NEW YORK, Nov. 13 //
50 Cent knows hard times. So in these difficult economic days, the artist who debuted with Get Rich Or Die Tryin' is giving something back to his fans by adding a free DVD of a full-length original movie to his fourth major label album, Before I Self Destruct (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope), releasing early 2009.
The album move comes as 50 Cent was rushing to get his album finished for a December release, however it is not complete. With the deadline to secure advertising and retail placement for the album imminent, he decided to move to a date in early 2009.
Written, directed and starring Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent), the gritty 90-minute film, also titled Before I Self Destruct, is a coming of age story about an inner city youth raised by a hardworking single mother. When his dream of becoming a basketball player fails to materialize, he finds himself employed in a supermarket. After his mother is tragically gunned down, Clarence (played by Jackson) is consumed by revenge and takes up a life of crime in order to support his younger brother.
"Times are hard," stated 50 Cent. "Everyone is trying to make the most of what they have. I want to give my fans something extra for their hard earned dollars. They'll get a free bonus when they pick up the album."
But there's even more that 50 Cent is offering free for fans of hip-hop. For a limited time, the Before I Self Destruct deluxe package will also include a second DVD featuring "Two Turntables And A Microphone: The Life And Death Of Jam Master Jay," a documentary about 50 Cent's late mentor and friend. Hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC gave 50 Cent his first big break in music by signing him to JMJ Records in the late 1990s. In fact, 50's first official recording was an appearance on a 1998 JMJ-produced Onyx album. Jay also produced 50 Cent's first, though unreleased, album. 50 Cent executive produced the documentary and appears in the 85-minute film, along with Rev Run, Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, and others.
For the explosive Before I Self Destruct, 50 Cent returned to working closely with Dr. Dre and Eminem as he did on Get Rich Or Die Tryin', his first official album. With Dr. Dre and Eminem each producing and guesting on tracks, and led by the club-friendly first single, "Get Up," produced by Scott Storch, Before I Self Destruct is darker and harder than last year's Curtis.
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