"50 Cent Told Me, 'I'm Not Gonna Do Everything For You, You Gotta Impress Me'"

[With the release of his latest single, "Hot Girl", West Coast rapper Hot Rod reflects on a journey that led him from G-Unit Records to a three-year tour overseas, which ultimately resulted in a fresh contract with 50 Cent's G-Note Records.]

I got signed to G-Unit in 2006 off a demo.
[Soon after] I came out with a single with Mary J. Blige called "Be Easy", that didn't live up to the expectation of G-Unit and Interscope.

I think they put all their eggs in one basket with that single. Everything felt like it was gonna be bigger than it actually turned out to be. From 50 Cent, to the whole staff out there,  -- everyone was  excited. It was sorta like if I'm tellin' you to go see Captain America and saying this movie is gonna be so tight, and you finally go see it and it doesn't live up to your expectation, know what I'm sayin'?

It definitely makes you feel a certain way.
[Back then] all I knew was I put out a single and it didn't do well ... then that was pretty much it. I was learning as we went along. I didn't have the same support as when I had first got signed. Everything just kinda died off.

But you man up. 50 told me, "You gotta make yourself hot. I'm not gonna do everything for you. You gotta impress me."

That's when I took to the road. I used the G-Unit brand, my networking skills and traveled. I did shows with Olivia and DJ Whoo Kid. I was out in Europe for three and a half years, I did over 25 countries and while I was out there, I got influenced by the music.

The DJ is the star overseas. When you go to the club, its all fist-pump music. It's about having a good time with that style of music and I found that more appealing.

I came back to the U.S. and started creating music that was similiar to that House/Electro pop style. The communication between me and 50 wasn't there at that point, but I submitted those records to him, not even knowing if he would approve them or not.

It just happened that at that point, he was expanding his imagination to different musical choices and production, so it all worked out.

West Coast artist Hot Rod, formerly of G-Unit, has now signed with 50's G-Note record. Looking to return with a fresh, new sound, Hot Rod is currently working on a new project.

(sohh Guest Star)