50 Cent in his "Baby By Me" video
Photo: Interscope

50 Cent talks a big game in his songs, relaying his tales from the street to his eager fans. And when you think "50 Cent music video," you'd probably expect a similarly tough take.

So what's with the family-man look in his brand-new clip for "Baby by Me," featuring Ne-Yo? We took the music video down to the folks waiting in Times Square to be in the "It's On With Alexa Chung" audience to see what they thought of the new V-neck-sweater-wearing 50 Cent.

"I like to see the softer side of 50 Cent — wearing the sweater, with the kids," Ryan said.

It seems like the people are ready to trade "50 Cent the badass" for "Curtis the family man."

For a handful of respondents, Kelly Rowland's role in the video was a highlight. "I haven't seen Kelly in a while," T'shawn said. "It's nice to see her out there, looking all sexy in her lingerie."

Even the bedroom shots seem to convey a kinder, gentler 50 Cent. And with Ne-Yo on the hook, the song itself definitely has the crossover effect.

"I've never actually liked 50 Cent, but this one really caught my attention," Josie told us. "I actually like this song a lot."

What do you think of 50 Cent's softer side? Are you happy to see Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland back on the scene? Let us know in the comments section below!

• 50 Cent And Ne-Yo Release 'Baby By Me'

• 50 Cent
• Ne-Yo

50 Cent
Photo: MTV News

In his new video for "Baby by Me," which premiered Monday (November 2), 50 Cent meets an around-the-way Kelly Rowland and woos the singer, leading a life in suburban bliss before he realizes it's all make-believe.

"This video is great," 50 told MTV News during the filming of the clip. "Chris Robinson came up with a great treatment for it. It's obvious I wasn't in a hurry to make the music video until I found the right treatment, the right idea, to bring it to life."

The visuals start off with 50 meeting Rowland, the video's leading lady, in the street, and the two hit it off. Soon, 50 is in a snazzy suit and coming home from his 9-to-5 to the ex-Destiny's Child singer and his three kids. The pair even share a steamy bedroom scene.

But after all the promises 50 raps about on the song, he soon discovers he was actually daydreaming. Rowland is a taken woman, and the kids are hers by another man. A high-price car then pulls up to whisk 50 away, echoing the song's refrain: "Have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire."

The video was shot between New York and Los Angeles and also features Ne-Yo, who sings the tune's chorus. His part was filmed in the Big Apple, and 50 shot his scenes out on the West Coast.

Rowland was recruited for the video after 50 ran into her at the Los Premios MTV awards in Los Angeles. The rapper approached the singer about the role, and hours later, she was on set ready to go.

• 50 Cent And Ne-Yo Release 'Baby By Me'

• 50 Cent
• Ne-Yo
• Kelly Rowland

Ne-Yo
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images

While they did work together on her forthcoming album, Rated R, Ne-Yo said fans shouldn't expect a repeat of his and Rihanna's 2007 duet "Hate That I Love You" — the pair couldn't find the time to lay down a track together.

"No, unfortunately," he told MTV News. "Just scheduling and whatnot didn't allow us to do that. Everything that I did, I did with her specifically in mind — we just never got the chance to really get into that."

The pair, who worked together on her single, "Russian Roulette," did find time to collaborate other songs for the album. And although he hasn't received the list of tracks that made the final cut of the November release, he does love what the pair worked on this time around.

"We cut a few — I don't know exactly what was kept. I didn't know that ... she was going to drop 'Russian Roulette' until she hit me and told me," Ne-Yo said. "Normally we cut a song, we cut a bunch of songs and then her and her team will sit down and pick the ones they feel will make the most sense. I don't know what was kept, but we cut a bunch."

As for what fans can expect from tracks the duo recorded together, he says that the girl he went into the studio with this time isn't the same as the one he worked with a few years back. And he likes the artist she's becoming.

"I'll say this — I'll say that Rihanna is not in the same place mentally," he said. "She's more comfortable in her skin now. She's just realized some things about herself that she can explain better than I can. I'll say this: It's refreshing to watch."

Although he wouldn't get into specifics about the lyrical content of the songs, he did say that the singer has a lot of experience to draw from on this album. "I'm not gonna put words in her mouth or speak for her," he explained. "She's going through some stuff in the past year and she's got something to say and I think if you want to know what that is, you can go get the album or talk to her directly."

One of those experiences, of course, was ex-boyfriend Chris Brown assaulting her in February, and Ne-Yo understands why people might think some of the songs are about him. "I don't know. I mean, just going by the natural mind-state of people, yes, most likely [they'll think she's singing about him]," he said, coyly adding, "But I mean, that's part of the fun, isn't it?"

• Rihanna
• Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo and Rihanna
Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Ne-Yo and Rihanna certainly have a special working relationship. After collaborating on some of Rihanna's most memorable hits, they came together, with the help of co-producer Chuck Harmony, for her latest single, "Russian Roulette." But the new track, off her upcoming Rated R album, sounds very little like "Hate That I Love You" or "Take a Bow."

Ne-Yo said Rihanna requested the song's somber vibe. "She wanted to be dark, but not just dark for the sake of being dark," he told MTV News. "Dark with kind of a meaning, dark with some kind of thing to it."

Ne-Yo called the track "my first ventures off into the fictitious," as he explained how he came up with the haunting Russian roulette theme.

"I'm listening to the track, and all I can see is Rihanna and some random person sitting across from each other at the table with a gun sitting in the middle of the table and playing Russian roulette," he explained. "And I just started thinking, 'What would go through your mind if you was in that situation?' It just all started coming together, and Rihanna has never been one to be afraid to take a chance, especially with me. She's always game to do something a little different. I played it for her, and she loved it — went in and knocked it out. The rest is history."

The eerie ballad shows the world how both Ne-Yo and Rihanna have grown as artists, he said. And that growth stemmed from their "absolute trust."

"I trust Rihanna to be Rihanna, and she trusts me to be me," he said. "That's the coolest thing about our relationship. I don't expect anything more from her. I must say this song is a step in somewhat of a different direction for both of us. We kind of both took a chance."

And to the fans who think the track is too dark for a club favorite like Rihanna, Ne-Yo suggests they look back into music history. "It's definitely dark, but if you think about it, [Michael Jackson's] 'Thriller' was dark, but it's one of the biggest-selling records of all time," he argued.

"Nobody's really going out to play Russian roulette or thinking about killing themselves or nothing like that. It was just an interesting topic over a crazy beat, and who better to pull that off than somebody like Rihanna?"

• Rihanna's 'Russian Roulette' Video Set

• Ne-Yo
• Rihanna

Ne-Yo
Photo: Lester Cohen/ Getty Images

In the days since the cryptic phrase "The Wait is Ova. Nov 23 09" appeared on Rihanna's Twitter account, more details have emerged about what exactly we're waiting on. According to an interview with Rap-Up.com, producer Tricky Stewart confirmed that Rihanna will be releasing her fourth album on that date.

Stewart also said the song he produced could be the album's first single, which would coincide with the equally cryptic countdown clock on Rihanna's site, counting down to October 20 at 11:23 a.m. "We delivered a very, very big record, but I can't say what the name of it is or anything, just for the simple fact that it's actually top secret," Stewart explained. "It's definitely going to be a single. It's either going to be the first or the second single. I do know that."

As the anticipation grows, Ne-Yo recently told MTV News that fans should prepare themselves. "I've heard a good majority of the album ... world, get ready," he said. "That's all I'm going to say: World, get ready."

The R&B star, who worked with Rihanna on her last two albums, also said he had written a few songs for this new effort. But he continued to be evasive when asked about the sound the album.

"The best and safest way I can say this is that Rihanna has some stuff to say and she's going to say it," he continued, "and she ain't going to make no apologies for it."

• Ne-Yo
• Rihanna

Ne-Yo
Photo: MTV News

Ne-Yo has played it safe thus far in his burgeoning film career, opting to appear in films like "Stomp the Yard" that have kept him on the familiar ground of music and dance. Now the R&B singer is trying to bust out of that mold with two military roles, portraying a World War II fighter pilot in the George Lucas-backed "Red Tails" and a Marine corporal in 2011's sci-fi flick "Battle: Los Angeles."

As Ne-Yo himself attests, these two movies will show the world — and himself — whether he's actually a decent actor. "We gonna see if I got any chops," he told MTV News. "I don't know. I'll let y'all be the judge, how about that?"

The decision to expand beyond dance movies, the singer explained, stemmed from his desire to embrace acting as a career separate from his music. "I told myself, if I'm going to be an actor, I want to be an actor, meaning that you can't just limit yourself to one genre of film," he said. " 'Stomp the Yard,' as cool as it was, it was very, very similar to what I do already. I'm a dancer/singer by profession. I needed to step outside of me and do something that really showed off whether or not I could really act."

"Battle: Los Angeles" follows a platoon of Marines fighting off a horde of invading aliens on the city streets. It also stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" star Ramon Rodriguez. Shooting began in Shreveport, Louisiana, in September, with an eye on a release date in early 2011.

"We are doing our best to do something that hasn't been done before," director Jonathan Liebesman told MTV News in March. "This is like ['Bourne Supremacy' director] Paul Greengrass got a camera, saw some aliens and shot it from the point of view of a platoon. It's literally like 'Black Hawk Down,' if there were aliens in there. Like Iraq war footage, but with aliens running around."

And so far, Ne-Yo thinks things are going well with his foray into the world of action flicks. "It's coming along nicely," he said with a smile. "It's one of them big budget joints."

Check out everything we've got on "Battle: Los Angeles."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Three days after the death of Michael Jackson, Ne-Yo took the stage at the BET Awards to croon a melodious tribute to the fallen King of Pop with a cover of "She's Out of My Life." He then returned to the stage alongside Jamie Foxx with a piano-driven rendition of "I'll Be There."

"I love you and I miss you," Ne-Yo declared during the show, citing Jackson as his artistic inspiration.

Less than two weeks from now, "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the documentary about the singer's final days as he prepped for his London comeback concerts, opens for a two-week theatrical run. As Ne-Yo told MTV News during a recent interview, he's itching to check out MJ on opening night.

"All I've seen is what they've shown on TV — the little trailer, that's all I've seen," he said. "But I'm definitely looking forward to being one of the first in a theater somewhere to check that out."

As the R&B singer explained, Jackson not only provided Ne-Yo with his original musical guidance — MJ also continues to be the artistic ideal that Ne-Yo strives to achieve. "I've said on numerous occasions that Michael Jackson is half the reason I even sing," he said. "I've talked about how I learned to sing listening to Mike and Stevie Wonder and people of that nature. He's still an inspiration to me. I aspire to be what he was, as far as musically, as far as philanthropy and you name it, Michael Jackson was cream of the crop and I'm just trying to follow in his footsteps."

Don't miss "Michael Jackson's This Is It" Premiere Special, airing on MTV and VH1 on Tuesday, October 27 at 8:30 p.m. ET! "Michael Jackson's This Is It" opens in a limited engagement on October 27 and and wide on October 28.

Check out everything we've got on "Michael Jackson's This Is It."

• Ne-Yo
• Michael Jackson

Ne-Yo
Photo: MTV News

One more for Ne-Yo's impressive résumé. The singer/songwriter can add 50 Cent to his list of superstar collaborators after singing the hook on his new single, "Baby by Me."

"He reached out," Ne-Yo told MTV News. "I always say he did the majority of the heavy lifting. [The song] was pretty much done by the time he sent it to me. He said, 'I just need you to put something on it.' He gave it to me, I wrote my part, sent it back and the rest is history."

Ne-Yo says he was surprised that 50 asked him to be on the song, because it sounded great already.

"When he first sent me the joint, I was like, 'You don't need me for this,' " the singer said. "I thought the beat was hot, what he was talking about was hot. I just tried to add to the hotness."

50 Cent says Ne-Yo and R. Kelly are the only other artists on the album, and that there is an alternate version of "Baby by Me" with up-and-coming singer JoVan Dais.

"The album version of the song was the one where you don't even know the singer," 50 told DJ Whoo Kid over the weekend on Sirius Satellite Radio. "I did the reference in the studio. It's a little more visual. Ne-Yo lightened it up a little bit and made it ready for radio. It works. I gotta sift through and see what I'm gonna put on the album. The Ne-Yo record is a stronger radio version."

"Baby by Me" is the latest single from 50's Before I Self Destruct, which lands in stores November 17.

• Ne-Yo
• 50 Cent

Fabolous and Ne-Yo
Photo: BET

Behind The Beats: Play N Skillz

Do we really have to run down Play N Skillz' history for you again? We put you up on those fellas awhile back when we hit Dallas. The two-time Grammy winners aren't just doing music (Bun B, Nipsey Hussle, Ray J and a few others who'll you'll hear about soon are on their plate), they are making business moves.

"We wanna formally announce our new deal with the big brother Steve Rifkind and Gaby Acevedo," Play said. "Play N Skillz G4 Muzik, just did a nice situation over there with SRC/Universal."

"Play N Skillz have been trendsetters for a long time," SRC founder and chariman Steve Rifkind SRC in a statement. "The music that they make is incredible, and their innate knack for finding great talent is very impressive."

The guys are definitely looking for local talent in their hometown of Dallas but are open to signing groups from all over. "Were trying to take it more of a mainstream situation than concentrate on a regional situation," Play explained.

His brother Skillz added: "We're just going to do it so big. The first act is Dallas: His name is Inertia."

Next Wave of Flav

On Inertia: "The Dallas music has exploded in the last couple of months. It got crazier with Duro and everybody. With him, it's a little different. It's not dance; it's not 'D-Town Boogie.' It's more Flo Rida meets Ludacris meets Twista. We're trying to go that direction with Inertia and our new situation. His show, the homie is dead-on energy. I'm talking about Busta Rhymes energy. That's lacking today. That's one of the things that drew us to him." - Play

"Inertia is just a phenomenal artist to lead off with." - Skillz.

On Nelly: "We been in with Nelly the last couple of months. We been working with the big bro very tough, and his new album is out the box. He has a record with Akon called 'Angel Eyes.' He just killed it." - Play

On T-Pain: "His new album is crazy. I thought Play was crazy. The whole studio was jumping off." - Skillz.

"T-Pain is something different. We went in the studio, he had spotlights in there, porn everywhere, and all his cars parked outside: a Phantom, Ferrari and a hearse with a coffin that came out with speakers." - Play

Five-Star Stellar Hits

» Chamillionaire - "Ridin' "
» Lil Wayne (featuring T-Pain) - "Got Money"
» Lil' Flip - "Sunshine" and "Game Over"

Hottest Streak Thus Far

From 2007 to now, they've won two Grammy Awards.

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Remember way back when we told you about a potential super duo made up of Fabolous and Ne-Yo? Well, it looks like the two have still been talking about making that project happen and bringing in a third member: Ryan Leslie.

"We're talking about a triple-team collaboration that's really gonna hurt the game," Leslie told us recently in New York. "Your boy Fab, the boy Ne-Yo and yours truly on the board. It's really gonna put a hurting on everybody."

"This guy is a creative genius," Fab said of Leslie. "I told y'all we was working."

Loso and Leslie said the trio are open to collaborating with others on the project. "The table is open," Leslie said. "If you're bringing something to the table, you can break bread."

"You just gotta bring some good food to the table," Fab co-signed.

"It's about conceptualizing," Ryan added about how the LP will shape up. "It's not gonna be a project that's thrown together. It's gonna be a real roundtable, and we're gonna talk about really putting something in the atmosphere that contributes something that's never been done before."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Fabolous, Raekwon, Drake, Jay-Z And More

• Fabolous
• Ryan Leslie
• Ne-Yo

50 Cent
Photo: Jonathan Fickies/Getty Images

Is 50 Cent trying to engage in a baby boom or is he just buttering up the ladies? Listen and make your own choice. The G-Unit general dropped a single — "Baby By Me" — from his long-delayed Before I Self Destruct LP on Wednesday night. Fif's song premiered on Funk Master Flex's radio show on Hot 97.

The song starts off with a sample of 50's voice from "I Get Money": "Have a baby by me, baby/ Be a millionaire."

Guest star Ne-Yo then comes in with the chorus: "When I'm in that thang/ I'm so amazed," he sings. "See what I mean/ Said little mama put me on/ Bet I have ya gone/ I'll have you amazed/ See what I mean?"

50's first verse champions his love-making technique.

"I'm a freak, I get into all that/ Girl I'll perform for ya like a porn star/ Till you had enough and I just want a  little bit more/ New music, new mood ... New erotic sounds, just listen."

The Southside Queens native pulls no punches as the record continues.

A firm date for the release of Before I Self Destruct has not been announced yet. On October 3, 50 will host and perform at the "ThisIs50 Festival" at New York's Governor's Island, where Asher Roth and N.E.R.D. performed on Wednesday night. Besides the G-Unit, Wale, Kid Cudi, Maino, Jim Jones and D-Block are set to perform.

On Thursday (September 10), 50 and author Robert Greene are signing books in New York at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. They're promoting the new book, "The 50th Law," which was released on Tuesday.

• MTV News RAW: 50 Cent

• 50 Cent
• Ne-Yo

Taylor Swift, Ne-Yo, Katy Perry, More In VMA 2009 Storyboard Sketches

• Ne-Yo
• Taylor Swift
• Katy Perry
• Cobra Starship

2009 VMA Nominees

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Green Day
• Kings Of Leon
• Paramore
• Fall Out Boy

Beyonce, Ne-Yo And More At 2009 Essence Music Festival

• Ne-Yo
• Robin Thicke

MTV.com Exclusive: Ne-Yo 'Meeting Inspiration'

• Ne-Yo

2009 Inauguration Week Events Celebrating Barack Obama

• Diddy
• Mary J. Blige
• Queen Latifah
• Wyclef Jean
• Ne-Yo

Kanye, Paramore, More Rock Z-100's Jingle Ball In New York

• Ne-Yo
• Rihanna
• Katy Perry
• Jesse McCartney
• David Archuleta

Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, More On The 2008 American Music Awards Red Carpet

• Miley Cyrus
• Jonas Brothers
• Ashley Tisdale
• Akon
• Christina Aguilera

Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Jadakiss Perform At The Izod Center

• Lil Wayne
• Jay-Z
• Jadakiss
• Ne-Yo

Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron, Ne-Yo, More At US Weekly's Hot Hollywood Issues Party

• Ne-Yo
• Eve

Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Julianne Hough Promote Wrigley's New Gum Jingles

• Chris Brown
• Ne-Yo