50 Cent Interview, Home of the Brave

Posted by: Sheila Roberts

MoviesOnline recently caught up with Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson at the Los Angeles Press Day for "Home of the Brave," directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Irwin Winkler. The film is about three soldiers who struggle to readjust to civilian life after returning home following a lengthy tour of duty in Iraq. They discover that reentering normal life after the continued trauma of battle is not an easy task and that the final test of courage is coming home. Jackson plays Jamal Atkins, a soldier whose experiences in Iraq alter him for the duration of his life. "Home of the Brave" also stars Samuel Jackson, Jessica Biel, Christina Ricci, and Brian Presley.

Jackson was born and raised in Queens and grew up during the drug scene of the late 1970s. Raised by his grandmother after his father abandoned him and his mother became a casualty of the drug game, Jackson’s story has become modern folklore: the quick and deliberate ascension as a dealer, the lengthy rap sheet, the long hours perfecting his rhyming craft, the recording deal, and the nine gunshot wounds that nearly took his life.

Dropped by his label, the East Coast rapper commonly known by his rap name of 50 Cent was determined not to let his dream of being a rapper fade away. With the help of his friend Sha Money XL, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson released an independent bootleg. The CD caught the ear of Eminem and Dr. Dre, who signed the rapper to a million-dollar record deal in 2002. "Get Rich or Die Tryin’" set the mark for the all-time best debut with 900,000 units sold in the first week; it went on to be certified six times platinum. His 2005 follow-up, "The Massacre," debuted at No. 1 and Jackson became the first artist to have four songs in the top ten of Billboard’s Hot 100 since the Beatles in 1964.

In 2005, Jackson made his feature film debut in Nicholas Sheridan’s "Get Rich or Die Tryin’." Sheridan avoided dwelling too long on the unsavory aspects of rapper Jackson’s real life in this semi-autobiographical story, yet offered an emotionally satisfying story of a man who despite many demons ultimately achieved personal and artistic success.

Jackson is currently slated to star in two upcoming films. One is "The Dance" about the life of one-time champion prize fighter Billy "The Kid" Roth (played by Nicholas Cage), who has volunteered as a boxing coach for over 40 years in the prisons of Louisiana. Another is "New Orleans," a thriller set in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, in which a veteran cop (Robert De Niro) investigates his son's murder. Jackson plays the veteran's new partner. Tim Hunter (River's Edge) is on board to direct the independent film.

Jackson is a fabulous guy and we really appreciated his time. Here’s what he had to tell us about his latest role and what it was like playing opposite Samuel Jackson:

Q: GREAT JOB, BY THE WAY.

50: Thank you. Oh you guys got to see it, yeah.

Q: I EXPECTED A BIGGER ENTOURAGE.

50: I'm sorry to disappoint you. But I'm not touring. When I'm touring, I have some people around me.

Q: HOW PROUD ARE YOU OF THIS ROLE?

50: Well I'm proud of it, you know, I felt good. Like for me, it's definitely to be a challenge to be a part of a film project, because I'm conditioned to music, so it isn't that difficult for me to create any more on that level. Just create a new goal for myself, and moving in those directions. That used to be a dream, but now taking steps towards making my dreams come true, so I'll call it a vision. And I see myself doing things even greater than I've done so far, even though I've accomplished a lot in a short period of time, I feel like I can do so much more. 'Home of the Brave,' is just me putting one foot forward.

Q: WHAT WAS IT THAT DREW YOU IN ABOUT THIS FILM?

50: I actually enjoy war films. The action, the cinema's incredible. There's a man that they can capture - it was a different thing like to me prior to doing the research, just watching the film from an entertainment perspective, to actually doing the research and seeing the real motivation behind some of those films, changed my perspective on it totally. I think death is a large form of entertainment for humans, it's all of our fate. So in a lot of ways, people are intrigued or interested in it, without making note of it. Like, we have an accident off the road, we'll still have a traffic jam because they're gonna slow down to look.

Q: YOUR CHARACTER WAS INJURED, NOT KILLED, DID THAT CHANGE HIS EXPERIENCE OF THE WAR?

50: I think, just in general, the experience itself alters the person period. Like I actually had the opportunity to perform for soldiers in Iraq, so I experienced being out there. I was actually on tour in South Africa, and had two days that was just the down time, so we went to perform for soldiers in Iraq, and as soon as we got there, the guys said hey, not gonna bullshit you, you could die today. We ended up spending an hour and a half on the road, on the airwaves, to take flight in an actual military aircraft, to take us to the base, and then I performed for them, and I ended up having to stay there for five hours after we performed, because they had some activity there, and then they got us out of there. But my whole perspective on things was altered by that, just getting a chance to go out there.

I'm sure everyone that I met, they wasn't who their loved ones missed here, because I believe your spirit changes with that much death around you, you're come in a platoon of fifty people, and then the platoon has forty seven people, then your platoon has thirty people, and then they bring new people in to fill those beds. So you've got people there writing their death letters. That they feel like tomorrow could be my day. So that's a whole other process. And coming from where I actually come from, because I'm actually from the bottom.

Where you don't really get no harder or worse than south Jamaica, my neighborhood, anything that's hard or that difficult runs parallel to it. And I feel like, there's a - not even feel like, I'm sure that there's a large portion of those people that went there to receive a college education, or to receive the opportunity to do different things that are provided just by having finances available, you know, in your life, those choices are made, not based on them actually wanting to go fight the war. If you said, when they enlist, if you said to them not to fight for your country, but to die for your country, would be twice as short as it actually is. So.

Q: AS A YOUNG GUY, YOU SORT OF HAD TO BE READY FOR BATTLE AT ANY TIME? DID THAT HELP YOU FOR THIS ROLE?

50: Well, it makes you - I've been in life threatening situations before, so in the scenes I can kind of use that. But it's so far from what war is. I mean, war is - what I've experienced maybe ten, twenty times worse than that. It's like, that's who being shot - they ain't shooting little bullets. I've shot a nine-millimeter; those bullets are a lot bigger over there. Take nine of those and you're serious. You know.

Q: WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF ACTING THAT YOU DON'T GET FROM YOUR MUSIC? HOW DOES IT CHALLENGE OR REWARD YOU?

50: Well, I mean there's so many other elements involved. See, I mean sometimes, you might be acting in the vocal pool, you might not be in an emotional state when you walk in there to create a song that comes to you as you start writing, that's emotional. And you change your voice to capture that feeling, but you're not actually matching your mannerisms physically, delivering it to camera. So it's a whole other process. When in a music video, you spend the majority of the time performing directly to the camera, and in film, the last thing you should be doing is looking directly at the camera.

Q: ARE YOU OFFICIALLY CURTIS JACKSON AS AN ACTOR, AND 50 CENT AS A MUSICIAN?

50: I think that would be a cool way to separate them, you know. Outside of, people expect - when they see 50 Cent, they expect a certain type - they want the aggressive content that's in my music, that's a reflection of the environment that I grew up in. And when it's missing from the character, because it's not even written in the screenplay, they may be disappointed if I continue to use 50 Cent.

Q: HOW WAS THE PHYSICAL TRAINING? KIND OF BRUTAL?

50: Yeah, it was like some boot camp training and stuff like that. It was pretty good, but I was in pretty good shape before that.

Q: MORE SO THAN THE OTHER GUYS?

50: Yeah, yeah. So they had a tough time, you know, I kind of got through that.

Q: DID YOU EVER FACE RECRUITERS WHEN YOU WERE IN SCHOOL?

50: No. [inaudible] probably be the last person to ever end up, if there was a war, it was on 134th street. Just to even - I got caught up in my ambition, the same thing that drives me today, I don't believe ambition is a learned behavior, I believe it's a part of a person's character. And the thing that drives me today, that makes me want to move forward to the next level, regardless of where I've gone, it doesn't end, I'll always find a new goal or create something new that I'm after.

Until I'm gone. But I feel like that was the same portion of my character that lead me fast into the wrong direction, early. Because my mom made that mistake, she didn't see public assistance or welfare as an option, so she went to the street to provide for me the way she knew how, and I was hustling, because everything that I had in my life that was nice, because she substituted finances for time, she - every time I seen her, it was Christmas. You know, and my grandparents, after she passed, I'm sorry, after she passed, I went to live with my grandparents, and they had eight other kids after she passed, so I fit in as the baby. For number nine, and I didn't want to ask them for anything, even though they would try to compensate for my mother not being around, it still was, I felt it could be a strain on them, so I asked the people who appeared to have it with no problem, and those were all people from my mom's life.

Q: YOU HAVE A CHARMING SMILE.

50: Thank you.

Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR VOICE REPRESENTS IN YOUR FILMS THAT SPEAKS TO KIDS?

50: Wow, I think when they see me initially, the idea of me is 50 Cent. You know. And the interest that's raised through music, will draw my base to the box office, that's what makes some film companies feel like it's a good idea to put 50 in. And until you actually deliver a good performance, they start to see other reasons, to actually involve you in those projects, and I feel like, with this actual project, he's not able to adjust to after the experience of killing.

There's a scene where it's a flash back, there's still a woman that's killed regardless of an immediate threat, and it's justifiable by the standards of the U.S. or any other country, for that matter. It still was killing a person, and it alters him for the duration of his life, in the actual film. In some cases, we don't see it that way, because we see - it could be long term before we get these responses out of these people. From the experience, when they do come back, if we're all lucky enough, there's no such thing as a good war. There's no such thing as war without casualties. So, if they are lucky enough to overcome, the people who do make it back, there's no time line to when their reaction will come forth from their experience.

Q: THIS IS AN UNPOPULAR WAR, THE FACT WE SEE IT ON TV SO MUCH, WILL THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO SEE THIS FILM?

50: You know, I think this particular film is so different, because it's more about the return. It gets past the actual war itself. Like if you was putting out a film right now about war, when - Jamie Foxx was in a film -

Q: 'JARHEAD.'

50: 'Jarhead.' You know, and it was basically about not getting a shot off, the entire film, like I watched it, I was getting ready to do a war film, I absolutely had to see it. You know, so - that, I mean, I don't know how well or how bad that film actually did, you know, because I was from a tour straight into shooting my portion of the film that was filmed in Morocco, so I just think that when they realized that the content in the film that is not in the average war film, it'll be extremely entertaining, for people to see.

Q: WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU MUSICALLY?

50: Musically, I've got a new album. Finishing up. I'm about two songs away from being done. You should be looking forward to me releasing it late in the first quarter.

Q: DO YOU HAVE A TITLE?

50: Yeah, 'Before I Self Destruct.'

Q: DID YOU GET ANY HINTS FROM EMINEM ABOUT ACTING?

50: I spoke to him before I did 'Get Rich,' but he's not a big help for me. [laughs] In some situations he's not, like we've become such good friends that he'll take advantage of opportunities to make me uncomfortable for a moment, like he'll call and go yo, they told me you're doing a film. I said yeah, I said they told me they thought it'd be a good idea if I did one based on my life, because you did '8 Mile,' and he said, [sighs] you're gonna hate it, you're gonna be there for like eight hours every day, they're gonna expect you to make amazing songs in between - cut! 50's gonna go make an amazing record. Come back, you know, so he made it sound like hell, then he called me the first day after I'd been shooting, after they wrapped, and he called right after we wrapped, and he said yo, you like it? I said it was all right.

Q: DID HE DO ANY PRODUCTION ON THE NEW ALBUM?

50: Absolutely. We already worked together, we recorded eight records. We did - well three of them are physically gonna be on shelves in December, because he got a project called 'Re-Up.'

Q: ARE YOU PART OF THAT?

50: Yeah. I actually performed on the single. It's me, Eminem, Lloyd Banks, and Ca$his.

Q: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THAT SITUATION WITH A GIRLFRIEND WHERE YOU JUST CAN'T LET HER GO?

50: I didn't have anything that I'd deal with on that level. You know?

Q: NO REJECTION EVER?

50: It was weird though - oh. The character's - that's comic. When you do the research, like the guys, when they get there, the girlfriend is everything that's running across their mind, constantly. And then they get their letters, and their phone calls, and they say Jody's got your girl now. [laughs]

Q: DID YOU HAVE ANY APPREHENSION TAKING A ROLE IN A MOVIE WITH SAMUEL L. JACKSON? CONSIDER WHAT HE SAID IN THE PAST?

50: I didn't have any apprehensions on that level. I think - I actually understand it now, what he was saying. You know, you've got people that have - went to school for acting, and have acting as a goal, like all their lives. And they see someone receive an opportunity to do what they really love, working with people that they haven't had the opportunity to work with, even though having the type of accomplishments that Samuel Jackson has, it'd make him uncomfortable, because he'd actually like to work with Jim Carrey, and hasn't had the opportunity to do that. So to look at it and go, a rapper?

I'm getting ready to be in a film that - I don't think it was, he wouldn't work with a rapper, I think it was he didn't want to work on a project under a rapper at that point. It's impossible for him to be in a film based on my life story, and 50 starring, Samuel Jackson. Bottom line, you know what I mean? Because when you say a rapper, if you see Samuel Jackson, you can actually work with Will Smith, he's a rapper. You can actually work with Queen Latifah, she's a rapper.

You actually work with Ice Cube, he's a rapper. There's a lot of people who have successfully made the transition from music to film, and Sam, on the actual set, I didn't take that as any disrespect in any way. I watched him, because there's nothing I can do but learn from Samuel Jackson at this phase. This is where I'm at. So when I wasn't acting with him we had really good conversations. We actually talked about his film 'Snakes on a Plane.' And I told him I'm absolutely not goin' to see that one. Snakes and planes at the same time? It's a super duper phobia, for that one. He laughed at me, he said all right, I'll see you at the box office. You're gonna go see it with everybody else.

Q: YOUR PART BEGAN SMALLER, BUT IT GREW?

50: Absolutely. Yeah, Irwin [Winkler] kept adding scenes. I mean, you're like wow, what did you just say? I prepared to do what we planned. Oh this is great, hold on, you're gonna do this, you're gonna stay, wait, no stay! Create new scenes for you. I'm like wow. There's actually the scene in the film, I'm at the V.A. hospital, and I'm arguing with the guy out front, because there's no coming back and forth, and there was no dialogue for that scene. I just was in character, and I didn't - just went off on him.

Q: WHAT GIFT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET THIS CHRISTMAS?

50: Christmas? I got my two front teeth. Um. I don't know, I mean, this year, I always buy myself nice things. Last year I bought a Lamborghini, actually pulled me over in it in New York City. New York City's not a nice place to go with nice cars. The cops will still harass you. They pulled me over.

Q: WHAT ABOUT L.A.?

50: L.A.'s better. They're familiar with seeing those things in Hollywood. The police look and go oh, okay.

Q: WHAT COULD SOMEONE GET FOR YOU?

50: Wow. Basic things. They don't have to buy nice stuff.

Q: WHO DO YOU THINK IS ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR?

50: Entertainer of the year? Wow. Terrence did great, Terrence Howard. From an actor's...excuse me, music, uh, there hasn't been a lot of activity, there's a lot of new artists, but they haven't really connected, to the point that I'm intimidated or feel like whoa, whoa buddy, come back with a new record, because I can't lose my position or slide at that point.

Q: WHAT MADE JIM SHERIDAN THE RIGHT DIRECTOR FOR 'GET RICH?'

50: Well actually, I met Jim [Sheridan] through my relationship with Bono. And he said, oh I got this guy, you want to do a film? He's the best! I said I want to meet him, and I sat and I talked to him, and I couldn't believe it, after he actually like read the screenplay and everything, and he showed his interest in it, because Jim is not the kind of person who you can kind of get based on how much money you're gonna pay him. He has to actually - he's rich.

There's some people that have to be motivated in other ways, or excited about the actual project, but he wanted to do that kind of film. And it just worked out. Actually I got a chance to work with him away from Toronto, Canada and New York, we shot in Dublin, you know, he was home, at the time, and it worked out nice. Had a chance to meet his family and stuff. Irwin, is like - and I said, I'm gonna try to start at the top and try to stay there, as far as the directors are concerned, you know. Real credible directors.

Q: CAN YOU SPEAK ON THE GHOSTFACE THING?

50: What Ghostface thing? Everybody seems to have an issue with him. Rappers convincing themselves mentally like, whoever falls in the championship space becomes their target. So there's always gonna be like, that's the nature, the competitive nature of hip-hop, is gonna always cause conflict or friction. So you just be paid to see it, it's WWF, baby.

Q: ARE YOU PUTTING OUT AN ALBUM FOCUSED ON THIS?

50: I'm busy, I'm making the movie. You know, they should stay there and be my marketing and promotional team when I'm gone, and then I come back and speak for myself.

Q: HAVE YOU SEEN 'IDLEWILD?'

50: I didn't get a chance to see the whole thing, I went to the movies to see it, the beginning, then I had to leave the theatre because they realized who I was. But the film was - I guess the period pieces don't actually do well like that anyway, as far as that goes, but I was entertained by it.

It was exciting to me. The last film that I see outside of that was 'The Departed,' I thought that was incredible. You know what was exciting about that film? Is everybody could've played the other character. And this guy could've easily just played that guy, and this guy could've just played that guy, because you have so much talent on the actual screen that they could've just switched roles.

Q: HOW WILL YOU MAKE SURE YOUR NEXT ALBUM KEEPS THE TOP SPOT?

50: I'm gonna just control the quality of the material. I run into the pressure between each one of my projects. There's a shadow of doubt cast over every artist in between projects. They don't say, can I make a good record, because I've proven that over and over again, they say can he do it again. Which means, can I have the same success I've had on my last projects. When I had my first album sell eleven million records, my follow up album 'The Massacre' sold nine point five million world wide, it's a huge task to create material that can compete. And music marks time, so there's a - right now we could play music that makes reference to moments to each one in our lives.

You'll remember what you were doing around that time when that record was really hot and you enjoyed it. And it's difficult to come up with something that marks the tomorrow. When you look at it from that perspective, it's a lot more difficult than just saying she's got a really nice booty, let me see you move it baby. [laughs] But you can do that for fun, but how much of that is gonna work? Before you've gotta come up with something that has some real content and some substance that people can sink their teeth into and really enjoy.

Q: DO YOU THINK YOU COULD'VE PLAYED SAM JACKSON'S ROLE?

50: At this moment? It would've took a lot more time for me to get old enough. It would've definitely been a hair and make up...but Sam is a huge talent man, it's tough to say I could compare to him. You're talking about my second film, how many films has Samuel Jackson been in?

"Home of the Brave" opens in limited release on December 15th and nationwide on January 5th.