50 cent

As every sentient being knows, 50 announced weeks ago that he’ll quit the rap game if his third album, “Curtis,” out Tuesday, fails to sell more than the latest from Kanye West. It’s a con, of course, but a charming one, not to mention one that has gotten him exactly what he needs—reams of press. Rap sales have plunged 30 percent in the last year, and if it takes a little grandstanding to bring it back, 50 seems more than up for the task. He even makes sure to give the New York Daily News its own faux controversial scoop.

When the specter is raised of another artist—Kenny Chesney—coming in and stealing the thunder from both he and Kanye with his own Sept. 11 release, 50 leans into the tape recorder and brays: “You want some controversy from 50? Tell `em I’m going to shoot Kenny Chesney.”

A big giggle follows that, not to mention a quick admission that this whole “retirement” shtick means essentially nothing. “I was just raising the stakes,” says 50. “When they hear, `He’s going to retire,’ it draws attention.”

On the other hand, this whole 50-vs.-Kanye routine has a serious side. To the rapper, it marks a new era of hip-hop peace. “People expect a competition in hip hop to be dangerous,” 50 says. “This one isn’t. Kanye didn’t say anything disrespectful, so I don’t actually have a beef with him. It’s just the competitive nature of the art form.”

Besides, 50 has far more real foes these days, like radio and his own audience, some of whom may have moved on in the three years since the rapper last released an official CD. His first two singles released from the new CD bombed, though naturally, 50 has a spin for this.

“(On) those two records,” he says, “I was trying to see how low I could go and still get over the hump before I went out with records that I felt are no-brainers.”

One of those, the third single, “AYO Technology,” has done far better on radio. But it needed the presence of guest Justin Timberlake to do it.

In fact, 50’s album is rife with pop-friendly guest R&B singers, from Mary J. Blige to Robin Thicke. While that would seem to suggest some anxiety about retaining the mass audience, 50 says that can be deceiving. “With all those R&B artists, you start to assume that the record isn’t going to have any aggressive content on it,” 50 says. “But I got them to come to me (with their sound).”