Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (Special Edition) [ECD] [PA] - 50 Cent > Reviews > CHOCCY + RIPPLING MUSCLES = MINDBLOWING FUN

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Catchy beats, memorable lyrics, good appearances
Disadvantages:	Can be offensive/ too explicit/ glorifies guns and violence

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

50 Cent is the most talked about rapper (in the mainstream) since his debut album on the Shady/ Aftermath label was released in 2003. He has the most muscly, tattooed beefed up physique that I've seen in yonks. Anyway his recent appearance in the UK for the Brit awards has reminded me that I've been listening to his album for months now and still haven't reviewed it! Well that has to be amended ;-)

So who is 50 Cent? Well 50 a.k.a Curtis Jackson was born twenty-six years ago in the infamous Queens drug dynasty. Raised without a father, 50 lost his crack dealer mother when only eight in mysterious circumstances. The orphaned child was taken in by his grandparents, who brought him up. Unlike most rappers 50 has lived and breathed a gangsta' lifestyle involving drugs, crime, several imprisonments (he followed his mothers footsteps in dealing crack until the mid-90s when he turned toward rap), stabbings, and of course the legendary near-fatal shooting in April 2000.

If you like me wondered when and where he was shot I'll satisfy your curiosity; he was shot nine times, including a bullet to the face, One shot penetrated his hand, and the others in his legs and thighs. A spooky coincidence is that it happened near where Jam Master Jay was killed two years later. He spent the next few months in recovery while he was dropped from his label. All of this and he still doesn't give up. He released track after track, without any backing with his mate Sha Money XL. The duo created a buzz, and 50 released some solo work on the brilliant underground album "Guess Who's Back?". Inevitably 50 caught the eye of Eminem and Dr Dre and was quickly signed up on the Shady/Aftermath record label. And then 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' was born.

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TRACKS
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1. Intro
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The intro is a nice touch with deceptively gentle sound of a 50 cent piece being spun round and then falling on the floor. Then there's the ominous sound of a gun being loaded.

2. What Up Gangsta
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'What up, blood? (What)
What up, cuz? (What)
What up, blood? (What)
What up, Gangstaaa?'

Undeniably the best way to kick off the album. I particularly enjoyed the lines:
'They say I walk around like got an "S" on my chest/ Nah, that's a semi-auto, and a vest on my chest'. Many will think he has an ego the size of Jupiter and I wouldn't exactly disagree but it's all part of the unusual 50 Cent charm. 'What Up Gangsta' is a very catchy opener indeed.

3. Patiently Waiting - feat.Eminem
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Without a doubt my favourite track on the album. A sinister, often bleak, ominous number. It has the stamp of Eminem on it, it is also produced by him and the quality of his recent work is fantastic. Great to see an effective collaboration like this, it has some class lyrics:

'Sh*t I aint even got to try to shine
God's a seamstress who tailor-fitted my pain
I got scriptures in my brain
I can spit at your thang'

I have to admit I love the bit when Eminem's rap kicks in because it raises the menacing atmosphere to whole new level. It is a shame that it opens with 50 declaring 'Em you know you my favourite white boy…'. Some things are better left unsaid, especially on an otherwise fantastically moody track like this

4. Many Men
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'Many men' uses a very familiar sample of Eminem at the beginning. The track has a melodious beat which accompanies the vocals faultlessly. The chorus is remarkably catchy: 'Many men, many many many men, wish death upon me...' A very accurate statement considering 50's history.

5. In Da Club
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Here is the first single slickly produced by Dr. Dre. A track that has been blasted on dance floors everywhere. I have rarely been out and not heard this in the past eleven months. The bass heavy beat is effortlessly catchy and work with the lyrics perfectly. Also the winning addition of the lyrics 'Hey Shorty/ It's your Birthday' means many will adopt it as a birthday track and so it is requested a lot.

I suspect it is the effortless and simple beat that is the real secret to the success. It's instantly recognisable and perfect for bootleggers, which led to them bringing the album release date forward. Coupled with the catchy sing-along lyrics it was bound to be a runaway success.

6 High All The Time
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'High all the time' is the obligatory track about drugs and its not exactly one of the best on the album but not a complete turkey. I'd give it 6/10, not one you'd jump up to skip on your CD Player.

7. Heat
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This track opens with a talking intro with 50 and a friend on there way to a drive-by. I spent weeks skipping it as I thought it was just an intro! The continuous and unceasing loading of the clip and shots gets a tad wearisome. Apart from that it is a standard gangsta' track with the subject matter.

8. If I Can't
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Currently being played to death by Radio One and other stations too. I'm disappointed that they haven't released the vastly superior 'Patiently Waiting' instead. Ah well at least it'll stop me from hating it due to overplay. Anyway I do quite like 'If I Can't' though I wouldn't have placed it as a potential single compared to the rest of the tracks on the album.

9 Blood Hound - feat. Young Buck
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A surprisingly upbeat 'woofy'number featuring. Young Buck of G Unit. It seems to be inspired by DMX's style and I feel it would have benefited from an appearance from the original rapper himself. No one else can get the rumbling threatening bark off pat like DMX really. It does work well though on its own, I like the vocals Of Young Buck and hope to hear more from this guy in the future.

10 Back Down
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This track amuses me, in a good way of course. The prime culprit of bringing humour into the track is the lyrics:

'It's easy to see when you look at me
If you look closely, 50 don't BACK DOWN
Everywhere I go both coasts wit toast
Eastside, Westside, I hold that MACK DOWN'

The track centres on 50's continuing gripe with Ja Rule. There is a bit of a story brought into the track which I have a penchant for (think 'Stan' that kind of thing). Though this is in no way in the same league as 'Stan', it is a decent track. The best bit is Ja Rule being made to come across as the cookie monster. The end of the track is very funny, nice to get some sarcastic humour laced with derision, cynicism and disdain. Just my kind of wit.

11 P.I.M.P.
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This track has also been a hit single, and I must admit I vastly prefer the album version to the one featuring Snoop. P.I.M.P is all about being in the 'bling bling' world of whores and pimps. I'm not too keen on the thought of rappers glorifying the concept of pimps- makes me feel pretty uncomfortable to be honest. The lyrics are very catchy and flow well:

'Now shorty, she in the club, she dancing for dollars
She got a thing for that Gucci, that Fendi, that Prada
That BCBG, Burberry, Dolce and Gabbana
She feed them foolish fantasies, they pay her cause they wanna
I spit a little G man, and my game got her
A hour later, have that ass up in the Ramada..'

Who is 50 kidding with this bit: 'She like my style, she like my smile, she like the way I talk She from the country, think she like me cause I'm from New York…'
She likes your smile? Cos it reminds her of a horse? Sorry couldn't help it!

12 Like My Style - feat. Tony Yayo of G Unit
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I like this track, it makes me laugh because of the 'Uh huh' bits. :

'(Uh huh) I know you like my style
(Uh huh) You like how I break it down
(Uh huh) I know you like style
(Uh huh) You like how I break it down'

Even though Tony Yayo only appears on the track for about ten seconds he's pretty good:

'You're not really, really ready (ready)
The drama will have ya ass in trauma BOY!
You're not really, really ready (ready)
My knife flip open and then I gets to pokin
You're not really, really ready (ready)... '

I really hope the lyrics are tongue-in-cheek because I interpret this song as being a bit sarcastic and poking fun at the gangsta' lifestyle that rappers adopt.

13 Poor Lil Rich
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A funky, catchy upbeat track from the outset. 'Poor lil Rich' explores the novel concept of how his jewellery talks for him.
Kicks off with the funniest lyrics:

'I let my watch talk for me, my whip talk for me
My gat talk for me, BOW! What up homie
My watch saying 'hi shorty we can be friends'
My whip saying quit playing bitch get in '

Catchy but can be offensive due to overuse of the word 'n*gga'.

14 21 Questions - feat. Nate Dogg
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'21 Questions' is the most underrated track on the album. The guitar gives the track a more laidback feel. The basic gist of the track is 50 asking his girl if he lost his riches if she would still love him. Who else would use a line like "I love you like a fat kid love cake". Nate Dogg's is a brilliant choice as his cool vocals complement 50's really well. He also adds to the calm mood of the song, every time I hear this guys voice I think of 'Regulate'. Definitely a chilled track.

15. Don't Push Me - feat. Lloyd Banks and Eminem
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The second track produced and featuring Eminem. The theme is all in the title, and delves into subjects like suspicion, jealousy, anger and murder. The chorus is straight to the point and highly effective in creating an angry ambience:

'Right now I'm on the edge
So don't push me
I aim straight for your head
So don't push me
Fill your ass up with lead
So don't push me
I got something for your ass, keep thinking I'm p*ssy'

Lloyd Banks (from G Unit) is also excellent on this track. As usual Eminem adds the extra 'oomph' to the track. My favourite Eminem bit has to be:

'Man these teenie boppers see me on these magazine covers
In these beanies and these rags, living fantasies
Fronting like it's all fun and games
Till they shoot 'em up bang'

16 Gotta Make It To Heaven
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'Gotta Make It To Heaven' has some ambiguity as though it could have been a dark track, the instrumental is pretty upbeat and downright lively. I actually like this apparent contradiction, the chorus is incredibly catchy 'I gotta make it to heaven/ I'm going through hell'.

The track also discusses the fickleness of fame and the music industry: 'Some say I'm paranoid I say I'm careful how I choose my friends/ Been to ICU once I ain't going again '.

17 W*nksta
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This track actually debuted on the exceptional 8 Mile soundtrack. It has been appreciated by the masses, I've even spotted the video on Channel U some time ago. I assume the American audiences don't really understand the contempt laden in this track. The track discusses the scorn and derision 50 feels for the wannabe gangsters who don't have the balls to shoot anyone. Definitely a cut above similar tracks. It has an infectious flow which will really appeal to urban music fans.

18. Not like me
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A standard rap track with references to N.Y.P.D and snitches with a good heavy dose of swearing. Nothing special, I tend to skip it.

19 Your Life's on the Line
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I'm reliably informed this is a pre-getting-shot-in-the-face track. So 50 sounds a bit different, it's interesting to judge the difference for yourself. I personally don't think there is such a huge change- he's just a bit more mumbly now.

I like this track and the way the tempo is upped at certain points. The lyrics are quite catchy and its worth a listen just to see the difference in voice for yourself.

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CONCLUSION
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On the whole this is an excellent 'debut' with Shady/ Aftermath, and Fifty has with this effort outsold all the competition in 2003. I got this nugget of knowledge from the Brit Awards, though it was a disappointing performance from 50 Cent. There was a very fake news video where 50 is interrogated by British cops and escapes.

As with Rappers of Dre and Eminem's calibre the production is slick and flawless. Guest appearances are excellent with no one outshining 50, and yet adding that extra something to the album. Names like Kon Artis, Nate Dogg, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and of course Eminem pop up on the album. It is far too early to compare him to the likes of Biggie and Tupac at this stage of his career. Lets see what we think of his work once his third album is out, he's not proved his versatility yet with his music.

Even if the subject matters (I.e murder/ jealousy/ hate/ drugs/ guns) may not be completely unique, there is something innovative about the way the album is packaged. The cynical side of me wonders if 50 will be able to keep and surpass this level of quality without Dre and Eminem holding his hand. There is a definite danger of his work becoming repetitive, I mean we all KNOW you were shot nine times and you are a big hard man- but what is new?! Hopefully the next album will explore other subjects, after all '21 questions' is often overlooked because of the rest of the more aggressive tracks (personally I would love to see him collaborate with Missy Elliott, and with British acts like Jamelia and Mis-Teeq). Also '21 Questions' can be misinterpreted to be the 'token love song' with the amazingly difference between it and the rest of the listing. On it's own 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' is an album which for me will retain its listening longevity as it has a good range of tracks that I love.

Thanks for reading!
 

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