West’s two lead singles, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and the Daft Punk-sampling “Stronger,” have both been well-received (“Stronger” is No. But West has a leg up in the awards and critical-acclaim arena, including the 2006 Grammy for Best Rap Album with “Late Registration,” which edged out 50 Cent’s “The Massacre.” His debut, “Get Rich or Die Tryin,” went 10 times platinum worldwide, a feat both of West’s albums combined couldn’t match. While his affinity for high-end French designers earned him the nickname “Louis Vuitton Don,” his socially conscious side emerges on such tracks as “Diamonds From Sierra Leone.” Bush on live television, wears pink polo shirts and rolls with John Legend, Common and Jay-Z. Kanye West is an eccentric envelope-pusher from an upper-middle-class background.
Dre as well as a posse of G-Unit soldiers who look marginally menacing. He’s usually found in the company of Eminem and Dr. A native of Queens, N.Y., his street sensibility is evident in his choice of apparel: bulletproof vests, white tank tops, G-Unit threads and, sometimes, shirtless to display his tats. The matchup is great for hip-hop, but how will two of its heavyweights fare? Here’s a look at the challengers:Ĭurtis “50 Cent” Jackson is a gangster rapper who rarely strays from the familiar territory of women, money and death threats. Gambling Web sites are taking bets on which artist will win the sales battle and fans of each artist have launched MySpace pages to support their champion. 50 Cent has offered to debate West, and vowed to retire if his rival outsells him. The head-to-head release date has spawned more than its share of hype. Meanwhile, rapper/producer Kanye West’s “Graduation” features West-as-teddy-bear flying out of a spaceshiplike university, in a piece drawn by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.Ībout the only things these two rap heavyweights have in common are their near-death experiences – 50 Cent on the business end of nine bullets, West in a serious car accident – and the highly anticipated release of their third albums on Sept. On “Curtis,” hardcore rapper 50 Cent looks somewhere between stressed and menacing as he half-scowls and clutches his dome in a black-and-white head shot.