Wanksta
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"Wanksta" is a song by American rapper
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
, released on November 5, 2002, as the third single from the soundtrack to the film '' 8 Mile'' (2002). The single, produced by Sha Money XL and John "J-Praize" Freeman, reached number 13 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song originally appeared on 50 Cent's mixtape ''
No Mercy, No Fear ''No Mercy, No Fear'' is the second mixtape by hip hop group G-Unit, released on August 1, 2002. Originally released independently as a free mixtape, it was re-released in 2006 by BCD Music Group. ''No Mercy, No Fear'' was recorded after the gro ...
'', released in August 2002.


Background

"Wanksta" was 50 Cent's first single to chart after signing to
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
's and
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
's labels, Shady Records and
Aftermath Entertainment Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre in 1996. It operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed through Interscope Records. The label's roster includes artists ...
, as well as his first single to be released since " Thug Love" in 1999. Originally appearing on his 2002 mixtape, ''
No Mercy, No Fear ''No Mercy, No Fear'' is the second mixtape by hip hop group G-Unit, released on August 1, 2002. Originally released independently as a free mixtape, it was re-released in 2006 by BCD Music Group. ''No Mercy, No Fear'' was recorded after the gro ...
'', it received a lot of airplay, and was eventually added to the '' 8 Mile soundtrack'' later the same year. It was then added as a bonus track on his 2003 debut album, ''
Get Rich or Die Tryin' ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. After si ...
''. Eminem also made a remix, in 2003, aimed at
Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop rap, pop and contempo ...
and tweaked the beat to sound high pitched. The song appeared on the CD single box set '' The Singles''. The instrumental for the song was used for "Crackin", a song by The Psychopathic Rydas, in 2004. It was also used by Murder Inc. artist Black Child in his 50 Cent diss track "You Da Wanksta" in 2002. R&B girl group
Blaque Blaque ( ) is an American girl group; they had songs chart from 1999 to 2004. Outside of the United States and Canada, they are known as Blaque Ivory. Their self-titled debut album ''Blaque'' sold more than 1 million copies and was certified ...
recorded an answer song entitled "No Ganksta" in 2003. 50 cent opens the song with the lyrics "I got a lot of livin' to do before I die and I ain't got no time to waste...let's make it" which he took from the intro to
Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...
's 1968 recording of " Do What You Gotta Do."


Etymology

The title is generally accepted as a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
word meaning "self-obsessed, show-off person". The precise origin is debated, although most theories suggest a blend of "gangsta" and "wannabe". The term had previously been used in the 1999 track Q.B.G. from The Tunnel, a collaborative album by American DJs Funkmaster Flex and Big Kap.
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
has explicitly stated that the word is not related to "
wanker Wanker is slang for "one who wanks (Masturbation, masturbates)", but is most often used as a general insult. It is a pejorative term of English origin common in United Kingdom, Britain and other parts of the English-speaking world (mainly Com ...
":
Jake Arnott: And another claim to fame: you introduced the word 'wanksta' into the language with your track 'Wanksta'. That word sort of means something in England — does it mean the same in America? 50 Cent: Nah, nah! 'Wanksta's like... we use that terminology to mean a fake gangster. When people told me about the word 'wanker'...
50 Cent may however have simply been unaware of the origin of this established slang term. The song's lyrics were believed to be directed towards long time nemesis Ja Rule, but
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
disputed this himself in a
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
interview, stating that while the song itself was not directed at Ja, he was a good example of a wanksta.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References

{{Authority control 2002 songs 2002 singles 50 Cent songs Songs written by 50 Cent Music videos directed by Jessy Terrero Shady Records singles Aftermath Entertainment singles Interscope Records singles Diss tracks