There are all sorts of great reason for 50 Cent and/or MySpace to float a rumor regarding a possible "$300 million multiyear, 360 deal" but it’s one of those rumors that points to where things are going for the entertainment industry.  AdAge’s Mike Tunnicliffe takes a brief look at the bigger picture:

"50 Cent would be the first A-list artist that MySpace has enticed aboard its fledgling MySpace Records, and the deal, if completed, will dwarf those made by Live Nation with Madonna for a reported $120 million and Jay-Z for $150 million. 50 Cent is currently signed to Interscope Records…but his deal, which includes his own Interscope-backed label, G-Unit records, is due to expire soon…"

"Increasingly, labels are left holding only the back catalogs as their superstars flee for other ventures, but that’s not where the real money appears to be these days…To quote leading-edge artist manager Terry McBride…at the Musexpo keynote: ‘We are now in the business of building entertainment brands, the music is simply the glue that holds it together.’"

"At a time when major labels are reporting poor earnings and shedding staff, it looks like they are really going to have to invest in talent in order to compete with the deep-pocketed new entrants to the markets."

We’re going to see some really crazy deals ahead for stars because stars are what the entertainment industry understands and stars are so much more fun for the new media elite to party with than the unwashed aggregated masses.