Hip hop star 50 Cent to rap Mumbai

Mumbai, Nov 6 (IANS) After Rhythm and Blues (R&B) diva Beyonce Knowles rocked Mumbai with her six-member all-women band late last month, it is the turn of hip hop singer 50 Cent in his true mobster style to rap Mumbaikars.

Come Nov 18, rapper Curtis James Jackson, better known by his stage name 50 Cent, will be taking the stage for a show sponsored by Smirnoff at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Grounds at the Bandra-Kurla complex in suburban Mumbai.

The singer, who has been in jail for alleged drug dealings, has a scar on his face from a bullet shot. He had been shot at nine times from close range by an assailant in 2000 outside his grandmother's home in Queens, New York. He spent 13 days in hospital recuperating.

Organisers of the show said 50 Cent was coming to India after being showered with fan emails and being tipped on India by fellow rapper and friend Akon.

'His dynamic rapping prowess and rise to fame has earned 50 Cent a huge fan following in India. He has been keen on visiting India for quite sometimes now after his friend Akon briefed him about the country,' said event organiser Owen Roncon.

'What is more interesting is that, unlike most artists who don't tour India immediately after a release of a new album, 50 Cent, an acclaimed star, is coming down right after his album 'Curtis' was released in September, which has been a major chart-buster.'

'Like all other international stars who have visited Mumbai, 50 Cent too has shown a keen interest in Indian cuisine and wants a taste of the culture. But due to time constraints and a tight schedule, we doubt how much of sightseeing can be fitted in,' Roncon said.

'He has requested that Indian cuisine be served to him during his two-night stay in Mumbai.'

Roncon said the rapper would be flying in directly from the US late night on Nov 17. He is coming with performers of his own record level G-Unit Records and will be staying at the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton in suburban Anderi.

Mumbaikars can look forward to the show as the tickets are priced lower compared to the Beyonce concert.

The organisers said that tickets have been priced at Rs.600 and Rs.1,000, unlike Rs.3,000 that fans had to shell out for Beyonce's show at the same venue last month.

And hip hop fans are not complaining.

'The affordable tickets are great news. I am looking forward to rap to his 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin' and other hit numbers from his latest album 'Curtis',' gushed 20-something Anand Rao.

'He is hot and true to his 'gangsta' style.'

'50 Cent, who has multi-platinum successes under his belt, rose to fame following the release of his first two albums 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin' and 'The Massacre', selling over 21 million records worldwide. He released his latest and third album 'Curtis' in September this year, inspired by his troubled life before he hit the music scene,' Rao, who works as a shop assistant at the music chain store Planet-M in Navi Mumbai's Vashi, told IANS.