Nigeria Breweries, brewer of one of the country's premier lager, Star, has concluded plans to bring 50 Cent, one of America's most prolific rap musicians, to the country.
Born Curtis Jackson, he will be the main act in this year's Star Mega Jam promotion, slated to feature in some cities across Nigeria While in Nigeria, 50 Cent, who was shot nine times in year 2000, with a 9mm bullets to the face, is expected to be in Nigeria for a five-day musical tour. He is billed to appear in four shows across the country from 1-5 December.
His first appearance will be at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Two days later he will be in Lagos, the nation's commercial and social hot spot for a show scheduled to hold at the Tafawa Balewa Square. The next day, the rap train will move on to Port Harcourt, the Garden City for another show.
Benin City will host the artist on his final musical tour of Nigeria.
Speaking to newsmen at a press conference Monday, Larry Agose, image adviser of Nigeria Breweries Plc, announced that this year's Star Mega Jam is unique. Its uniqueness, he opined, is borne out of the fact that Nigerian music fans did the selection of the artist by themselves.
"You will recall that earlier this year, we invited Star consumers and indeed all music lovers all over Nigeria to choose the international star for this year's jam. We received thousands of responses through e-mails, sms and by post. When the tallies were done, Nigerian music lovers chose an artist whose music is intensely popular in Nigeria and all over the world," he said.
Agose also noted that unlike previous editions, this year's, the fifth in the series, will be a most pocket-friendly event. According to him, consumers and music lovers will have 2-way option to obtain ticket to the show. The first is to drink their way to the show. This the fans will do by buying their favorite Star lager beer.
The other option is a yet to be announced fee at the various venues.
"Consumers and in deed all music lovers have a choice of two ways to attend the show. The first is to do what they have always done - drink and enjoy their favorite Star beer. The only additional job is for them to look under the crown cork from November 1 and collect crown corks that spell 50 Cent. They will get a free ticket for the show. In the alternative, they will be charged a concessionary fee at the gate," he said.
American Hip-Hop star 50 Cent was engaged in a scuffle with the entourage of another rapper in a Lagos, Nigeria airport last night.
50 Cent was in the African nation taking part in the annual Star Mega Jam, which brings top name talent to perform along side popular Nigerian artists.
The incident started in an airplane belonging to the Aviation Development Company, before an aborted trip to Port Harcourt for a final performance.
Eyewitnesses stated that Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem attempted to sit in a seat reserved for the internationally known 50 Cent, but was prevented from doing so.
Abdulkareem’s entourage protested, resulting in a brawl inside the airplane.
The scuffle carried on to the tarmac of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammad Airport, drawing the attention of employee’s and other passengers.
The rapper left without completing the performance due to the incident.
An official at the American Embassy in Lagos confirmed the incident, but said it was not policy to intervene in personal disputes.
“Although he is an American citizen, he came here under a private arrangement and it is not our business to ask him to go back. It is his decision," an Embassy official told Nigerian newspaper The Guardian. “The decision is up to 50 Cent's management team and his sponsors.”
The Mega Jam was staged in four Nigerian cities between December 1 and 5, 2004. Prior to the concert, organizers said they had taken elaborate measures in terms of security, but others questioned their choice of artist and location.
"It was still difficult to understand what influenced the choice of 50 Cent, a gangster rapper and Tafawa Balewa Square, a known stronghold of hoodlums," stated the Daily Champion in a November article.
A spokesperson for the concert, now in its 5th year, said they chose 50 Cent based on requests from the Nigerian public, who chose this year's international star.
ADC Airlines, nor representatives for 50 Cent were available for comment as of press time.
Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem addressed an altercation with 50 Cent, which took place at The Star Mega Jam, which was staged in four Nigerian cities between December 1 and 5, 2004.
According to Abdulkareem, he had been asked by concert promoter Nigerian Breweries to perform at the concert, as one of Nigeria’s most popular rappers.
"You cannot treat me as a second and or third class citizen in my own country, I will not take it from anybody," Abdulkareem said after the infraction. "If 50 Cent is a star in America, I am equally one in Africa."
Because of his treatment and a contractual dispute with Nigerian Breweries, he went to meet organizers in the plane.
He said 50 Cent’s security team came in and that’s where the issues started.
"I was sitting down at the VIP end of the plane and [they] said ‘hey, you gotta get out of that seat.’ I asked, ‘get up from which seat?’ They said it was 50 Cent's seat, but I said I was sorry 50 Cent can't sit here. This is my seat,” Abdulkareem told the Nigerian News.
“After some arguments, the guy came over and held me in my neck. The rest joined in and they started punching me. My boys had to come from the back. But as the first came, they punched him with buckled fingers on the face. That was when I told them that I am Eedris Abdulkareem, you have done your worst. Are we going to Port Harcourt? Then you will not play in Port Harcourt. Call Americans to come and rescue you.”
A representative for Nigerian Breweries tried to mediate the situation between Abdulkareem and 50 Cent.
“He said 50 Cent told him that he didn't know that I was an artist. So I asked why they didn't tell him. He said they were sorry. He also said 50 Cent wanted to see me and shake hands with me and have a duet with me. I said I was not going to have any of such and I also told him that they should go and do what they ought to do. That was the point 50 Cent took the decision to go back to America immediately.”
The man in Abdulkareem’s entourage that was punched with the object is still in a Nigerian hospital, according to published reports.
50 Cent denied Abdulkareem’s version in an interview with Funk Master Flex on New York’s Hot 97.
“They sat in the seats reserved for us,” 50 Cent told Funkmaster Flex last week. “Security asked them nicely. Nah they didn’t ask them nicely, they moved them out of the seats. It was crazy, it was for no reason.”
Mr. Justin Akpovi Esade, a journalist for The Guardian newspaper supported 50 Cent's version.
"He [Abdulkareem] just went crazy. He reigned abuses on everyone who called him to order, including journalists whom he described as fools because he felt we were not on his side on the issue. By what he has done, other foreign musicians would be scared of visiting Nigeria on performance tours. And this can ruin the musician’s career except he tenders an apology to all Nigerians and to journalists whom he has insulted."
Abudlkareem said that from the onset, he was not out to cause any trouble, he just wanted to resolve his dispute with Nigerian Breweries.
After the altercation, which was carried out on the tarmac of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammad Airport, 50 Cent canceled his Port Harcourt performance and left the country.
"50 cent came to Nigeria like other African-American stars and there has never been any break down in communication before now. You all know that Africans welcome all stars, he or she, black or white, pink or blue. Africa is the Mother colour, the rainbow colour. 50 cent and I had performed together at two venues ( Abuja and Lagos), and sincerely each time his security have presented themselves as "Rabble—Rousers."
Abdulkareem revealed that he is suing 50 Cent and Nigerian Breweries for an undisclosed amount.
