Ghetto Qu'ran (Forgive Me)
Encyclopedia
"Ghetto Qu'ran" is a song by 50 Cent
from his unreleased, Columbia Records
debut album Power of the Dollar. The song was leaked in early 2000. The song mentions drug dealers from the 1980s in his neighborhood of South Jamaica, Queens
.
"Ghetto Qu'ran" is produced by Poke & Tone of Trackmasters
and uses a sample from Diana Ross
' and Marvin Gaye
's duet, "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
".
It is also rumored that the song, and the following music industry blacklisting of 50 Cent by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff and his associates, led to the murder of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay, who defied the blacklisting by taking the young 50 Cent under his wing, introducing him to the music industry. According to an affidavit
by IRS agent Francis Mace, law enforcement officials believed that the shooting of 50 Cent in 2000 was in retaliation for the lyrics of the song.
Ghetto Qu'ran served as a basis for 50 Cent's rivals (mainly Ja Rule
, Irv Gotti and the Murder Inc.
music group, whom he was feuding with at the time) to use against him, labeling him a snitch
. 50 Cent mentioned in a AllHipHop.com interview that everybody mentioned in the song appreciated it and McGriff even told him that he loved the song. He also talked about how Nas
' record "Get Down" from the album God's Son
similarly mentions names, but few people consider anything wrong with it.
The song was later added onto his 2002 compilation album Guess Who's Back?
.
The chorus to this song was sampled on Proof
's solo CD Searching for Jerry Garcia
on the song called "Forgive Me".
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
from his unreleased, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
debut album Power of the Dollar. The song was leaked in early 2000. The song mentions drug dealers from the 1980s in his neighborhood of South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica, known colloquially as Southside & Southside Jamaica Queens, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica, the Long Island Rail Road tracks Jamaica Avenue and Liberty Avenue. The western border is the Van Wyck Expressway, and it...
.
"Ghetto Qu'ran" is produced by Poke & Tone of Trackmasters
Trackmasters
The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R...
and uses a sample from Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
' and Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's duet, "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
"Stop, Look, Listen " is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed that was originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics.-The Stylistics version:...
".
Aftermath
The song garnered relatively little radio play, but was some speculation that the song itself caused the May 24, 2000 homicide attempt on 50 Cent's life.It is also rumored that the song, and the following music industry blacklisting of 50 Cent by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff and his associates, led to the murder of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay, who defied the blacklisting by taking the young 50 Cent under his wing, introducing him to the music industry. According to an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
by IRS agent Francis Mace, law enforcement officials believed that the shooting of 50 Cent in 2000 was in retaliation for the lyrics of the song.
Ghetto Qu'ran served as a basis for 50 Cent's rivals (mainly Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
, Irv Gotti and the Murder Inc.
The Inc. Records
The Inc. Records , is an American record label, owned by Irv Gotti.In 1999, Murder Inc. released its first album, Venni Vetti Vecci by Ja Rule. The album featured the hit single "Holla Holla". The album was executively produced by Irv Gotti and moved on to go platinum, which rose Ja Rule and...
music group, whom he was feuding with at the time) to use against him, labeling him a snitch
Snitch
Snitch may refer to:* Informant* Whistleblower* "Snitch" , a song by Obie Trice* Monument Ave. or Snitch, a 1998 thriller film-See also:* Golden Snitch, a ball in Quidditch in the Harry Potter series...
. 50 Cent mentioned in a AllHipHop.com interview that everybody mentioned in the song appreciated it and McGriff even told him that he loved the song. He also talked about how Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
' record "Get Down" from the album God's Son
God's Son
God's Son is the sixth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 13, 2002 on Columbia-imprint Ill Will Records. Production for the album took place during 2001 to 2002 and was handled by several hip hop producers, including Salaam Remi, Chucky Thompson, Ron Browz, and The Alchemist...
similarly mentions names, but few people consider anything wrong with it.
The song was later added onto his 2002 compilation album Guess Who's Back?
Guess Who's Back?
Guess Who's Back? is a compilation album by American rapper 50 Cent, released April 26, 2002 on independent label Full Clip Records in the United States. It is his first official release after his 2000 effort Power of the Dollar went unreleased. The album features production by Trackmasters, DJ...
.
The chorus to this song was sampled on Proof
Proof (rapper)
DeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
's solo CD Searching for Jerry Garcia
Searching for Jerry Garcia
-Samples:*"Clap wit Me" contains a sample from "Total Satisfaction" by Brief Encounter* "Forgive Me" contains a sample from "Ghetto Qu'ran " by 50 Cent*"High Rollers" contains a sample from LTD*"No. T...
on the song called "Forgive Me".