50 Cent Talks "Power" Cologne And Drake Comparisons

Earlier this week, 50 Cent hosted a press event in NYC to announce the launch of his new fragrance, Power by Fifty Cent, that releases exclusively at Macy's this November. After going in on the appetizers (thanks Curtis!), we got a few minutes to sit down with the entrepreneur and talk about about his new business venture, amongst other things. Read on to see how 50 feels about cologne competition with Jay-Z and Diddy and his thoughts on the comparisons between his and Drake's mixtape buzz...

Interview by Ernest Baker

Complex: What brings you to the fragrance game and why the name Power?

50 Cent: Power translates in every language. It means the same thing. It's just said differently. I still haven't been a part of creating, from a business perspective a venture that translates in every market that I'm relevant, away from music. People decide to love American music with a different passion when they're in foreign territories because there's a language barrier that they're breaking to accept it to begin with. Away from that, power is confidence. The confidence to deliver your answer when you're in a board meeting is what will allow you to move up faster. The confidence to be yourself in front of people creates a separation. The people that you saw speak ahead of me at this event had to read their paper that people prepared for them. I didn't, my confidence will allow me to do things my way and help people make a decision. People will like the idea of me just being me.

Complex: Do you think your fragrance will sell better than those by Jay-Z, Diddy, and Usher?

50 Cent: I don't think it matters. I think it will be there as a representative of what I feel like is quality right now. People can decide. The consumers will decide that. If I said something to the likes of me feeling like I would be more successful than those other projects, it might turn some of them off. So I wouldn't answer that question. I'd leave that to them to judge.

Complex: I just know that you're competitive with your music so...

50 Cent: Yeah, but not with everything. You can't be that way. The competitive nature of hip-hop culture has always had battling involved with it. So you battle with the other artist but not necessarily in business and everywhere else.

Complex: What fragrance did you wear before this came out?

50 Cent: Creed and Emporio.

Complex: So that's totally done now? On the shelf?

50 Cent: Yeah. Did you smell the fragrance? It's great.

Complex: Yeah, but hook me up with some. I have a date later.

50 Cent: [pulls out Power bottle and sprays] Don't never say I didn't do nothing for you. Now if they say you smell good you gotta write that in the article.

Complex: OK, token rap question before we have to go. People are comparing Drake's mixtape buzz to yours in '02. How do you feel about that?

50 Cent: I think there's no comparison between Drake and 50 Cent as artists. He has momentum right now. Great momentum. He has a record on the radio and hasn't signed a deal. That's the comparison. But there's obviously a difference in the type of music and the significance in being able to create aggressive content and have it go that far as opposed to making the record that Drake has on the radio. I sit in front of you as someone who's received 16 Grammy nominations and I have no trophies, because I chose to write the harsh realities. I stayed true to myself and I've taken a little beating behind it. I still have the largest debuting album to date. So if Drake can continue to do what he's doing now he could potentially have one of the largest debuting albums. I wish him the best.