50 Cent: What I've Learned

50 sat down with Esquire magazine for its ‘What I’ve Learned’ section.

Some real talk right here . No doubt.

My mom chose the lifestyle because she didn’t choose welfare. Every time I seen her, it felt like Christmas. Everything that was nice in my life was gone when she left, and the only people I saw that had nice things were people from the lifestyle. And they’d look at me and go, Why you look like that? Why your shoes run-down?
What led my mom into the lifestyle that got her killed was what led me into the lifestyle: to prevent needing things so much.
If I’d had a choice, I would’ve been a college kid. I would’ve majored in business.
I never saw drug use as a good option. I’d rather have an additional ten dollars than smoke. It wasn’t a decision to not smoke weed. It was a decision to hustle. It was a business decision.
There are too many entrepreneurs. We need the worker to make the process function properly.
The best businessmen in the world make a bad deal sometimes. And it’s not usually in a boardroom. Most of them marry the wrong woman. That business deal is the worst business deal of all.
All the women have contributed to my success. Every one.
My son is more important to me than I am to him.
Am I an honest man? I’m a selectively honest man.
Am I being honest right now? Yeah. Most people would answer that question with a yes. Even the liars.
Jay-Z is as politically correct as some of the politicians. He’s safe. There’s points when you’re acquiring financing, you make adjustments. He’s made those adjustments. It’s his choice. For me, it’s not a necessity.
Air Jordan. Tiger Woods. You know how a person is made for something? Eminem is made for hip-hop. The best rapper is a white man.
My music is a soundtrack. The film is my life. My music matches things I’ve experienced or felt. Even if the whole thing is made up.