Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks.

Fuse accommodates a wide range of musical tastes, while targeting a demographic between 18-34 year-olds. It offers music entertainment not only on-air but also on-line (fusemusic.com),^[1] on-demand (Fuse On-Demand),^[2] in high-definition (Fuse HD) and via mobile (Fuse mobile).^[3]

History[link]

The channel was originally branded MuchMusic USA upon its launch in 1994. During 2003, the channel rebranded as Fuse under Rainbow Media ownership. In 2008, Fuse was transitioned from Rainbow Media to MSG Media, part of The Madison Square Garden Company. Both Rainbow Media and Madison Square Garden were owned by Cablevision at the time. Madison Square Garden (including Fuse) was spun off from Cablevision in February 2010.^[4] However, James Dolan is the chairman of both Fuse TV's parent company Madison Square Garden, Inc. and its former parent company Cablevision, and remains an important figure in both companies.

1994–2001[link]

Originally, the network was co-owned by Cablevision and CHUM Limited, and was primarily a simulcast of the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic with the exception of localized commercials, French Kiss, and any imported programming from Viacom, like Pop Up Video and MTV's Video Music Awards and Movie Awards. During these times MuchUSA aired encore presentations of other MuchMusic programming and infomercials.

After CHUM Limited sold its half of the network to Cablevision, it allowed Cablevision to continue running MuchMusic programming and to use the MuchMusic name under a license agreement.

2001–2003[link]

However, in the spring of 2001, Cablevision began airing its own programming on the network under the name "MMUSA" or "MuchMusic USA." Initially, the programming was a locally aired block of music videos with MuchMusic bumpers between commercials.

By June 2001, new localized programming began airing under the "MMUSA" name. This programming was very low budget, and consisted of music videos with color-coded crop bars on the top and bottom of the screen for each show. The non-music-video parts of the show were viewer-submitted videos from the website mmusa.tv, which was highly promoted on the network.

As the year went on, more and more localized programming began airing replacing the MuchMusic programming. By December 2002, the network had reduced its Canadian programming to only one hour a day, with RapCity being the last MuchMusic program to air. Later, the network would have entirely localized "MMUSA" programming.

In early 2003, CHUM revoked Cablevision's license to use the MuchMusic and MMUSA name and everything else having to do with it. By April, the network had announced that it would be renamed "Fuse".^[5]

2003–2007[link]

On May 19, 2003, just before 6 a.m. Eastern Time, the network aired its final video as MMUSA: New Found Glory's "My Friends Over You". After the video ended, the network went to a commercial break, then returned as Fuse, and with newly licensed television shows like the cult favorite kung-fu-meets-hip-hop-music mash-up known as Kung Faux.

Fuse studios are located across the Seventh Avenue from Madison Square Garden

The channel originally focused on more underground and indie music genres. Today, Fuse focuses on a much broader range of music genres such as pop, urban, punk, and heavy metal while still encompassing underground and indie music.

Also in its early days, Fuse programming was very music intensive. The network indirectly bashed MTV with a slogan touting Fuse as the channel "where the music went." Fuse's advertising in this period, by New York-based Amalgamated, generated controversy both through its more direct criticism of MTV – Viacom, corporate owner of MTV and for a short while the former owner of many of Fuse's current sister properties, protested when a Fuse billboard appeared across from its headquarters featuring Sally Struthers' plea to "save the music video" – and through its parodies, particularly that of the iPod ad campaign.^[6][7][8][9] In late 2005, Fuse had a week of end-to-end music videos, sponsored by Snapple. Fuse had rights to air programming from IFC such as Whitest Kids You Know and Hell Girl until 2010 when Rainbow lost its rights to Fuse.

2008–present[link]

In 2008, Fuse signed on to be the exclusive television partner for some major music events, including a three-year deal to air the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.^[10] and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Fuse also works with the Van's Warped Tour, Voodoo Experience and Lollapalooza, airing interviews and live news from the festivals.

In 2009, Fuse began airing a 2-minute long news show called The Daily Noise which is updated courtesy of Billboard Magazine.

Through the network's Fuse Presents original series, which televises concerts of popular artists from iconic venues, Fuse has featured the following shows:

• July 25, 2008 - Fall Out Boy live from the Chicago Theatre
• June 1, 2009 - Dave Matthews Band live from the Beacon Theatre
• September 11, 2009 - Jay-Z concert live from Madison Square Garden. The concert was simulcasted by MuchMusic in Canada.^[11]
• November 17, 2009 - John Mayer live from the Beacon Theatre
• November 24, 2010 - Drake live from Radio City Music Hall ^[12]
• October 19, 2010 - Elton John and Leon Russell live from the Beacon Theatre^[13]
• February 18, 2011 - Linkin Park live from Madison Square Garden.^[14]
• August 30, 2011 - Red Hot Chili Peppers from The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood.^[15]
• December 16, 2011 - Swedish House Mafia live from Madison Square Garden.
• December 17, 2011 - The National live from The Beacon Theatre.
• December 18, 2011 - Z100's Jingle Ball 2011 live from Madison Square Garden.

Fuse profiles some of today's most prominent musicians and celebrities through the network's studio shows, such as On The Record^{[disambiguation needed ]}, hosted by Toure, and Fuse Top 20 Countdown hosted by Allison Hagendorf and Juliya.

On June 20, 2010, Fuse simulcasted the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards, marking the first time the station has aired the video awards since 2002.^[16]

Blink-182 and former +44 singer/bassist Mark Hoppus hosts his own weekly television series on Fuse, titled Hoppus on Music.^[17][18] The show has featured a star-studded lineup of guests, including Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Linkin Park, Snoop Dogg, Phil Collins, Ben Folds, Kid Cudi, Angels and Airwaves, Simple Plan, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Fuse has also eliminated its paid programming block in the early morning hours and now operates 24 hours a day.

On June 28, 2011, VEVO and Fuse entered into a video syndication and content partnership. As part of the partnership, Fuse.tv will syndicate VEVO's music video and entertainment programming, including exclusive music video premieres, live music events and originally produced series.^[19]

Current shows (2011)[link]

• Fuse Top 20 Countdown
• No.1 Countdown
• The Hip Hop Shop
• On The Record
• The Daily Noise
• Hoppus on Music (Formerly: A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus)
• Mad Genius
• Cee Lo Green * Talking To Strangers (Formerly: Lay It Down with Cee Lo Green)
• Pop Profiles
• Video on Trial
• Billy On the Street

Current hosts[link]

• Touré hosts Hip Hop Shop and On The Record
• Juliya Chernetsky hosts Fuse Top 20 Countdown.
• Allison Hagendorf hosts Fuse Top 20 Countdown.
• Mark Hoppus hosts Hoppus on Music.
• Cee Lo Green hosts Cee Lo Green * Talking To Strangers

See also[link]

• List of programs broadcast by Fuse

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

• Official Fuse website
• TV Shows
• Hip Hop Shop
• Hoppus On Music
• Top 100 Sexy Beats
• Top 20 Countdown
• Billy On The Street
• Last Call With Carson Daly

50 Cent
50 Cent in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Curtis James Jackson III
Born	(1975-07-06) July 6, 1975 (age 36)
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Aftermath, Shady, G-Unit
Associated acts	G-Unit, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Sha Money XL, DJ Whoo Kid
Website	50cent.com

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). His album Get Rich or Die Tryin' has been certified eight times platinum by the RIAA.^[1]

Born in the South Jamaica of Queens, New York City, Jackson began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic.^[2] After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing his album Guess Who's Back? in 2002, Jackson was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre, who produced his first major commercial successes, Jackson became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo.

Jackson has engaged in feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, Nas, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Cam'ron, Puff Daddy, Rick Ross, and former G-Unit members The Game and Young Buck. He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005, the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006, and Righteous Kill in 2008. 50 Cent was ranked as the sixth-best artist of the 2000s by Billboard magazine. The magazine also ranked him as the fourth top male artist and as the third top rapper behind Eminem and Nelly.^[3] Billboard magazine also ranked him as the sixth best and most successful Hot 100 Artist of the 2000s^[4] and as the number one rap artist of the 2000s.^[5] Billboard ranked his album Get Rich or Die Tryin' as the twelfth best album of the 2000s^[6] and his album The Massacre as the 37th best album of the 2000s.^[7] As of September 2011, 50 Cent is working on his fifth studio album, which is set to be released in 2012.^[8]

Early life[link]

Curtis Jackson III grew up in South Jamaica, a poverty-stricken urban neighborhood in Queens, New York City. He grew up without a father and was raised by his mother, Sabrina, who gave birth to him at the age of fifteen. Sabrina, a cocaine dealer, raised Jackson until the age of eight, when she was killed in 1983. Twenty-seven years old at the time, she became unconscious after someone drugged her drink. She was then left for dead after the gas in her apartment was turned on and the windows shut closed.^[9][10]

After her death, Jackson moved into his grandparents' house with his eight aunts and uncles.^[11][12][13] He recalls, "My grandmother told me, 'Your mother's not coming home. She's not gonna come back to pick you up. You're gonna stay with us now.' That's when I started adjusting to the streets a little bit".^[14]

Jackson began boxing around the age of eleven. At fourteen, a neighbor opened a boxing gym for local kids. "When I wasn't killing time in school, I was sparring in the gym or selling crack on the strip", he recalled.^[15] In the mid 1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics as an amateur boxer. He recounts, "I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ".^[16] At the age of twelve, Jackson began dealing narcotics when his grandparents thought he was at after-school programs.^[17] He also took guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School. He later stated, "I was embarrassed that I got arrested like that... After I got arrested I stopped hiding it. I was telling my grandmother [openly], 'I sell drugs.'"^[14]

Following time spent in a correctional boot camp, Jackson adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a metaphor for "change".^[18] The name was derived from Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber known as "50 Cent". Jackson chose the name "because it says everything I want it to say. I'm the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means".^[19]

Music career[link]

1996–99: Early career[link]

Jackson started rapping in a friend's basement where he used turntables to record over instrumentals.^[20] In 1996, a friend introduced him to Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC who was organizing his label Jam Master Jay Records.

Jay taught him how to count bars, write choruses, structure songs, and how to make a record.^[21][22] Jackson's first official appearance was on a song titled "React" with the group Onyx on their 1998 album Shut 'Em Down. He credited Jam Master Jay as an influence who helped him improve his ability to write hooks.^[16] Jay produced Jackson's first album; however, it was never released.^[9]

In 1999, after leaving Jam Master Jay, the platinum-selling producers Trackmasters took notice of Jackson and signed him to Columbia Records. They sent him to a studio in Upstate New York where he produced thirty-six songs in two weeks.^[10] Eighteen were included on his unofficially released album, Power of the Dollar in 2000.^[23] He also started the now-defunct Hollow Point Entertainment with former G-Unit affiliate Bang 'Em Smurf.^[24][25]

Jackson's popularity started to increase after the successful but controversial underground single, "How to Rob", which he wrote in half an hour while in a car on the way to a studio.^[18][26] The track comically explains how he would rob famous artists. He explained the reasoning behind song's content as, "There's a hundred artists on that label, you gotta separate yourself from that group and make yourself relevant".^[18] Rappers Jay-Z, Kurupt, Sticky Fingaz, Big Pun, DMX, Wyclef Jean and the Wu-Tang Clan replied to the song^[26] and Nas, who received the track positively, invited Jackson to travel on a promotional tour for his Nastradamus album.^[13] The song was intended to be released with "Thug Love" featuring Destiny's Child, but two days before he was scheduled to film the "Thug Love" music video, Jackson was shot and confined to a hospital due to his injuries.^[27]

2000–01: Shooting[link]

On May 24, 2000, Jackson was attacked by a gunman, alleged to be Darryl "Hommo" Baum, outside his grandmother's former home in South Jamaica, Queens. He went into a friend's car, but was asked to return to the house to get jewelry.

His son was in the house, while his grandmother was in the front yard.^[10] Upon returning to the back seat of the car and already seated, another car pulled up nearby. An assailant then walked up to Jackson's left side with a 9mm handgun and fired nine shots at close range. He was shot nine times: in the hand (a round hit his right thumb, to where the bullet passed through and out his little finger), arm, hip, both legs, chest, and his face (his left cheek).^[9][14][28] The face wound resulted in a swollen tongue, the loss of a wisdom tooth, and a small slur in his voice.^[13][14][29] His friend also sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. They were driven to the hospital where Jackson spent thirteen days.

Baum, the alleged shooter, was killed three weeks later.^[30]

Baum was also Mike Tyson's close friend and bodyguard.^[31]

Jackson recalled the incident saying, "It happens so fast that you don't even get a chance to shoot back.... I was scared the whole time.... I was looking in the rear-view mirror like, 'Oh @#!*% , somebody shot me in the face! It burns, burns, burns.'"^[14] In his autobiography, From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens, he wrote, "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life... How much more damage could that shell have done? Give me an inch in this direction or that one, and I'm gone".^[11] He used a walker for the first six weeks and fully recovered after five months. When he left the hospital, he stayed in the Poconos with his then-girlfriend and son. His workout regime helped him attain his muscular physique.^[9][14][32]

While in the hospital, Jackson signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records. However, he was dropped from the label and "blacklisted" in the recording industry because of his song "Ghetto Qu'ran".

Unable to find a studio to work with in the U.S, he traveled to Canada.^[33][34] Along with his business partner Sha Money XL, he recorded over thirty songs for mixtapes, with the purpose of building a reputation.

According to Shady Records A&R Marc Labelle in an interview with HitQuarters, Jackson shrewdly used the mixtape circuit to his own advantage saying, "He took all the hottest beats from every artist and flipped them with better hooks. They then got into all the markets on the mixtapes and all the mixtape DJs were messing with them."^[35] Jackson's popularity rose and in 2002, he released material independently on the mixtape, Guess Who's Back?. Beginning to attract interest, and now backed by G-Unit, Jackson continued to release music including 50 Cent Is the Future. The mixtape revisited material by Jay-Z and Raphael Saadiq.^[23]

2002–09: Rise to fame[link]

In 2002, Eminem listened to a copy of Jackson's Guess Who's Back? CD. He received the CD through Jackson's attorney, who was working with Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg.^[27] Impressed with the album, Eminem invited Jackson to fly to Los Angeles, where he was introduced to Dr. Dre.^[9][21][27] After signing a $1 million record deal,^[21] Jackson released the mixtape, No Mercy, No Fear. It featured one new track, "Wanksta", which was put on Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack.^[23] He was also signed to Chris Lighty's Violator Management and Sha Money XL's Money Management Group.

In February 2003, Jackson released his commercial debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Allmusic described it as "probably the most hyped debut album by a rap artist in about a decade".^[36] Rolling Stone noted the album for its "dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce" with Jackson complementing the production in "an unflappable, laid-back flow".^[37]

It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 872,000 copies in the first four days.^[38] The lead single, "In da Club", which The Source noted for its "blaring horns, funky organs, guitar riffs and sparse hand claps",^[39] broke a Billboard record as the most listened-to song in radio history within a week.^[40]

Interscope granted Jackson his own label, G-Unit Records in 2003.^[41] He signed Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck as the established members of G-Unit. The Game was later signed under a joint venture with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.

In March 2005, Jackson's second commercial album, The Massacre, sold 1.14 million copies in the first four days-the highest in an abbreviated sales cycle^[38]- and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 for six weeks.^[42]

He became the first solo artist to have three singles on the Billboard top five in the same week with "Candy Shop", "Disco Inferno", and "How We Do".^[43] Rolling Stone noted that "50's secret weapon is his singing voice - the deceptively amateur-sounding tenor croon that he deploys on almost every chorus".^[44]

From left: With Olivia, Lloyd Banks, and Young Buck in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2006

After The Game's departure, Jackson signed singer Olivia and rap veterans Mobb Deep to G-Unit Records. Spider Loc, M.O.P., 40 Glocc and Young Hot Rod later joined the label.^[45][46] Jackson expressed interest in working with rappers outside of G-Unit, such as Lil' Scrappy of BME, LL Cool J from Def Jam, Mase from Bad Boy, and Freeway of Roc-A-Fella, some of whom he recorded with.^[47] In September 2007, he released his third album Curtis, which was inspired by his life before Get Rich or Die Tryin'.^[48] It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 691,000 units in the first week,^[49] behind Kanye West's Graduation, whom he had a sales competition with, as both albums were released on the same day.

He confirmed on TRL on September 10, 2008 that his fourth studio album, Before I Self Destruct, will be "done and released in November".

On May 18, 2009, Jackson released a song entitled "Ok, You're Right". The song was produced by Dr. Dre and was included in Before I Self Destruct.

In Fall 2009, 50 Cent appeared in the new season of VH1's Behind The Music.

On September 3, 2009 months upon the release of his "Before I Self Destruct" album 50 Cent posted a video^[50] for the Soundkillers' Phoenix^[51] produced track "Flight 187" which introduced his mixtape, the 50th LAW, and was also featured as a bonus track on his iTunes release of Before I Self Destruct. The song ignited speculation that there was tension between rapper 50 Cent and Jay Z for Jackson's comments in the song.^[52]

2010–present[link]

In an interview with the British entertainment website ContactMusic, 50 Cent announced that he was working on a dance album named Black Magic. 50 Cent said he was inspired by the European nightclubs. "First they played hip-hop which suddenly changed to uptempo songs, known as Eurodance".^[53] He went on The Invitation Tour in the summer of 2010, in support of Before I Self Destruct album, and the then shelved Black Magic album. He "recorded 20 songs to a whole different album concept" before he put those to the side and did something different.^[54]

50 Cent revealed that he wanted his new album to have the same "aggression" as his debut record, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.^[55][56]

He later tweeted that the album was "80 percent done", and stated that fans can expect the album in the summer of 2011; however, the album has been delayed to 2012 at the earliest, due to tensions and disagreements at Interscope Records, Later 50 Cent said that he will release his album in November 2011^[8] and it has also been confirmed that "Black Magic" will not be the album's title.^[8] 50 Cent has already confirmed that Eminem will appear on the album, but he also confirmed that he has been working with new producers such as Boi-1da and Alex da Kid.^[57] Cardiak, who produced Lloyd Banks' “Start It Up”, also confirmed that he had produced a song for the upcoming album.^[58]

DJ Whoo Kid confirmed in an interview that 50 Cent was filming a new movie with Robert DeNiro in New Orleans.^[59]

50 Cent released the first song from his fifth studio album, titled "Outlaw", to the Internet on June 16, 2011.^[60]

The single was produced by Cardiak.

It was released to iTunes on July 19, 2011,^[61] although 50 Cent confirmed through his Twitter account that the song was not the album's first single.^[62]

50 Cent is set to release a book titled Playground.

Unlike his previous literary efforts — which focus on his life story and the rules of power — this time he's aiming at a teen audience with a semi-autobiographical novel about bullying. According to a statement from the book's publisher, the first-person novel is slated for release in January 2012 and will tell the story of a 13-year-old schoolyard bully "who finds redemption as he faces what he's done."^[63]

50 Cent has promised to deliver his fifth studio album album over the past few years, but the LP may be delayed until 2012. In a series of tweets, 50 Cent explained that him and his label Interscope Records aren’t on the same page on how to roll out the album and that he’s delaying its release until they see eye to eye.^[8]

50 Cent later suggested that his album will be releasing in November 2011, along with his headphone line SMS by 50.^[8]

50 Cent spoke to MTV in relation to the possibility of leaving Interscope Records. "I don't know," 50 told MTV News when asked if he would ink back with Interscope once his five-album deal was fulfilled. "It will all be clear in the negotiations following me turning this actual album in. And, of course, the performance and how they actually treat the work will determine whether you still want to stay in that position or not."^[64]

On June 20, 2011, 50 Cent announced that he will release an LP titled Before I Self Destruct II. The announced sequel to his 2009 LP is suggested to be released after his fifth studio album.^[65]

On June 26, 2011, 50 Cent planned to shoot a music video for the lead single from his fifth studio album titled I'm On It.^[66] However, the music video never surfaced.^[67]