"What [50 Cent] Is To New York, I Am To Atlanta"

Newly aligned G-Unit business partner Shawty Lo recently discussed his relationship with 50 Cent and why he relates closer to the New York rap star than most fans believe.

Categorizing their connection as deeper than rap, Shawty said they both experienced the same upbringing.

"Basically our similar life stories coming up," Shawty Lo said referring to 50. "My life, how I was raised by my grandmother and she passed. His life with his mother. Similar situations. We're cut from the same cloth. My grandmother raised me, my mother was on drugs, my daddy was elsewhere, my grandmother died of cancer when I was 17 years old. I've been on my own since then...I feel like what he is to New York, I am to Atlanta." (XXL Mag)

Last week, Shawty promised G-Unit fans he would not be a one-hit wonder under 50's wing.

"That's an easy question. I'm not an artist. I am a boss and an artist. A lot of artists, depend on the label to do everything. I don't depend on the label to do everything; I have my own label, so I'm a boss and an artist." (VIBE)

Earlier this month, Shawty broke down his new business relationship with 50.

"My vision, man, is to give it 100 percent, whatever we do," Shawty said. "I really signed with 50 because I feel like 50's a marketing genius. I've been watching him since he first came into the game before I even thought about becoming a rapper. But to make it short and simple, I signed a big deal with 50, $10 million deal. If that ain't enough, he's sitting right beside me, so let's get it...A lot of artists come into the game and they don't know thebusiness side. So basically, I was one of those artists at first in the beginning. In the music business, it's really 20 percent music and 80 percent business. If you learn the business, you can really go a long way." (Hot 107.9)

Last month, Shawty described his disinterest in doing a 360 deal.

"I'm just not a believer in a 360 deal. I feel like I can make my own money before I let a label come in a give me a 360 deal," Shawty said in an interview. "You don't have to give me a whole lot of upfront money to do a 360. I don't need that...I just felt like 50 would be the best situation for me, man, because my life story came from where my life story came from: turning a negative into a positive. It feels like it's familiar with 50's life. That's why I ran with him. Another label could've offered me five times what 50 offered me. I just feel like 50 was the perfect opportunity for me." (MTV)