While 50 Cent continues to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ with his mega world tour, on Wednesday (Nov. 1), he received some excellent news regarding his biggest hit to date: “In Da Club” is officially certified diamond by the RIAA.
“In Da Club” was the breakout hit from 50 Cent’s 2003 debut, propelling the Queens MC to superstar status. The record soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his first single to reach the elusive summit.
“My run was so uncomfortable that everyone would like to forget that it happened,” 50 said in an interview for Billboard‘s Feb. 9 digital cover story this year. “That’s just the way it is with the artist community. I didn’t come in being friendly because I had to find a way into it — not find a way to be good enough to work in the community. The biggest compliment in the early stages was that artists felt like they’d made it when they got the deal. You had to earn the right to have the deal.
In a recent interview with the popular podcast My Expert Opinion, EPMD lyricist Erick Sermon spoke about his rare opportunity to once sign the G-Unit general.
“Well, Cory [Rooney, then senior vice president of Sony] lived next door to me,” he began. “And Cory was with Sony and [producers] Trackmasters. So he [brought] 50 to the crib. And you know, this is early 50. 50 used to come to the house all the time, and we’d do records. So, he was Def Squad. Cory just felt that it was best for him to be over here.”
Sermon later produced “Da Heatwave” for 50 Cent featuring NORE before 50’s infamous shooting. “That was the first single that I did after ‘How to Rob.’ That was his first single before he got shot up [in May 2000]. As far as the barking — whoever he was dissing, I didn’t care. If you roll with me, it was cool. I wasn’t tripping on that. If you are with me, then they’re gonna have to say something to me, too.”
50 would eventually sign with Interscope Records along with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath and Eminem’s Shady Records in 2002.
Check out 50’s reaction to his latest accomplishment below.
