50 Cent's Long Island Home Burns in "Suspicious" Fire

A "suspicious" fire broke out at a Dix Hills, New York, home owned by rapper 50 Cent and occupied by the rapper's ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Perkins and their 10-year-old child Marquise. All six people in the house at the time, including Perkins and her son, were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The house was at the middle of a legal battle between 50 Cent and Perkins as 50 moved to evict Perkins and his son if they didn't pay $4,500 a month in rent. Asked why he felt the fire was "definitely suspicious," the Dix Hills Fire Chief said "The rapid movement of the fire...It was engulfed. The home was totally gutted." Adding more fuel to the fire is this video of 50 Cent and Perkins arguing with one another on the streets of New York City just days before the fire.

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

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