“I’m back! I’m getting in the groove of things,” said 50 Cent during his return visit to Angie Martinez’s show on Hot 97 on Thursday.
Despite the recent death of his manager Chris Lighty, the G-Unit mogul is moving forward with plans to release his fifth album Street King Immortal on November 13.
Since Lighty’s passing, he’s had to pick up the pieces and take his career into his own hands. He is also skeptical of reports that the Violator founder committed suicide and that he owed $5 million.
As he gears up for his first gig as a boxing promoter this fall, 50 is also getting ready to shoot a video for his first single “New Day” with Alicia Keys. He cleared up the confusion surrounding the song, which will appear on his album as well as Alicia’s Girl on Fire.
Fif also championed “I Don’t Like” rapper Chief Keef.
“Interscope was thinking about dropping him,” he said of the Chicago teen. “You can’t drop him. That’s what hip-hop culture is. It’s an opportunity for you to make it from anywhere.”
Read highlights and listen to the full interview below.
On “New Day”: “I had the record for like four months. Originally the record was recorded for Detox. [Alicia’s version] sounds similar, but Swizz reproduced the entire track. We were actually scheduled to shoot a video and then the Chris Lighty situation took place.”
On Chris Lighty’s death: “It’s a huge adjustment. I honestly can’t wrap my head around the idea of him shooting himself. I don’t have all the information, so I don’t want to say anything other than what’s being said publicly. But I don’t believe that. Just because my personal interactions, he never gave indication that that was even possible.”
On his interview with Oprah: “It’s one of the those moments that I will remember as an accomplishment on my behalf because there was no compromise to get there.”
On his conversation with Chief Keef: “I told him to be careful and be aware of people that are starting to become jealous of that energy.”