3.0 out of 5
Interscope / Shady / Aftermath
Interscope / Shady / Aftermath
The closest 50 Cent has come to capturing the magic of Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
Awesome news since it means the new record is better than its two predecessors. The considerably less awesome news is that the new joint leaves fans with two important questions. First, why wasn't this album released alongside 2007's Curtis as Fif had originally intended? Second, and more concerning, why is he trying to be the same rapper that he was before he got rich?
Backed by gritty, grimy beats and ferocious raps, 50 spits murderous tales of street-life juxtaposed against graphic forays into his bedroom. If that feels familiar to you, it should. It's the exact same thing that he was doing on his debut album. Artistic growth is overrated.
There may not be much meat to the album, but there's plenty to enjoy. The Dre-produced "Death to My Enemies" is one of the most hilarious, brutal, and satirical tracks that 50 has made. 50 postures himself as the guy you can't and don't want to fuck with, lets you know on the chorus that he doesn't hesitate to "bring money" to those who "bring death to my enemies."
Speaking of enemies, it wouldn't be a party without at least one Game reference; "Disrespectful" delivers. The song is basically a laundry list of people that have crossed Fif's path. He saves the most venomous lines for his former West Coast co-hort and prodigy. Game may get the best of 50 lyrically, but 50 hits Game where he can't say anything, "I'm what you're never gon' be/ I'm in that tax bracket you're never gon' see." It harkens back to the LL Cool J/Canibus (remember him?) beef of a decade ago when Canibus put it best with, "you might got more cash than me, but you ain't got the skills to eat a (rapper's) ass like me."
If one thing has become clear since 50 burst on the scene, it's this: 50 is a better business man than he is a rapper. As such, he needs to adapt his content to his lifestyle. Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Eminem have all made fascinating tracks about how money has affected their lives. It may not be "street," but it's far more interesting than contrived, uninspired tracks like "Crime Wave" or "Gangsta's Delight" that are just as contrived and uninspired as their titles suggest.
Yet 50 shows hints of evolving by the end of the album. "Do You Think About Me?" deals with how women act toward him now that he's filthy rich. It's a brutally honest song that captures the paranoia and vulnerability the album's title infers. "Ok, You're Right" is a more aggressive take on the same topic, but sounds all the more potent over Dre's blaring horns. This is what he should be making in 2009.
- Eddie Strait
Awesome news since it means the new record is better than its two predecessors. The considerably less awesome news is that the new joint leaves fans with two important questions. First, why wasn't this album released alongside 2007's Curtis as Fif had originally intended? Second, and more concerning, why is he trying to be the same rapper that he was before he got rich?
Backed by gritty, grimy beats and ferocious raps, 50 spits murderous tales of street-life juxtaposed against graphic forays into his bedroom. If that feels familiar to you, it should. It's the exact same thing that he was doing on his debut album. Artistic growth is overrated.
There may not be much meat to the album, but there's plenty to enjoy. The Dre-produced "Death to My Enemies" is one of the most hilarious, brutal, and satirical tracks that 50 has made. 50 postures himself as the guy you can't and don't want to fuck with, lets you know on the chorus that he doesn't hesitate to "bring money" to those who "bring death to my enemies."
Speaking of enemies, it wouldn't be a party without at least one Game reference; "Disrespectful" delivers. The song is basically a laundry list of people that have crossed Fif's path. He saves the most venomous lines for his former West Coast co-hort and prodigy. Game may get the best of 50 lyrically, but 50 hits Game where he can't say anything, "I'm what you're never gon' be/ I'm in that tax bracket you're never gon' see." It harkens back to the LL Cool J/Canibus (remember him?) beef of a decade ago when Canibus put it best with, "you might got more cash than me, but you ain't got the skills to eat a (rapper's) ass like me."
If one thing has become clear since 50 burst on the scene, it's this: 50 is a better business man than he is a rapper. As such, he needs to adapt his content to his lifestyle. Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Eminem have all made fascinating tracks about how money has affected their lives. It may not be "street," but it's far more interesting than contrived, uninspired tracks like "Crime Wave" or "Gangsta's Delight" that are just as contrived and uninspired as their titles suggest.
Yet 50 shows hints of evolving by the end of the album. "Do You Think About Me?" deals with how women act toward him now that he's filthy rich. It's a brutally honest song that captures the paranoia and vulnerability the album's title infers. "Ok, You're Right" is a more aggressive take on the same topic, but sounds all the more potent over Dre's blaring horns. This is what he should be making in 2009.
- Eddie Strait
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