Photo of 50 Cent.

50 Cent Leaves Shady/Interscope, Releases "Funeral"

It doesn't seem like a big thing, a major artist leaving his record deal after more than a decade relationship. People grow, things change and circumstances often dictate changing where one does business. This is not the case for 50 Cent and his departure from Jimmy Iovine's behemoth Interscope Records. To be sure, 50 Cent is a dinosaur of sorts navigating a new, somewhat unfamiliar landscape. His 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin' broke sales records and firmly placed him amongst rap's elite. I may be wrong on this, but, at least for my adolescent self, Get Rich or Die Tryin' seemed to be the last major, MTV-fueled hip-hop album to really make a mark. Obviously, The College Dropout followed a year later, eventually pitting 'Ye and 50 against each other in a sales battle upon the releases of Graduation and Curtis in 2007, which 50 was beaten.

50 exiting the major label industry is a big deal. It leaves Eminem honestly as one of the last holdovers for the major label format that existed a decade ago, and that only because of his individual label, Shady, which 50 Cent was a part of. Back in 1999, with the advent of Napster, we saw the inklings of what the music industry would become, a business that is just now manifesting itself with Grammy award-winning acts not signed to a major and acts putting out free projects that reach the charts. 50's decision to release his next project, Animal Ambition through Caroline, a distributorship owned by Universal. Similar to the deal Macklemore & Ryan Lewis employed with The Heist, albeit with a lot more of a budget thanks to smart business moves by Fiddy over the years. “I have had great success to date with Shady/Aftermath/Interscope, and I’d like to thank Eminem and Dr. Dre for giving me an incredible opportunity,” 50 Cent said in a statement. “I’ve learned so much from them through the years. I am excited to enter this new era where I can carry out my creative vision.”

50 Cent's independent debut will begin on June 3 with Animal Ambition, an unexpected turn for fans who expected the long-teased project Street King Immortal. “I recorded so many album-quality songs that I’m going to put the Animal project out as my viral marketing plan and then [Street King] will come out after,” he explained at a recent press conference. “[Animal Ambition] is about prosperity ... ambition and prosperity.”

Check out the video for 50's new song "The Funeral," released today, below.

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[Songs of the Day] 2/19/14 (Feat. Schoolboy Q, Major Lazer, Hudson Mohawke & More)

Wednesdays tend to be a bit slow for new music on the web, but we scoured our way through everything ot find some gems that hit airwaves today. Schoolboy Q teased his highly-anticipated debut album Oxymoron with the lead single, "Blind Threats" featuring none other than 'The Chef' himself, Raekwon. The Legion of Dudez got together to spin a remix of their hit single "Diamond Girl" by Blakkass Westley and Chandler London, with fellow LOD member Cadillac Duke dropping a verse on the updated version. We got a solid song from newcomer Joyner Lucas in "That's Okay", Hurt Everybody, the duo of Supa Bwe and Carl dropped "God Shit" and Major Lazer continued to keep fans salivating with another cut from his upcoming album, this time reviving Sean Paul for a cameo spot. GXNXVS gave Sway Clarke II's "I Don't Need Much" a remix, Cosby Sweater, a production duo out of Indiana released "Your Girlfriend's a Stoner" and "Bound 2" producer Hudson Mohawke gave listeners a new track with Olivier Daysoul in "Forever I".

Track of the Day: Schoolboy Q: "Blind Threats" (Feat. Raekwon)

Schoolboy Q: “Blind THreats” (Feat. Raekwon)

Blakkass Westley & Chandler London: "Diamond Girl Remix" (Feat. Cadillac Duke)

Joyner Lucas: “That’s Okay”

Hurt Everybody: “God Shit”

Major Lazer: "Come On To Me" (Feat. Sean Paul)

Sway Clarke II: "I Don't Need Much" (GXNXVS Remix)

Cosby Sweater: "Your Girlfriend's A Stoner"

Hudson Mohawke & Olivier Daysoul: "Forever I"

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[Mixtape] Dally Auston: "The Westside EP"

 Chicago's Dally Auston, part of the vaunted SaveMoney clique that has been steadily making their impact felt on the larger Chicago hip-hop scene and nation-wide over the past year, has been quiet since the summer when he dropped the critically-acclaimed project The Wood back in March of last year. Whereas The Wood took Auston from being known amongst hip-hop heads in the city to hitting the blogosphere and gaining recognition outside the city, The Westside EP stands to do much more for the 19-year-old artist, allowing him an opportunity to take advantage of his city and his colleagues' current position in the national picture.
Recorded over a lengthy period of time at The Music Garage in the city's West Town neighborhood, with production from Doc Da MindBenda, Ongaud, Smoko Ono and more, Dally's latest is a distinct overture from his last offering, demonstrating a growth both lyrically and musically that takes from many different influences, blending them beautifully into a cohesive work. The West Side is known for the 'bopping' craze that has taken over the neighborhoods that make it up and few do it better than Auston, who provided a project in The Westside EP that can make you want to dance and think all at once. Check out the latest from Dally Auston, streaming below.

Austin Celebrates "Free Week"

There's no better price than free.99 and the eclectic residents of Austin, Texas seem to know this better than anyone, as they town embarks on "Free Week" a seven day run of free shows around ATX that help celebrate the start to a new year. Fitting, for a city that seems to never turn the music off. On the site's website, the event is promoters say, " Since 2003, Austin has held the tradition of partying to no end during the first week of January."

The decade-old tradition is a perfect example as well of the current state of music in America, as giving it out for free seems to have begun the norm for the large swath of artists trying to come up in the industry. The week-long mini-fest features a smattering of independent acts, both local and not, that come together to start the year off right, for free. For a full list of shows, venues and activities, click here.