Wanksta 50 Cent
Arleen Jerdee
"Wanksta" was 50 Cent's first single to chart after signing to Eminem's and Dr. Dre's labels, Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment, as well as his first single to be released since "Thug Love" in 1999. Originally appearing on his 2002 mixtape, No Mercy, No Fear, it received a lot of airplay, and was eventually added to the 8 Mile soundtrack later the same year. It was then added as a bonus track on his 2003 debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
The instrumental for the song was used for "Crackin", a song by The Psychopathic Rydas, in 2004.[2][3] It was also used by Murder Inc. artist Black Child in his 50 Cent diss track "You Da Wanksta" in 2002.[4]
50 cent opens the song with the lyrics "I got a lot of livin' to do before I die and I ain't got no time to waste...let's make it" which he took from the intro to Nina Simone's 1968 recording of "Do What You Gotta Do."[6]
The title is generally accepted as a portmanteau word meaning "self-obsessed, show-off person". The precise origin is debated, although most theories suggest a blend of "gangsta" and "wannabe".[7] The term had previously been used in the 1999 track Q.B.G. from The Tunnel, a collaborative album by American DJs Funkmaster Flex and Big Kap.50 Cent has explicitly stated that the word is not related to "wanker":[8]
The song's lyrics were believed to be directed towards long time nemesis Ja Rule, but 50 Cent disputed this himself in a MuchMusic interview, stating that while the song itself was not directed at Ja, he was a good example of a wanksta.[9]
Nashville copyright attorney Richard Busch has taken on another high-profile copyright infringement case, this time representing writer and producer J-Praize, who is suing pop artist Kat Dahlia and accusing her of stealing from one of his songs when she made the hit single "Gangsta."
Busch has served as legal counsel on several high-profile copyright infringement cases in recent years, most notably the Marvin Gaye family's successful suit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their "Blurred Lines."
Freeman also names "Gangsta" co-writer and co-producer Justin Anthony DeSantis (J. Dens) along with Sony Music Entertainment, which is the record label behind Dahlia's album. Additionally, Freeman is suing the co-writers and publishers of the Spanish language version of "Gangsta," which is entitled "Gangsta en Espanol."
Similar to the "Blurred Lines" case, Freeman's lawsuit uses statements Dahlia made in the media in which she admitted that the track created by J. Dens for "Gangsta" reminded her of "Wanksta," which was a hit song on the soundtrack for the film "8 Mile" in 2002. "Wanksta" also was a track on 50 Cent's No. 1 selling album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." Busch successfully used interviews with Thicke and Williams in which they mentioned Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" as evidence in that infringement case.
Freeman's suit claims that "Gangsta," which has sold more than 166,000 copies and generated over 22 million plays on YouTube, intentionally and unlawfully copied the "Wanksta" synthesizer riff and piano parts. The lawsuit includes charts showing examples of identical aspects of the two songs' compositions. Freeman says the writers and producers behind "Wanksta" did not seek his permission to copy his song.
In addition to leading the Gaye family's victory against Thicke and Williams, Busch, who works at the firm King and Ballow, represents former "American Idol" winners who claimed in a federal suit they have not been properly paid streaming royalties by Sony.
50 Cent
Damn Homie, In high school you was the man homie
The Fuck happened to you
I got the sickest vendetta when it come to the chedda
Nigga you play with my paper, you gonna meet my berreta
Now shorty think I'ma sweat her, sipping on a armareda
I'm hit once than dead her, I know I can do betta
She look good but I know she after my chedda
She tryna get in my pockets
Homie and I ain't gonna let her
Be easy, start some bullshit
You get your whole crew wet
We in the club doing the same ol' two step
Gorilla unit cause they say we bugged out
Cause we don't go nowhere without toast we thugged out
Me I'm no mobsta
Me I'm no gangsta
Me I'm no hitman, me I'm just me, me
Me I'm no wanksta
Me I'm no acta
But it's me you see on your TV
Cause I hustle, baby
This rap shit is so easy
I'm getting what you get for a brick to talk greasy
By any means, partner, I got to eat on these streets
If you play me close, for sure I'm gonna pop my heat
Niggas saying they going murder 50, how?
We ride around with guns the size of little bow wow
What you know about AK's and AR 15's?
Equipped with night vision, shell catchers and amph beams, huh
50 Cent's 'Wanksta' is a song that delves into the theme of authenticity versus pretense in the street culture and rap community. The term 'wanksta' is a portmanteau of 'wannabe' and 'gangsta,' used to describe someone who pretends to be a gangster but lacks the credibility or experience. In the song, 50 Cent calls out individuals who claim to live a life of crime and toughness but in reality, do not engage in the activities they boast about. He emphasizes the difference between real gangsters and those who merely adopt the image for clout or intimidation without any substance behind their claims.
The lyrics of 'Wanksta' are a direct confrontation to posers, with 50 Cent asserting his own street credibility by referencing his past, including his time on parole and his encounters with law enforcement. He mocks those who pretend to be something they're not, especially those who talk about violence and crime but have never actually 'popped' anything. The song also touches on themes of materialism and success, as 50 Cent points out the futility of pretending to be wealthy or influential when one has nothing to show for it, such as going to a car dealership without ever making a purchase.
'Wanksta' is not just a diss track; it's a commentary on the importance of being genuine and earning respect through real actions rather than empty boasts. 50 Cent, known for his gritty storytelling and authentic representation of his life experiences, uses this song to draw a line between those who have lived the life they rap about and those who fabricate their personas. The song resonated with many listeners, becoming an anthem for calling out fakes in any context, not just within the hip-hop community.
.....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....this 50 cent guy can't be serious about this?
I cant believe that fucking idiots buy this shit and make it possible for people like 50 cent to become american icons...and another thing: people talk shit about rappers like Ja Rule that didnt live the real "thug life" and never killed anyone etc....so being a scumbag sociopath who belongs in prison is a GOOD thing now? damn, well then Kim Jong II should make an album, he puts 50 cent to shame in that area. there is actual GOOD rap/hip-hop out there (Immortal technique, jedi mind), so stop buying anything MTV shoves down ur fucking thoats!!!!
My opinion time:50 Cent is right. Ja Rule is gay and I can't stand him or the rest of his 'Murder' crew. Funny in the video, 50's son has a Wanksta doll with Ja Rule's chain on. LOL And even though 50 is a gangsta and not someone to look up to he still cool. He got shot in the face and knows what its alll about growing up in the real ghetto, tryna make it. Don't mind me, my mouth could go on and on but I'm out.
It really angers me that multiple artists can actually sit here and say the same messages how "oh man, I grew up tough" and actually have white-suberbia buy the albums and think that they have tough lives. It also angers me how these people now have millions of dollars and they claim that they still have "love for the streets"... I believe it was. Yes, you show it living in a mansion probably six states away. Also, how can these people make so much but not have any talent or work as hard. I can go into a recording studio, hand the guy money and just start talking to a beat about how tough my life is and then just make it look like that I am "thug-life" and bam, there's about five million dollars worth of recording and touring and endorcements because hip-hop is a trend and all of these brainless morons will listen to whatever society tells them to do, to keep cool and up-to-date. Be an individual, the United States was built on leaders, not followers. Emo is awesome!
You know youre album is gonna come out 2 weeks before it come out.. no way to get around the bootlegs.. mixtapes is entry level hip hop.. as soon as you go in the studio and you make your record you gotta test it... its important.. its the largest form of promotion. Your poster boy dont mean nothing w/out music.. aint nothin gonna sell music w/out music .. its like the strip.. the fiends need a sample.. how do they know who they gonna cop from? Or they gonna cop from he same people they already been coppin from trust me
After I got shot I didnt have money to go to mixshow at radio with a recordWanksta I made that record a year before it came out.. so I had it sittin there.. I couldve pressed it up, put it on vinyl and sent it out to mixshows at radio and went on my own. I had all these records recorded and couldve tried to put the record out on my own.. the finances
I couldve did it look when I got shot I was in the hospital for 13 days and I did a publishing deal in the hospital...so I got 125K advance... I was supposed to get another 125K after the album came out.. the company figured I got shot 9 times and I got in the face so they figured I couldnt perform so they dropped the deal, I owned my publishing again and I just got a free 125K so as soon as I healed up I couldve put the record out myself but I fell back and kept working the mixed tapes until I got the right deal..I had deals on the table with Universal, Jive, J RecordsCapitol but Capitolthat wouldve been likeyou cashin out.. you might as well buy guns with that and go back to the hood hardcuz its not going down over there for real. Ha ha ha
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