 50 Cents performances before seeing him in person. He appeared on the 8 Mile soundtrack with an accompanying song and video (Wanksta) that immediately went into heavy rotation on BET, MTV, and radio stations across the country. In the opinion of many observers his continued success seems guaranteed by his large underground fanbase and the street credibi lity he has gained by appearing on almost every major mix tape sold in New York in the past few years.

Early Life

Curtis Jackson never knew his crack cocaine-addicted father, and his mother, a bisexual Queens drug dealer working under Fat Cat, was murdered when Jackson was only eight years old. Her death had a major impact on Jackson, the degree of which is speculated over by fans, and her sexuality also played a key part in Jacksons emotional growth, which he would later reference in the song Hate It or Love It off The Games album The Documentary), Comin up, I was confused, my momma kissin a girl/ Confusion occurs, comin up in a cold world. The same song also contains a mild indictment of his fathers absence, Daddy aint around, probably out committin felonies.

After his mothers death, Jackson ended up living with his grandparents, where as a teenager he became immersed in the local drug trade. Hustling around his native Jamaica, Queens neighborhood, Jackso n went by the name of Boo Boo. It was during this period of distributing narcotics that Jackson met fellow Queens native Tony Yayo, who would later become a member of Jacksons G-Unit group. In June of 1994, Jackson was arrested on felony drug charges. Being a second time offender, Jackson was able to plead out of significant prison time by accepting seven months in a shock incarceration boot camp. He would later boast about this period as his doing seven to nine.

He became a father to a son, Marquise in 1997. Jackson met up with Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC fame and was signed to his label JMJ. Jay taught him the basics and then 50 left the label in search of someone who could help him achieve his dream of rap stardom. He teamed up with the hip-hop production duo Track Masters who recognized 50 Cents talent for incisive lyrics and signed him to Columbia Records in 1999. Although he looks back on this time with displeasure (his biography refers to it as being locked up in the studio), the 18 days spent in a studio in Upstate New York produced 36 tracks which later became his breakthrough album Power of the Dollar. How to Rob, the humorous ode to robbing a slew of industry rappers (Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Busta Rhymes (Flipmode Squad), various members of the Wu-Tang Clan, even Track Masters, and many more) was an instant hit for New York radio. Power Of The Dollar was never released, due to his shooting in 2000 and Columbia Records executives decided to drop him, claiming the shooting was negative publicity.

His Car

In the world of hip-hop, Cars maketh the star, and there is no star bigger than 50 Cent at the moment. But Fifty aint happy with whats in his garage, and he has plans to turn the car world on its head, literally. 50 Cent is about to make his Rolls-Royce Phantom a drop-top, even before the company does the work for itself...

I just want something everybody else doesnt have, declares the megastar backstage at a one-off U K concert at Rockingham race track. He then unleashes a tidal wave of how and why he is going to butcher his Phantom. I dont care if it messes up the electrical system. The roof is gonna be gone. I want something more sporty. Im not an old man. Thats why I wanna chop the roof off it. Ill leave the TVs. They had TVs in the package I got. Its fully loaded. Ill leave everything thats in there. Ill just cut the roof off. Make it into a vertible.

The man to whom 50 will turn for this ultimate chop-top is Funkmaster Flex, New York car artiste to the rap stars. The Bronx-based customiser, 50 Cents motoring mentor and restorer of the singers 65 Chevy Impala and 84 Buick Regal has been trying to talk the megastar out of what some will regard as sacrilege.

I dont think is such a good idea and its going to end up costing him almost as much as the car, predicts the host of the Ride With Funkmaster Flex cult TV show. Rather than hack the roof off the Phantom, Flex thinks it w ould be better to try and buy a production example of the stunning 100EX convertible concept car when it goes on sale in 2007. An idea 50 is having none of.

They wont give me one, he tuts with the air of a petulant teenager. Having me drive a Rolls-Royce is great for [promoting the company, but they dont see eye to eye with the kid yet.

50 (I have been warned not to call him Mr. Cent!) is flexing his considerable muscles. Less than three years since being drop-kicked to the top of the hip-hop parade with a plug from Eminem, 50 is enjoying the power of fame and spending a $100 million fortune which would run many a small country.

Fame and fortune has come at a price. In 2000, Curtis James Jackson III was shot outside his grandma New York house. Now there are more bullet wounds in his body than fingers on one of his blinged-up diamond-encrusted hands. One 9mm shell even went through his front teeth. Every time he grins I try and spot it. So far I have failed.

Specifications of Rolls Royce Phantom

Model year: 2005 Make: Rolls Royce Model: Phantom Style: RWD Base Price: 328750$ Drive Type: Rear Transmission Type: 6-Speed Automatic Engine Type: V12 Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 453 @ 5350 Torque (ft-lbs @ rpm): 531 @ 3500 Performance: 0 - 30 (sec): 2.3 0 - 45 (sec): 4.1 0 - 60 (sec): 5.9 0 - 75 (sec): 8.8 1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 14.3 @ 98 Top Speed: 150 mph

http://www.topSpeed.com
Images: http://www.topSpeed.com/news/50centsandhisRollsroycephantom-ar2363/images.html

Author:: Cristian Andrei
Keywords:: Cars, Rollsroyce, 50cent, Music, Speed
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Where the Tunes Are

I am a self-anointed Music junkie; an affliction that has grown over the years. It started at an early age, when I would listen to my parents 8-track collection, which consisted of the likes of Helen Reddy, Neil Sedaka, and Dolly Parton. Eventually my older brother got into Music and he turned me on to the loud wonders of Kiss. I was obsessed with Kiss, and would listen to nothing but Kiss, and even made the bold statement that I would never buy or listen to any other Music act for the rest of my life. I get quite a chuckle when I think back to those narrow-minded days of yore.

Over the past 30 years, I would guess that at least 75% of my disposable funds have gone towards building my Music collection (which is definitely comprised of much more than rockers with painted faces). Ive got albums, cassettes, 45s, and CDs from just about every Musical genre, from the rarest of rarities to popular fodder in just about everyones stereo. I could spend hours on end in the rec ord store flipping through what they have to offer in search for some gems that need to be a part of my ever-growing collection. This process has become much easier with the advent of the Internet, which has allowed me to do my Music browsing from the comfort of home (and at times, the office).

In the past, I was more than willing to travel great lengths for the opportunity to spend time in a record store. At first that meant pedaling my bike across town, then evolved to driving to the next town where I discovered an establishment with a jaw-dropping array of new and used Music. In these days of Music downloads, its increasingly more difficult to locate a good record store, so I fell into a pattern of cyberspace purchasing. I truly loved the time spent in a physical store, getting my hands on the actual products, but the selection is much more vast in the online world.

There are a plethora of web sites out there that could whet the appetite of even the casual Mus ic collector. Thousands and thousands of Music titles are out there, many of which are rare releases and obscure bands. Even more exciting for the serious audiophiles is that many of these are in vinyl form. Sure, not many of us still possess a turntable in this day and age, but if you do, there is a virtual treasure trove to be discovered. As one of those atypical creatures that totally havent given in to the CD and the download, finding a fresh source for vinyl is a dream come true.

A wise band (okay, a one-hit wonder) once said, Video killed the radio star. That sentiment can now apply to Music sales: Downloads killed the record store. It may be tough to find a cool place to buy Music close to home, but fear not; at least you can stay home and still find some awesome tunes at your fingertips.

About the Author: When listening to cool tunes, Brian Kohlmeier is a co-founder of SwapThing.com, which changes the way people exchange goods and services through the Int ernet. SwapThing http://www.Swapthing.com is a site focused on building a strong Swap community online. The ShareThing http://www.Swapthing.com/user/Nonprofit.jsp program helps non-profits get access to item & cash donations as well as volunteers and professional services. This article comes with reprint rights. You are free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is included, and that the links above are intact.

Author:: Brian Kohlmeier
Keywords:: Swapthing, Barter, Swap, Music, new wave, heavy metal, 80s, record stores
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Why You Need to Play a Hollow Body SemiAcoustic Guitar

Ok so you play Guitar or are looking to learn.but which Guitar do you buy? Its a question that Guitarists the world over ponder time and time again.

Sure theres the ever greens such as the Fender Stratocaster or the Gibson Les Paul and their inexpensive copies. But thats a well trodden path what you want is a little character a little something that makes you stand out what you want is a hollow body semi acoustic.

Why a semi acoustic?

Ok for starters a Semi Acoustic looks the business. Take a look at a Gibson 335 with its smooth double cut away design and its elegant curves. When you step on the stage with a semi acoustic people notice. Take a look at a Strat or a Les Paul then take a look at a Semi theres a stark difference first off, semis are big but more importantly they are much lighter than their solidbody, comfortable to play and pack a punch in the sound department.

Their sound

Coupled with its looks hollow-bodies have a great range of tone and musical capability. From the Epiphone Casinos beautiful Jazzy tone to the Epiphone Wildkat that packs a rockabilly punch theirs a broad range of tones that can be generated. Hollow bodies traditionally come with two Humbucker pickups. Typically the bridge pickup can produce some great rock and roll tones whilst the neck pickups are great for jazzy Charlie Christian licks.

Their price

Although for a fully fledged Gibson 335 you may need several thousand dollars, these days there are a variety of budget alternative hollow body Guitars. For example Epiphone make the Epiphone Wildkat which features a Bigsby style tremolo system for around $500. Other manufacturers such as Vintage and Ibanez all produce very good imitations of their more expensive counterparts at a much reduce d price. If you shop around youll surprised at what you can afford.

Versatility

Hollow bodies are extremely versatile and lend themselves to a wide range of musical styles for example - Chuck Berry style Rock and Roll (Gibson 335), BB King style Blues (Gibson 335), Chet Atkins Country (Gretch Country Gent), Alt-Rock Noel Gallagher (Epiphone Sheraton) and finally 60s Pop (John Lennon Epiphone Casino) semis lend themselves to a range of musical styles.

Their tradition.

Hollow body Guitars were some of the first electric Guitars manufactured. Epiphone were making adjustable pole pickup semi acoustic Guitars in the 1930s so they have a long and proud history.

So the next time your thinking of getting a new Guitar sure a Stratocaster is nice and a Les Paul has finesse but if you want a great Guitar, with great looks sound and versatility look no further than the hollow-body semi acoustic Guitars at your local store.

ShanzuGuitars.com . The site offers the latest Guitar news, resources, tools and tips for budding Guitarists everywhere.

Author:: Adrian Martin
Keywords:: Guitar, electric Guitar, Gibson, Fender, Online Tuner, Online lessons
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Composing Using Chord Charts

A chord chart is a navigation tool. It's a way for the composer to chart out Musical phrases and notate where chord changes occur.

It can be anywhere from 2-bars to 200 bars or more depending on how long the composition is or how many bars it takes to notate a Musical idea.

For example, in the piece Egrets, we have an 8-bar phrase with chord changes on top. This is a chord chart. It tells the performer where the chord changes occur, what the melody is, and when to change Chords. This is all that is necessary to create a full arrangement of the Music.

We don't need to write out every single note. We use the chord changes to create fresh arrangements of how we want the Music to sound.

Notice that the first 2-bars of melody are written out. This was the initial idea. I then drew out 8-bars and finished by putting the chord changes on top. Now, whenever I want to play this little piece, I can play the initial melody and the whole thing comes together.

Of course, I could have written the whole thing out note for note, but this would have taken 30 times as long as just notating where the Chords change.

Another benefit of this method is that the Music is left elastic and fluid - that is, the aliveness of the Music comes to you each and every time you play it. Why? Because each and every note is not written out. You can play it a little differently each time and each time the Music will speak a little differently to you.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online Piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play Piano in the New Ag e style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescenceMusic.com/Pianolessons.html for a FREE Piano lesson!

Author:: Edward Weiss
Keywords:: Composing,Chords,chord charts,Music,Piano,Piano lessons,
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Choosing The Right Musical Instrument For You

If Music is your middle name, then Musical instruments are sure to adorn your room. Music is an excellent way to get rid of the blues. And if you are the creative type, then you can compose your own songs with Musical instruments.

Musical instruments are mainly categorized by the way they generate sound. All Musical instruments fall under one of the following string, wind, percussion and keyboard, though there may be further divisions and sub-divisions. Examples of string instruments include guitars, violins, Ukuleles and cellos. Wind instruments include pipes, sax, clarinet, flute and such other types. Drums, bongos, cymbals and bells fall under the percussions category. And keyboard instruments include pianos, harpsichords, organs and Accordions. Over 1000 Musical instrumen ts are available across the world, including folk instruments.

If you want to play on your own, then it is better to start with a Musical instrument you like, and then gradually master the instrument by joining Music classes. If you like Music in general and are not interested in specializing in any particular type of instrument then a keyboard can be the perfect choice. Electronic keyboards nowadays can produce all sorts of sound ranging from guitar tunes to drum beats. A variety of DJ equipments are also available on the market nowadays, which provide creative sound mixing options for the wannabe DJs as well as for the experienced disc jockeys.

On the other hand, if you were thinking of organizing a band then you would need different types of Musical instruments. A band normally includes a couple of string instruments, percussions and preferably a wind instrument.

You can purchase your Musical instruments online. Choose your favorite instrument from the various websites that you will find on the internet. They often offer discounts if you buy their package deals, which include various types of Musical instruments. This can be your best option if you are planning a band with your friends.

Musical instruments can be a costly affair, especially if you are planning to buy the best available on the market. These can set you back by anything from $100 to over $10000. A good Yamaha or Roland electronic keyboard may cost almost $2500. Used Musical instruments are often a good choice, especially if you are learning to play a new instrument. For beginners it is advisable t o invest in Musical instruments in the lower price range.

Musical instruments can also be made at home with items of daily use. Homemade Musical instruments mainly fall under the category of percussion instruments. You can make almost anything, from shakers and jingle bracelets to drums and tambourines. You can also make wind instruments such as comb harmonica or kazoo. These help your child to be creative and can keep them busy. And you can now have your own band at home .

If you're thinking of buying an Accordion or an Ukulele, come visit Susan's sites All About Accordions and All About Ukuleles.

Author:: Susan Jan
Keywords:: Ukulele,Accordion,Music,Musical instrument,used Musical instrument,Musical instrument store
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Karaoke Software That Lets Your Computer Become Your Player

With more than 100,000 Karaoke song titles and Artists to choose from wouldn't it be great if you could play your karaoke disks on your computer? Good news - you can! Karaoke software let's your computer become your player.

Turning your computer into a karaoke machine it's not nearly as difficult as you might think. There are actually several different software programs that will allow you to do this.

1. Power CD+G Player Pro

Is a CDG karaoke player that supports BIN, CDG, MP3+G files and will let you play your CDG's on your CD-ROM drive. In minutes your computer becomes a Karaoke machine.

You can playback from your CD-ROM as long as your CD is able to extract CDG sub codes. Almost all newer drives can do this but check. If you can extract with Audiograbber then you should be able to play your CDG's.

The software's seekbar lets you jump to any pArt of the song and you get full screen playback. Your playlist will allow you to manage your entire karaoke collection with just a couple of mouse clicks. And the key transposer will let you adjust the song to your voice. Nice feature!

2. Karaoke Builder Studio 3.0

This is the next generation in Karaoke CDG software. You can make professional quality CDG tracks in no time at all and it's affordable. The tracks you create can be played on your computer or in your CDG machine. As a beginner you'll easily have an understanding of the software and it will continue to provide the features as your skills grow.

It even has extra support for those CD burners that aren't CDG compatible so you might not have to buy that new dr ive. Complete with AVI Video features and you can add you own photo backgrounds or use the presets. Write your karaoke videos to DVD if you like.

3. Power Karaoke

This software will let you burn, save, and copy CD+G karaoke disks. It's the all on one Karaoke solution. It's also compatible with BIN and MP3+G.

You can playback from your CD-ROM as long as your CD is able to extract CDG subcodes. Almost all newer drives can do this but check. If you can extract with Audiograbber then you should be able to play your CDG's.

Your computer becomes a Karaoke player and playlist will keep you organized and your songs easy to find and retrieve. Create karaoke videos if you like and when your done burn them to DVD. Heck you can even turn them into movies if you like.

You will need Windows XP with 512 MB of RAM and 1 GHz processor as well as a good quality sound card and video card. The software does not require a connection to the internet to use but you do need the connection to download the software.

4. Karaoke Sing N Burn

This is a shareware piece of software that will let you play Karaoke files and MIDI. You can highlight the scrolling lyrics so you can follow word by word and adjust the tempo. Basic but it does the job and it fits any pocketbook.

There are many other karaoke software packages that will convert your computer into a Karaoke player and let you play your karaoke disks. Isn't it time to get the pArty stArted with your favorite Artists and genres?

Nan worked in a karaoke bar for 9 years before stArting his own audio electronics store. His store specializes in karaoke machines and accessories and a much larger variety of items than almost all large depArtment stores. At http://www.karaokeadvisor.com , he shares his experience with you by listing out the top karaoke essentials with buying advice on various products.

Author:: Nan Edemann
Keywords:: Karaoke Software
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Ozzy verses Amy: It's the Prince of Darkness verses the Evil Princess of the Undead

Sometimes I wonder if Phoenix is considered the back end of concert dates. So many acts tend to take their Arizona Fans for granted or just bypass us when they have to cancel or reschedule another date. Others seem to forget that we tend to turn out in big numbers for almost any event. Ozzy obviously forgot or just didnt bleeping care.

Despite a monstrous crowd and dollars flying across the concession tables faster than bats out of hell, Ozzy managed to snub his Arizona Fans by failing to appear at the Phoenix Ozzfest event this past summer. And thats ironic since Phoenix hosted one of the two very first Ozzfest events in 1996. The other was held in Los Angeles. Maybe we just werent worthy of the Master of Metal this year? Not everyone was willing to pay one to three hundred dollars for a ticket and sacrifice their firstborn to Ozzy.

If youre going to skip out on fans, at least have the decency to record a video welcome message or greeting. There were lots of big screens around, so everyone would have seen it. If Ozzy had lost his voice or didnt feel well enough to speak, he could have offered a middle finger salute or bitten the head off one of the Backstreet Boys. If even that was too much to ask, the Prince of Darkness could have had his dogs come and crap all over the stage or asked Sharon to open the event by throwing some frozen poultry at the first few fans to arrive. If all else failed, his kids could have come an d set fire to piles of N Sync and Snoop Dog CDs to get everyone in the mood for the days events.

Fortunately, there are some major acts out there that really care about the fans in this town and know how to show it. Mick Jaeger had some throat problems, so The Stones recently cancelled a few dates in the USA. Phoenix was not one of them. AFI, the CHILI PEPPERS, TAKING BACK SUNDAY and GWAR really rocked the Valley of the Sun over the summer. But my favorite was Evanescence.

Ill be the first to admit that I hadnt been up to date on all things Evanescence until my wife brought the Band to my attention several months ago. After I started listening to their Music, I was glad she did. Its been some time since I heard anything that was melodic and unique. While fans might argue otherwise, most artist s that manage to get signed these days seem like clones of struggling late eighties alternative Music bands or the now infamous and always whiney sounds of the nineties.

I like Music thats different and hate to admit it, but the last concert that I thought was refreshingly distinctive was a Buster Poindexter and the Banshees of Blue show in the early nineties. It was a smaller venue and the Music was hot! Being from New York City, I guess Im a bit jaded. I had the opportunity to be exposed to a constant flow of live Music in the form of big acts, street bands and everything in between before relocating to Arizona. On the flipside, it also means that I hold performers to a higher standard and know great Music when I hear it. Thats how I felt when attended the Evanescence Concert at the Celebrity Theater last week.

After reading up on Amy Lee and the various Evanescence personnel changes for a couple of weeks before the big night, I was ready for the concert. We bo ught our tickets as soon as they went on sale. To be honest, they were a bargain for a concert held at the Celebrity Theater. That venue is as intimate as you can get without renting the local high school gym and using only half the space. One would expect to shell out the usual hundred bucks or more for being almost within arms reach of a class act like Evanescence, but we paid somewhere in the thirty to forty dollar range.

Listening to Revelation Theory open the show and hearing Amy Lee belt out her first couple of songs with Evanescence, I really felt guilty for paying so little to see so much talent in such an intimate setting. To make up for it, I tried to buy my wife and kids some band tees. By the time we got up to the front of a very long line, the good sizes were gone. I bought some anyway because Ive been trying to lose a few pounds lately. If I had any doubts about the band, it had nothing to do with their Music or performance. I just wondered if they were g etting their fair share?

Reading some of the comments attributed to her by various websites and blogs, I understood that there probably would not be any Amy Lee perfume, designer clothes, signature make up lines or Evanescence action figures available anywhere in the near future. However, whether she is or isnt a material girl, Amy has to know that she must have been personally responsible for the sudden increase in sales of things like dark eyeliner, black and white knee length socks and long black dresses. Oops, I forgot, and about a billion dollars worth of black hair dye.

Its not unusual to find artists who are unaware of their actual popularity or real earning potential. After all, they are Artists, not financiers. I got the distinct impression that the members of Evanescence were legitimately surprised by the numbers of fans that showed up for the sold-out event and the many more who wanted tickets and couldnt get in.

Amy offered an apology for the sm aller venue, but all of us really enjoyed the intimate atmosphere. However, heres a bit of advice from the older and wiser to the lovely and immensely talented Miss Lee and her Musical partners: Next time charge extra for the intimacy, find more stuff to sell and return those calls from the big Management agencies. Even the evil princess of the undead can always use a few extra zeros behind a nice large number in her bank account. Amy and the band certainly earn it!

Oh, yea, I almost forgot. Ozzy, burn in Hell!

*Amy Lee has a Website called Out of the Shadows that is helping to educate people about Epilepsy and make a difference in the lives of Epileptics. Please visit www.outoftheshadows.com

- Bill Knell http://www.ArizonaRocksLive.com

Author: Bill Knell Author's Email: billknell@cox.net Author's Website: http://www.billknell.com Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address: http://www.billknell.com

Author:: Bill Knell
Keywords:: Amy Lee, Evanescence, Music, Ozzy, Concerts, Management, Phoenix
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