50 Cent Concert

Istanbul is apparently one of the must-do cities when a music mega-star is doing a world tour. I lived next to the Turkcell Arena, a huge open-air stage set-up right on the Bosphoros. This last summer a lot of really great music acts passed through Istanbul: the Rock n Coke tour, REM, Moby. When my friend Rebecca told me 50 Cent was coming to town, I knew exactly where I was going to be that night. For those of you who don't know, 50 Cent is a super-commercialized Hip-Hop super-star, known for such classic hits like "In Da Club," "Psycho," and "Baby By Me." He was out on tour promoting his new album. Rebecca and I were really excited. It was pretty amusing to see the majority of Turkish people there who clearly knew very little about 50 Cent or what he sings about. With lyrics like "I love you like a fat kid love cake," the less they understand is probably for the best. Of all the things I thought I would do in Istanbul, going to a 50 Cent concert on the Bosphoros was not one of them. But I am glad it was!