No, Patrick Stump, There’s No Way To Make 50 Cent Credible

Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump on 50 Cent‘s appearance on the bill of their tour, which kicks off tonight: “We’ve encountered a little bit of negative feelings about it,” he says, “but I think that you should challenge your audience a little bit. And I think the reality is that, OK, if you don’t like 50 Cent, if you’re that stuck-up that you’re going to stand there and hate him actively, then go to the concession stand during (his set). Go get a T-shirt or go to the bathroom if that’s how you feel. Otherwise, challenge yourself.” Nice try, pal. But you’re wrong.

Listen, I’m all for mixing it up a bit with your tour. I saw both the strange Sisters of Mercy/Public Enemy/Gang of Four bill in 1991, and the 1997 disaster with the Wu-Tang Clan with Rage Against the Machine and Atari Teenage Riot; neither one was probably a great idea on paper. It’s one thing to expose your fans to a type of music you appreciate and enjoy or an artist they might not be aware of, but we’re talking about 50 Cent here. Any person who listens to popular music in the United States, especially the kids that are likely to attend a Fall Out Boy show in the first place, has probably had an opportunity to form an opinion about 50 Cent at this point.

Look, if you want to bring a guy on tour, that’s fine. Or if your label asks you to help jumpstart a fading rap star’s new album by letting him open a few dates, fine. However, please don’t pretend that you’re doing your audience a favor by giving them a chance to challenge their aesthetic sensibilities… with 50 Cent. There are tens of thousands of other acts you could have picked to accomplish that goal.

Fall Out Boy Takes 50 Cent On Tour [Billboard]