Get Rich or Die Tryin' [PA] - Cent, 50 (CD 2003)

I ve always been mildly amused at the beef between Ja Rule and new rap phenom 50 Cent, partially because beef in Hip-Hop is so played out and largely because I don t see much difference between the two adversaries. While 50 Ferrari charges that Ja isn t real (whatever real happens to be at the moment), he uses the fact that he was shot nine times and his hard upbringing as some kind of street bravado proof that he is in fact the real deal.

While 50 does get my condolences for being the victim of that utterly heinous crime he is little more than an average rapper, with average flow, average rhymes and a slightly grating voice. But 50 does have a secret weapon that is responsible for 98% of his success. What is that secret formula? Dr. Dre and White America s favorite rapper Eminem. With 50 s booming success I ve come to the conclusion that if I can just link up with the Shady One, then I too can be a multi-platinum rapper.

From the moment that 50 signed his deal with Shady/Aftermath records his success was a done deal. In all honesty, I was surprised at the amount of momentum they were able to build for a rapper who had all but been ostracized from the Hip-Hop community for his humorous taunt against rappers called How To Rob . Never in my life had I ever witnessed someone be SO embraced by a music community, in fact if I see 50 cent s mug on another magazine this year I m gonna have to start an angry letter-writing campaign.

But as much as I m annoyed at the sheer presence of 50 cent every time I go to a magazine rack, on my television and plastered on the radio I do see where he s drawn millions of folks in. The lyrics are essentially elementary and the beats are all kinds of hot which always moves units. What Up Gangsta? finds the beloved G-Unit (50 s crew) leader singing the bridge. (pauses). Now, if I am not mistaken, that was one of the things that he scolded Ja Rule for doing, but I guess if you sing only the bridge and the beat is sick than for some reason, you are exempt from you own rules. Having said that, I actually like the track.

Patiently Waiting is one of my favorite tracks from Get Rich Or Die Tryin . Produced by Marshall Mathers himself, Patiently Waiting is an ominous track that features a really interesting strings section and a verse or two of Mr. Mathers. It s clear that Eminem s style has been greatly influenced by his mentor Dr. Dre as his sound is incestuously close to that of Dre but if it ain t broke, why fix it? Many Men (Wish Death) finds the Queen s rapper questioning why there are people wanting to see him in a casket. Another Eminem produced track, the sound is light but the thumping bass line plays a good peanut butter to 50 s pensive jelly.

By now, every person within 1000 feet of a radio has heard In Da Club at least 1098230542384083 times. With it s go shorty/ it s yo birthday/ we gon party/ like it s yo birthday/ we gon sip Bacardi like it s yo birthday chant it is the song that gets into your head and never leaves ever. Another reference to ecstasy has me remembering another pill-popping rapper - Ja Rule, but I guess if 50 is just offering his drugs to the ladies, its okay for him to talk about it.

High All The Time is all kinds of trite. Essentially it s a harder, more thugged-out version of Afroman s one-hit wonder track Because I Got High . Here, 50 denounces alcohol but rejoices the mary jane. Been there, done that got the t-shirt. Heat finds 50 organizing a drive-by. Sigh. Make it stop make the gangsta go away. When you make the sound of a gun being cocked and loaded part of the actual beat in a song I think that signifies a problem, one for which Mr. 50 might need to seek help.

"Back Down reminds me of a slicker version of Patiently Waiting musically but lyrically, it s sharper and honestly funnier. Here 50 denounces Ja Rule for 4:03 of just straight-up dissing goodness. At the same time that I have to wish that rappers would just leave the beef alone, since much of it just doesn t stay on wax the kid in me finds the whole thing just amusing and you want to see the battle keep going on wax only. On P.I.M.P. shakes all the dollar chasers off, because of course he s a pimp and a pimp doesn t pay. Riiiight. However, I m no fool the pop-rap sympathizer in me kind of likes the candy beat on the track and that is why 50 is so successful because no matter what he s talking about the beat is always enough to distract you just like any good commercial rap.


"21 Questions featuring perpetual hook-singer Nate Dogg finds 50 playing the role of sensitive thug as he ponders all kinds of situations that would taste the faith of his woman. Another Ja Rule moment for me, as I find this song reminds me of Ja and Bobby Brown s own duet Thug Lovin . But of course, 50 is different because he s real .

- Final Thoughts -

I don t care what 50 cent says, he s more like Ja Rule than Nas or Jay-Z. He might have had a gully upbringing, but that does not a good rapper make. While his success is firmly bonded to the fact that Eminem has made him a household name we all know the truth. We all know that the difference between the two is slight and not even big enough to mention.

As I m not one of those snooty rap music connoisseurs *coughsmadtheory*coughs I ll listen to just about anything If it moves me in the right way and 50 definitely has that approachable element to his music. He s managed to make a generation of MTV watchers fall in love with him while keeping his street credibility which is a major feat in and of itself. It doesn t make me respect him more, nor do I want to see his teeth or face anymore this year but I can understand why one would be inclined to listen to this.

I d recommend this album for someone who likes the everyday Hip-Hop that is commonplace. Fans of Dr. Dre and Eminem will also be pleased as well.