iUnit *harhar*

50 Cent Negotiating With Apple For Branded Line Of Home Computers
By Nolan Strong
www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=5798

Rap star 50 Cent is entering the world of technology and is currently in negotiations with Apple's CEO Steve Jobs to produce a line of affordable home computers to inner-city residents.

According to a recent article in Forbes, 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson and his high powered manager Chris Lighty of Violator management, are negotiating the branding deal with the computer /software giant.

"I'm creating a foundation that will be around for a long time, because fame can come and go or get lost in the lifestyle and the splurging," Fifty Cent explained to Forbes. "I never got into it for the music. I got into it for the business."

"He [Jobs] is setting a new standard in the music business," Lighty added. "Let's just say we get each other."

The company hopes to close the gap between sales in iPods, which have earned over $3 billion verse $2 billion from software and personal home computer sales.

Behind Jobs' leadership and the runaway success of the iPod and iTunes, Apple controls over 80% of the digital music market.

Additionally, Apple has sold over 1 billion songs over the past five years. The company started selling music videos and television shows which have sold over 15 million copies since October of 2005.

50 Cent, who is plans on releasing his untitled third album by Christmas, ranked among the Top 10 earning celebrity entertainers in Forbes' recently released Forbes Celebrity Power 100 List.

The rapper earned almost $41 million dollars, mostly from record sales and branding deals that include a clothing line, a line of sneakers, a video game and his G-Unit line of clothing, which was launched in partnership with Marc Ecko in July 2003.

50 Cent ranked #8 in the Top Ten, behind Howard Stern, Steven Spielberg, Tiger Woods, rock group U2, Oprah Winfrey, The Rolling Stones and Tom Cruise, who topped the list by earning over $67 million in 2005.