50 Cent Says He Got $150K From Steve Jobs For iPod Placement In "P.I.M.P" Video

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50 Cent recounts negotiating a deal with Steve Jobs for the 1st iPod placement in the "P.I.M.P" vide.

From the "P.I.M.P" video to being a brand found in essentially everyone's household, Apple's iPod revolutionized music. In the height of the mp3 era, iPod's aesthetic and ability to store thousands of songs shifted the world of technology and music for the better.

Though it would later transform into the iPhone and iPod Touch, 50 Cent knew it was special when he first encountered Steve Jobs. In a recent interview with Ari Melber, Fif recounted meeting Steve Jobs for the first time when the late Apple founder was spending the weekend with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.

"The whole weekend, he sat there. The first time I sat there, I went in there 10 minutes before. I told him, 'Let me see that.' They gave it to me, I said, 'What is this called? This called an iPod? How much songs you said this hold?'" Fif recounted. "Jimmy will tell you in that 10 minutes I sat there, I got him to give me $150k... The first time Apple did a placement in anything -- in any music video -- was 'P.I.M.P.'"

Though the underlying message in this is that 50 Cent essentially finessed Steve Jobs into giving him $150K for a quick 15-second placement in the music video, it clearly worked out well for both parties.

Check the clip of 50 Cent speaking to Ari Melber below via HHNM.


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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