News

When you've sold over 20 million albums, as 50 Cent has, there's really only one place to turn if you're looking to take your fame to the next level: the publishing world. The budding mogul has announced the formation of G-Unit Books -- a partnership with Simon & Schuster's MTV/Pocket Books -- which will publish a series of novellas describing life on the hard-knock streets where Fiddy and his friends were born and raised. Expect enough guns, cash and carnage to make the Grand Theft Auto video game series yearn for the excitement of the printed page.

"[These books] are the kinds of dramas me and my crew have been dealing with our whole lives," said 50 Cent. "Death, deceit, double-crosses, ultimate loyalty, and total betrayal. It's about our life on the street and no one knows it better than us."

G-Unit Books will pump out six to eight novellas a year; up first, "Death Before Dishonor," "Baby Brother" and "The Ski Mask Way." (Probably safe to judge those books, at least a little bit, by their covers -- but hey, at least he's encouraging kids to read.) Fiddy will collaborate with a number of writers for the series, including urban erotica author Noire. No surprise, but there's talk that some of these books will be turned into movies, which may or may not star 50 Cent himself.

Outside of the music and film world, the G-Unit name also graces a clothing line, a series of ringtones, a video game, and -- the other most recent addition to the company portfolio -- a line of condoms. Fiddy plans to donate a part of the proceeds for the latter toward HIV awareness programs.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
01.10.07