During a recent visit to Big Boy's Neighborhood, 50 Cent revealed how Dr. Dre pushed back against the release of one of his biggest hits. Fif explained that Dre wasn't totally convinced about releasing "21 Questions" ft. Nate Dogg, largely because it didn't fit the mold of Get Rich or Die Tryin.
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: Rappers 50 Cent (R) and Dr. Dre arrive at the Shady National Convention to launch Shade 45, a new satellite radio station, at the Roseland Ballroom October 28, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
"He said, ‘I don’t know why you want it?’ Why I wanted the record,” he explained. “I’m like, ‘Damn, man, I gotta do all these muthafuckin’ push-ups,'" Fif added. "I want the girls to like me."
50 Cent explained that he felt as though Dr. Dre wanted him to follow a similar blueprint to N.W.A., who didn't rely on catering to certain demographics to expand their reach.
"Like they didn’t have to reach to make a commercial record or anything that sounded like a commercial record," 50 Cent continued. "And that’s just in his DNA. Like on his path, he’s like, ‘We don’t need that.'”
Inglewood, CA - February 13:50 Cent Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar perform during halftime of the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 in Inglewood, CA.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Despite the pushback, the BMF exec. pushed for the record and the results speak for themselves. "21 Questions," produced by Dirty Swifty, became a massive hit once it dropped. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100, marking yet another #1 single in his career.
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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.
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