Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
In the months before his debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 50 Cent became one of the most infamous figures in the rap game despite not having released an actual album yet (he had already released two mixtapes, Guess Who's Back and the unreleased Power Of The Dollar, the former of which had attracted the attention of rap juggernaut Eminem). He had apparently been shot nine times, including in the jaw, and he boasted about selling crack and murdering enemies in the hood. He even looked like a typical East-Coast rapper - a foul-mouthed, muscular presence who was never seen without his trademark bulletproof vest. Most other rappers would falter amidst all the hype and would deliver a disappointing album. 50 Cent thrived because of it, and ended up releasing on off the most infamous rap debuts ever with GRODT.
The best song on the album, the party anthem "In da Club" was the song that propelled 50 to fame, tearing up 2003 dancefloors with its heavy, Dre-produced beats, but 50 solidifies his status as the hottest kid on the block in hip-hop with other songs as well. "Patiently Waiting" is a hard-hitting tag-team spar with friend and mentor Eminem (50 also released GRODT on Shady Aftermath Records), and "Won't Back Down" is a dark, gangster song which is a classic example of what Fiddy personifies. However, the very next song, "P.I.M.P.", shows a completely different side of 50, and is the first track that he released focused on his "lady-loving persona". "If I Can't" sounds like a song made for pumping iron, and "21 Questions" - a love song that producer Dr. Dre tried to prevent from appearing on the album - may not fit in with the swag-fest attitude of the rest of the songs but still has 50 on some great flow, piecing together like the best of them. The CD ends with three of 50's old classics: "Wanksta" which came off the "8 Mile" soundtrack, as well as "U Not LIke Me" and "Life's On The LIne".
GRODT is not the best debut by a rapper ever. However, you could make an strong argument for that opinion as there isn't actually a weak track on the entire album. Certain songs, like "Bloodhound" or "Gotta Make It To Heaven" may not be up to the level of some of the other songs of the album, and not all the tracks and hits, like "In da Club", but they all have strong beats (mostly thanks to Dre), excellent flow and something that sets them apart from each other. In addition to this, the album is even structured in an almost impeccable way. Get Rich Or Die Tryin' is, without a doubt one of the top albums released by an up-and-coming rapper, and it will be the image of 50 with a bulletproof vest that graces the cover of this album that most fans will associate with him.
RAR Score: 8.4/10
The best song on the album, the party anthem "In da Club" was the song that propelled 50 to fame, tearing up 2003 dancefloors with its heavy, Dre-produced beats, but 50 solidifies his status as the hottest kid on the block in hip-hop with other songs as well. "Patiently Waiting" is a hard-hitting tag-team spar with friend and mentor Eminem (50 also released GRODT on Shady Aftermath Records), and "Won't Back Down" is a dark, gangster song which is a classic example of what Fiddy personifies. However, the very next song, "P.I.M.P.", shows a completely different side of 50, and is the first track that he released focused on his "lady-loving persona". "If I Can't" sounds like a song made for pumping iron, and "21 Questions" - a love song that producer Dr. Dre tried to prevent from appearing on the album - may not fit in with the swag-fest attitude of the rest of the songs but still has 50 on some great flow, piecing together like the best of them. The CD ends with three of 50's old classics: "Wanksta" which came off the "8 Mile" soundtrack, as well as "U Not LIke Me" and "Life's On The LIne".
GRODT is not the best debut by a rapper ever. However, you could make an strong argument for that opinion as there isn't actually a weak track on the entire album. Certain songs, like "Bloodhound" or "Gotta Make It To Heaven" may not be up to the level of some of the other songs of the album, and not all the tracks and hits, like "In da Club", but they all have strong beats (mostly thanks to Dre), excellent flow and something that sets them apart from each other. In addition to this, the album is even structured in an almost impeccable way. Get Rich Or Die Tryin' is, without a doubt one of the top albums released by an up-and-coming rapper, and it will be the image of 50 with a bulletproof vest that graces the cover of this album that most fans will associate with him.
RAR Score: 8.4/10
Released: 2003
Record Label: Shady Aftermath Records
Notable Guests: Eminem, Lloyd Banks, Nate Dogg
Notable Tracks: "In da Club", "P.I.M.P.", "Patiently Waiting", "If I Can't"
Track List:
1) Intro
2) What Up Gangsta
3) Patiently Waiting (feat. Eminem)
4) Many Men (WIsh Death)
5) In da Club
6) High All The Time
7) Heat
8) If I Can't
9) Bloodhound (feat. Young Buck)
10) Won't Back Down
11) P.I.M.P.
12) Like My Style (feat. Tony Yayo)
13) Poor Lil' Rich
14) 21 Questions (feat. Nate Dogg)
15) Don't Push Me (feat. Eminem & Lloyd Banks)
16) Gotta Make It To Heaven
17) Wanksta
18) U Not Like Me
19) Life's On The Line
Record Label: Shady Aftermath Records
Notable Guests: Eminem, Lloyd Banks, Nate Dogg
Notable Tracks: "In da Club", "P.I.M.P.", "Patiently Waiting", "If I Can't"
Track List:
1) Intro
2) What Up Gangsta
3) Patiently Waiting (feat. Eminem)
4) Many Men (WIsh Death)
5) In da Club
6) High All The Time
7) Heat
8) If I Can't
9) Bloodhound (feat. Young Buck)
10) Won't Back Down
11) P.I.M.P.
12) Like My Style (feat. Tony Yayo)
13) Poor Lil' Rich
14) 21 Questions (feat. Nate Dogg)
15) Don't Push Me (feat. Eminem & Lloyd Banks)
16) Gotta Make It To Heaven
17) Wanksta
18) U Not Like Me
19) Life's On The Line
The Massacre
So, you've just risen to the top of a rap scene with a 8x platinum debut, you're signed by Eminem and you've cemented your place in hip-hop lore with a classic picture of you rocking a bulletproof vest: what next? Well, for 50 Cent, after spending two years working with Em and developing his G-Unit Empire - already formidable - The Massacre was the next step; an album in which Fiddy returns to what made him famous - the usual charade of guns, sex and machoism with some witty lyricism and a lot of great beats. 50 is clearly trying to top his 1st album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin', and he doesn't manage to do so but still turns in a top-mark effort that continued the legacy of Queens native Curtis Jackson.
The intro is basically a soundtrack for the title; lots of shooting and screaming that depicts a "Valentine's Day Massacre". After that, Fifty gets right back to further establishing his street cred with three hard-core ghetto tracks: "In My Hood", "This Is 50" and "I'm Supposed To Die Tonight", the first of which is one of 50's finest yet most underrated tracks. The multiple-artist diss "Piggy Bank" comes next, as 50 - for no apparent reason - drops bombs on Jadakiss, Nas and Fat Joe, proclaiming "That fat nigga thought 'Lean Back' wuz 'In da Club'/My shit sold 11 mill/His shit was a dud". Two tracks later, Jackson slips right into his bedroom persona with the mega-hit "Candy Shop" and follows that up with "Outta Control" a track which snuck into the Billboard 100 (the remix with Mobb Deep got into the Top 10). After that the album rolls on with a collection of good tracks but few standouts (the seductive "Just A Lil Bit" and the laid-back "Ryder Music". The whole production ends with a remix of the hit single "Hate It Or Love It", the original of which was written by Fiddy's protege The Game.
So, the album is certainly good. In fact, there are few weak spots (though the lyrics get it a bit strained towards the end of the album with songs like "So Amazing" or "Position Of Power"). So, why doesn't The Massacre get the kind of critical acclaim that GRODT got? Perhaps it's because 50 doesn't really explore any new territory this time around; the rhyming is good, not outstanding, and the beats are catchy but not addictive. Perhaps it's because 50 lacks the mysterious luster he had on Get Rich. Nevertheless, The Massacre is still Jackson's second best album, but doesn't do much in the way of proving just how great 50 can be.
RAR Score: 7.6/10
The intro is basically a soundtrack for the title; lots of shooting and screaming that depicts a "Valentine's Day Massacre". After that, Fifty gets right back to further establishing his street cred with three hard-core ghetto tracks: "In My Hood", "This Is 50" and "I'm Supposed To Die Tonight", the first of which is one of 50's finest yet most underrated tracks. The multiple-artist diss "Piggy Bank" comes next, as 50 - for no apparent reason - drops bombs on Jadakiss, Nas and Fat Joe, proclaiming "That fat nigga thought 'Lean Back' wuz 'In da Club'/My shit sold 11 mill/His shit was a dud". Two tracks later, Jackson slips right into his bedroom persona with the mega-hit "Candy Shop" and follows that up with "Outta Control" a track which snuck into the Billboard 100 (the remix with Mobb Deep got into the Top 10). After that the album rolls on with a collection of good tracks but few standouts (the seductive "Just A Lil Bit" and the laid-back "Ryder Music". The whole production ends with a remix of the hit single "Hate It Or Love It", the original of which was written by Fiddy's protege The Game.
So, the album is certainly good. In fact, there are few weak spots (though the lyrics get it a bit strained towards the end of the album with songs like "So Amazing" or "Position Of Power"). So, why doesn't The Massacre get the kind of critical acclaim that GRODT got? Perhaps it's because 50 doesn't really explore any new territory this time around; the rhyming is good, not outstanding, and the beats are catchy but not addictive. Perhaps it's because 50 lacks the mysterious luster he had on Get Rich. Nevertheless, The Massacre is still Jackson's second best album, but doesn't do much in the way of proving just how great 50 can be.
RAR Score: 7.6/10
Released: 2005
Record Label: Shady Aftermath Records
Standout Tracks: "In My Hood", "Candy Shop", "Ryder Music", "Just A Lil Bit"
Standout Guests: Eminem, Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, The Game
Track List:
1) Intro
2) In My Hood
3) This Is 50
4) I'm Supposed To Die Tonight
5) Piggy Bank
6) GATman And Robbin (feat. Eminem)
7) Candy Shop (feat. Olivia)
8) Outta Control
9) Get In My Car
10) Ski Mask Way
11) A Baltimore Love Thing
12) Ryder Music
13) Disco Inferno
14) Just A Lil Bit
15) Gunz Come Out
16) My Toy Soldiers (feat. Tony Yayo)
17) Position Of Power
18) Build You Up (feat. Jamie Foxx)
19) God Gave Me Style
20) So Amazing (feat. Olivia)
21) I Don't Need Em
22) Hate It Or Love It (G-Unit Remix)
Record Label: Shady Aftermath Records
Standout Tracks: "In My Hood", "Candy Shop", "Ryder Music", "Just A Lil Bit"
Standout Guests: Eminem, Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, The Game
Track List:
1) Intro
2) In My Hood
3) This Is 50
4) I'm Supposed To Die Tonight
5) Piggy Bank
6) GATman And Robbin (feat. Eminem)
7) Candy Shop (feat. Olivia)
8) Outta Control
9) Get In My Car
10) Ski Mask Way
11) A Baltimore Love Thing
12) Ryder Music
13) Disco Inferno
14) Just A Lil Bit
15) Gunz Come Out
16) My Toy Soldiers (feat. Tony Yayo)
17) Position Of Power
18) Build You Up (feat. Jamie Foxx)
19) God Gave Me Style
20) So Amazing (feat. Olivia)
21) I Don't Need Em
22) Hate It Or Love It (G-Unit Remix)