I will tune in to almost any television show, no matter how terrible or how outside of my interests, if it has something to do with Dallas. Usually this means production is set here and I can spend the hour going, "Hey, they are in downtown!" Or, "That's not Dallas, that's Fort Worth!" Do you want to watch television with me?
Last night on The Voice, a talent competition I do not watch though I am told by people whose taste I unconditionally respect I would love, 50 Cent performed new single "My Life," featuring Voice judge Adam Levine and Eminem. It's the third single from his upcoming album, Street King Immortal. Since it is produced by Dallas-based, Grammy Award-winning Cannabinoid Symbolyc One, it falls squarely in my "has to do with Dallas, so I am definitely going to watch it" category. You can hit YouTube for the performance, but Eminem ain't there and we are talking producers. If you want to hear the real work, you are going to need to hit the headphones.
S1 signals something fairly epic off the bat. Not unlike his work with Kanye West on "Power," this track sort of screams to underscore the final shot of an expensive action movie. I'm not usually a fan of 50's slow drawl, but here he sounds almost conversational, which lends its own braggadocio to the first verse's casual declaration of a comeback. It's Eminem who unsurprisingly shines, and S1 is able to get his signature snarls to whip around his backbeats, so you can hear the crazy behind his eyes, even on a track with someone as accessible as Adam Levine throating the hook.
It's got mainstream appeal for days, and fans will appreciate S1's ability to once again set a scene and retain some toughness. Artists should note his ability to bring out that same movie star quality found in his tracks. With 50 Cent, the juxtaposition brings new interest. With Beyoncé, she beams like a star. Dallas just might get to bathe in the tiniest little part of his spotlight, which seems to only be getting brighter.
