50 Cent and Kanye West, Part Three: The Future of Hip-Hop

Do fans want simple, hooky ringtone music or something deeper and more complex? 50 Cent and Kanye West compare their new albums to the latest hot tracks from the Shop Boyz and more as they muse on what the future holds for hip-hop. "Hip-hop changes so fast as an art form, if you're not paying attention you're going to get left in the dust," 50 Cent says. Watch the two MCs debate what comes first — selling what consumers want or creative integrity — in the third of Rolling Stone's three videos from the 50 Cent and Kanye West cover shoot.

Kanye West and 50 Cent, Part One: The Main Event

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Song Stories

“I'm Yours”

Jason Mraz | 2008

Jason Mraz re-emerged after his disappointing second album with this lead single, a Jack Johnson-esque ditty about giving yourself fully to someone else. The success of the reggae-tinged song (it earned two Grammy nods and a spot on the Billboard singles chart for well over a year) was something the folk-pop singer never predicted when he wrote it in 15 minutes at home. "I played a happy-hippie chord progression that would probably work without 50 different Bob Marley songs," he told Rolling Stone. "I thought, 'It's too novelty. This is a nursery rhyme,'" concluding that "you can never guess what's gonna be a hit."

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