50 Cent recently commented on his first week’s album sales projections, which estimate that his new album Curtis will move 550-600,000 units, about 200,000 less than Kanye West’s new album Graduation.
The two rappers have been engaged in a “feud” over who’s album would top the album charts over the past few months.
50 Cent appeared on Angie Martinez’ Hot 97 show today (September 12) and blamed the album’s second place status on Interscope Records. “To be honest the process of selling this record hasn’t been fun,” 50 Cent said. “I’m happy with the performance, but I’m not happy with the set up. We had conference calls and after we created this plan, nobody actually had a plan.”
According to first day sales data, Kanye West’s Graduation is outselling 50 Cent’s Curtis by a ratio of 2 to 1.
50 Cent also issued a warning to Def Jam, claiming he would release a new album every time the label had a big release. “Hypothetically, if I came in under Kanye West, I would release a new album every time Def Jam had a priority. I would release a record verses every one of their top priorities,” 50 Cent said.
50 Cent also said that he was finished with Interscope after the release of his next album, which will fulfill his contractual obligations to the label. “It was the label,” 50 Cent said. “Their dropping the ball all over the place. I’ll release my next album and then I’m a free agent.”
In related rumors, it is rumored that 50 has ordered executives at his record label Interscope to go out to record stores and purchase 300K copies of his album Curtis.
According to an Interscope insider, 50 Cent laid down the gauntlet to the record company on a conference call yesterday. The tipster said, “[50 Cent] basically told us that we were being too cheap with his project … He laid out an ultimatum, either we go out and, using our own money, buy up 300K copies of Curtis. Or he’ll leave [the label].”
And 50 Cent’s strong-handed tactic may just work. The source said, “For [Interscope] to do what [50 Cent] is asking, we’d have to significantly increase our post-production budget … But 50 Cent is our most important artist, so we’re looking for ways to make accommodations.”
Right now music industry experts are speculating that Kanye will sell approximately 750K copies of his album Graduation this week. Without Interscope’s 300K album purchase, 50 Cent’s Curtis is projected to sell only 600K.
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