Rotimi Details Why He Left His G-Unit Record Deal In 2017
Rotimi recently revisited the topic of leaving his 2017 record deal with G-Unit. To clear up any speculations, the actor-singer explained that leaving Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s imprint was his own decision and that it was “all love.”
As Rotimi is best known for his role as Dre in 50’s hit series Power, fans soon began to learn about the Maplewood, NJ-native’s musical side, following his departure from the show. With the support of Fif, Rotimi spent three years on the label after signing in 2014.
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“With G-Unit, 50 Cent gave me my deal in 2014,” Rotimi told HipHopDX. “We had a conversation like, ‘Yo, I have an idea that I want to just do my thing and grow.’ And as a businessman, he knew that he saw himself in me and said, ‘I’m not going to stop you from doing what you need to do.’”
Speaking to the Queens, N.Y. rapper’s work ethic and mentorship even after no longer working on the Starz series, he added, “That man is a different kind of beast. So I thanked him for that because I was able to learn on my own and still have his support. Even after we left, he found his own way to market me and it worked.”
“So again, any time he calls me and needs me it’s all love and it’s always been that way,” he continued. “I signed for like three years and then I got out my deal.”
During his time as a G-Unit artist, he released the single, “Lotto” with 50 Cent, which went on to see some success including climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 chart in 2015.
The 34-year-old followed up with the eight-track EP Jeep Music Vol. 1 under the imprint. The project boasted the popular Caribbean single “Want More” featuring Kranium and “Nobody” with 50 Cent and T.I. Soon after, Rotimi signed with EMPIRE Distribution in 2019 where his musical momentum began to rev up.
In the same year, the now father-of-two presented his second EP Beauty of Becoming, with the leading Afrobeats-inspired single “In My Bed” featuring Wale. The latter went on to receive a Gold certification from the RIAA.
Speaking on earning his first RIAA plague, he wrote on Instagram: “I’m just a first generation Nigerian kid from Jersey. Don’t EVER let anyone tell you that there’s a box, a CEILING or LIMIT to what you can do, or who you can be. Nothing comes easy no shortcuts no delay. Hard work.”
