Wednesday, June 29, 2005
The Swift Report: 50 Cent Leaves 'Live 8' Over Trade Policy Dispute: "Conflicting world views
Sources close to the rapper say that despite his initial excitement about the project, Mr. Cent's enthusiasm began to wane in recent week as Live 8 organizers, most notably former Boomtown Rat Sir Bob Geldof, began to make increasingly radical statements about global capitalism. Sir Geldof has called for a million protestors to travel from the Live 8 concert in London to Edinburgh, Scotland, site of a summit of the world's most powerful countries, known as the G8. The G8 has no connection to Mr. Cent's own G Unit.
Fears of a 'massacre'
Mr. Cent is said to have expressed concerns that a march of that size could endanger participants and local residents, and lead to the type of violence between protestors and police witnessed at anti-globalization protests in Seattle and Genoa. But it is the tone of the dialogue that is said to have caused Mr. Cent the greatest concern. In a statement released by his publicist last week, Mr. Cent all but ignored the Live 8 organizers, reaching out instead to the G8 member countries:
'50 Cent applauds the recent decision of the G8 to cancel the debt of some of the world's poorest nations. He extends his best wishes to participants in the Gleneagle's G8 summit and looks forward to the further implementation of the Africa Action Plan.'
The Lexus and the Olive Tree
Mr. Cent's outspoken defense of the World Trade Organization makes him a rarity among rappers today. He was one of the few rap artists to back the candidacy of Carlos Perez del Castillo of Uruguay for the top job at the WTO. Rap artists including P. Diddy, Jadakiss and Fat Joe threw their support behind del Castillo's opponent, Pascal Lamy of France, a supporter of so-called 'controlled globalization,' an idea that Mr. Cent and others dismiss as nothing more than Western protectionism.
Sources close to Mr. Cent attribute his willingness to break with his posse on issues of global trade to the rap star's trademark brash swagger and to a book that he read during his lengthy recuperation from 9 gunshot wounds in 2000: Thomas Friedman's 1999 volume, 'The Lexus and the Olive Tree.' 'Those were dark days for 50,' says a friend of the rapper. 'That book really opened his eyes and convinced him that there isn't a country out there that has upgraded its living or worker standards without free trade and integration.'"
Sources close to the rapper say that despite his initial excitement about the project, Mr. Cent's enthusiasm began to wane in recent week as Live 8 organizers, most notably former Boomtown Rat Sir Bob Geldof, began to make increasingly radical statements about global capitalism. Sir Geldof has called for a million protestors to travel from the Live 8 concert in London to Edinburgh, Scotland, site of a summit of the world's most powerful countries, known as the G8. The G8 has no connection to Mr. Cent's own G Unit.
Fears of a 'massacre'
Mr. Cent is said to have expressed concerns that a march of that size could endanger participants and local residents, and lead to the type of violence between protestors and police witnessed at anti-globalization protests in Seattle and Genoa. But it is the tone of the dialogue that is said to have caused Mr. Cent the greatest concern. In a statement released by his publicist last week, Mr. Cent all but ignored the Live 8 organizers, reaching out instead to the G8 member countries:
'50 Cent applauds the recent decision of the G8 to cancel the debt of some of the world's poorest nations. He extends his best wishes to participants in the Gleneagle's G8 summit and looks forward to the further implementation of the Africa Action Plan.'
The Lexus and the Olive Tree
Mr. Cent's outspoken defense of the World Trade Organization makes him a rarity among rappers today. He was one of the few rap artists to back the candidacy of Carlos Perez del Castillo of Uruguay for the top job at the WTO. Rap artists including P. Diddy, Jadakiss and Fat Joe threw their support behind del Castillo's opponent, Pascal Lamy of France, a supporter of so-called 'controlled globalization,' an idea that Mr. Cent and others dismiss as nothing more than Western protectionism.
Sources close to Mr. Cent attribute his willingness to break with his posse on issues of global trade to the rap star's trademark brash swagger and to a book that he read during his lengthy recuperation from 9 gunshot wounds in 2000: Thomas Friedman's 1999 volume, 'The Lexus and the Olive Tree.' 'Those were dark days for 50,' says a friend of the rapper. 'That book really opened his eyes and convinced him that there isn't a country out there that has upgraded its living or worker standards without free trade and integration.'"
