Massacre, The (+DVD) [PA] - 50 Cent

Earlier this year, The Game's debut album The Documentary dropped and instantly became the first G-Unit album that was actually praised by the far-too-often critical underground community. The album was hot due to Game's impressive flow and a tremendous surplus of great beats. A lot of people were viewing this as a turn around for the G-Unit, who had already been established as a group with a consistent record of horrid music which brought nothing ...
...Cent has a hot verse!" or "wow... those beats are killer", and yeah, that was true, but I still refused to conform to the fact that G-Unit was going to continue their momentum. For you see, unlike Banks, Buck, and Yayo, 50 Cent, The Game actually has talent and hunger, and this alone made me question his good album; I saw it as nothing more than a fluke.

G-Unit was put on the map initially by 50 Cent and his debut album, ... more

Earlier this year, The Game's debut album The Documentary dropped and instantly became the first G-Unit album that was actually praised by the far-too-often critical underground community. The album was hot due to Game's impressive flow and a tremendous surplus of great beats. A lot of people were viewing this as a turn around for the G-Unit, who had already been established as a group with a consistent record of horrid music which brought nothing but pain to the ears. Many people thought "hey! 50 Cent has a hot verse!" or "wow... those beats are killer", and yeah, that was true, but I still refused to conform to the fact that G-Unit was going to continue their momentum. For you see, unlike Banks, Buck, and Yayo, 50 Cent, The Game actually has talent and hunger, and this alone made me question his good album; I saw it as nothing more than a fluke.

G-Unit was put on the map initially by 50 Cent and his debut album, 2003's Get Rich or Die Trying. This album would go on to sell over 8 million records and officially put G-Unit on the map, even though the album was below average and relied merely on it's catchy hooks and decent beats to provide any sort of listenability. Afterwards, the rest of the G-Unit decided to jump on the bandwagon and it wasn't until Game came out that something halfway decent rose from the ashes. Now, with 50's second major-label album The Massacre arriving, the circle is at last complete. The question remains: would 50 give us a carbon copy of Get Rich or Die Trying, with catchy hooks and terrible lyricism? Or would it follow in the footsteps of Beg for Mercy, with uninspired hooks and boring... everything. Or would it pull off the same miracle that The Documentary did? A leopard never changes his stripes...

Track List & Rating

1. Intro (NOT RATED)
2. In My Hood (3 Stars)
3. This Is 50 (1 Star)
4. I'm Supposed To Die Tonight (3 1/2 Stars)
5. Piggy Bank (1 Star)
6. Gatman and Robin f/ Eminem (2 Stars)
7. Candy Shop f/ Olivia (3 Stars)
8. Outta Control (2 Stars)
9. Get In My Car (3 1/2 Stars)
10. Ski Mask Way (4 Stars)
11. A Baltimore Love Thing (4 1/2 Stars)
12. Ryder Music (4 Stars)
13. Disco Inferno (2 Stars)
14. Just A Lil Bit (1 Star)
15. Gunz Come Out (1 Star)
16. My Toy Soldier f/ Tony Yayo (2 Stars)
17. Position of Power (3 Stars)
18. Build You Up (2 Stars)
19. God Gave Me Style (4 Stars)
20. So Amazing f/ Olivia (4 Stars)
21. I Don't Need 'Em (4 Stars)
22. Hate It Or Love It (G-Unit Remix) f/ G-Unit (3 1/2 Stars)

The Bad:

50 Cent tries to recapture the magic he had on "How to Rob", the song that put him on the map, with "Piggy Bank". 50 takes the time here to diss a handful of other mainstream emcees including Shyne, Jadakiss, Fat Joe and Nas. In this reviewer's personal opinion, 50 is biting off more than he can chew here. Jadakiss is a potent battle rapper, Fat Joe has menacing street connections (yes, in real life), and Nas can verbally rape 50 anytime he wants. The song itself is terrible, and unlike "How to Rob", 50 showcases no charisma, appears to be trying too hard, and doesn't show off that wit which can make you laugh.

"Gatman and Robin" is terrible. Yes, I get the ridiculous joke in the title, and even that is stupid. Eminem is back to his usual post-2002 whack self, and 50 well, he's always been the equivalent of a turd on the microphone. The production however, I like. The pounding keys and violin is stirring and powerful, and by itself entertains me, but that's about it. Perhaps they should call Eminem "Slobbin" as opposed to Robin, since it seems that slobbin on 50's penis head is all he's been doing for the past couple years.

Those of you who remember Get Rich or Die Trying will remember that while 50 is no Common Sense on the mic, his biggest strength was his ability to write catchy-ass hooks that gave his songs replay value despite his rhymes not being up-to-par. "This is 50" does a bit of a switcheroo when it comes to that statement. The beat is very catchy by itself, the lyrics are the same as always (weak), but the big surprise is that the hook is awful. What happened to 50's incredible hook-writing ability here? Bleh.

If you look past the somewhat catchy Dr. Dre production on "Disco Inferno", there isn't much left there. 50 is booooooring, as usual, and the subject matter is the same cliched, played-out, thug-club crap that you'd expect. I expect this to get a lot of play in the clubs. Skip it if you wanna live. "Just a Lil Bit" is another club banger, and while I can respect a good club song when I see it, this is far from good. "Gunz Come Out" has arguably the worst beat and hook on the album. 50's weasly whining on the chorus is completely uncalled for and annoying, and the trumpets in the beat are not only obnoxious, but VERY annoying. 50's lyrics have a couple moments of illness, but then it's rapidly ruined by a simplistic, whack line. "My Toy Soldier" is in no way related to the Eminem song, and about 100 times worse. The familiar "Aftermath" production rears it's ugly head here, with the overuse of synthesizers and 50's lack of singing talent are just terrible. The song has somewhat of a concept, but it just doesn't work here. If you've got whack lyrics, an annoying beat, and a poor attempt at complexity, I'm not listening.

"Build You Up" is 50 Cent's lame attempt at recapturing the magic on "21 Questions". Yup, same concept. You've heard the "be my thug lady" subject matter from 50, Ja, and Camron over 1000 times, and yeah, it's still whack. Now let me push the skip button...

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The Good:

"I'm Supposed To Die Tonight" is the first fucking ill cut on the album. Yes. It is. 50's lyrics are much improved from anything he spat on here or his debut, his hook-writing is back to tip-top form, and the production is dark and menacing. The "Danny Elfman" violin effects are incredible, and the subject matter brings back memories of "Many Men (Wish Death)", with 50 questioning his near-death experience and the obstacles he has run into since his rise to fame. While my personal opinion of 50 is that of a blithering, selfish asshole, I can recognize a good song when I see it and this, is a good song.

"Ski Mask Way" is another surprisingly excellent piece that 50 has put together. 50's lyricism is beefed up here, with actual use of descriptive rhymes, metaphors, and charisma, keeping you entertained. 50's analytical view of the streets is a welcome change of pace, and while his cautionary tales are nothing new, this melancholy view of it is indeed a unique perspective. The production however, seals the deal. A beautiful assortment of keys and samples come together to form a distinct "underground" sound, perhaps harking back to the 1996 production-style. Don't sleep on this track, it's freakin dope.

In all honestly, I can sit here and tell you that "A Baltimore Love Thing" is probably THE best song 50 has done in his career; bar none. Remember Nas' "I Gave You Power" where he played the part of a gun? Well 50 does the same thing here, except instead of a pistol, 50 plays the role of heroine. There are several extended metaphors within this track which are honestly... *gulp* brilliant. That's right, Curtis Jackson did something brilliant. His lyrics are VERY good, the production is soft and eerie, and the subject matter is well, excellent. For the first time ever I will utter these words: 50 Cent did a near-classic song. Listen to it and try to argue.

Something happened to 50 Cent. I can honestly say that. "Ryder Music" is fuckin ill. Production-wise, Hi-Tek does something that he hasn't done for years; bring something good to the table. An eerie assortment of samples, flutes, and chimes provide a laid-back, near-Reflection Eternal vibe; and 50's lyricism is also, much better than before. While topically the song is cliche as hell, it entertains me. Three good songs in a row? Who would've thought 50 Cent would be able to accomplish such a feat!

Incredibly enough, The Massacre ends with three really dope songs. "So Amazing" is one of the most fun songs to listen to that 50 has put out in a while. Newcomer Olivia delivers the very Ashanti-like hook (how ironic), and does a great job. The beat is a little catchy melody which is light-hearted and hypnotizing. Lyrically, the song once again goes down the route of "21 Questions", with the "thug love" motiff, but unlike "Build You Up", this one is actually very listenable. "I Don't Need Em" is as rugged as it gets. The most amazing thing about this track is that 50 Cent actually displays hip-hop creativity, providing a cautionary tale backed by strong storytelling with the underlining message of loyalty. Yeah, we've heard a million songs about loyalty from this camp, but never with an actual story to back it (something they've been needing). As for the beat... it's fire.

"Hate It Or Love It (G-Unit Remix)" is a worthy closer to the album. Much like the original version found on Game's The Documentary LP, this track covers G-Unit conveying their emotions about finally becoming successful. This version, while not as lyrically potent as the last, seems like more of a group effort, with Banks, Yayo, and Buck dropping verses. Granted I'm no G-Unit fan, but I found myself smiling listening to this because I came to a revelation here. I honestly feel if they did more songs with meaning like this and with dope beats like this, they'd be an ill group despite their lack of lyrical potency. Remember backpackers, you love Scarface, and yet he's about as simple as it gets. The same smooth production from the original is found here, and thank goodness that wasn't changed.

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A Little of Both:

Simply put: "In My Hood" is nice. Why? The beat; simple as that. The low-key assortment of guitar flicks and bass-heavy loops really set a dark, ominous tone that I'm sure was 50 Cent's goal. Lyrically there is no improvement, but is that so much of a surprise? 50 was never seen as a potent lyricist, and his simplistic rhymes are something I'm sort of getting used to. Unfortunately, even these simple rhymes don't keep me entertained. His flow, while decent, is lacking charisma and energy, and 50 himself sounds bored on the song. The potential for greatness was there, but the peak was never reached; dontcha hate that?

50's big new single is "Candy Shop". Honestly, for a club banger this song does the trick. 50's lyrics are pretty average, but what else did you expect? The beat is pretty nice for a club beat, having that certain bounce needed, and doesn't annoy the hell out of you like a lot of the more obnoxious commercial cuts out there. Yeah, it's a dance song, and if seen as that, accomplishes it's purpose. The chorus is very fuckin catchy, and that backed with a decent beat is pretty much all you need to have a hit. Think of this as a worthy single to "In Da Club", with average lyrics with a decent beat and catchy hook. I can honestly say that no backpacker (or backpacker wannabe) will ever even come close to liking this.

"God Gave Me Style" has commercialism oozing out of every pore, but it's decent enough to be listenable. The production is fuckin sick, with assorted chimes, violins, and soulful synthesizers (9th Wonder style), and the lyrics aren't too bad. The hook is kind of whack, but the song itself is worth maybe 2 or 3 spins before it gets old.

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It's hard for me to decide whether or not The Massacre is a good or bad album. Pretty much every single beat on here is ill, which always helps in making a buying decision if you're a beat lover. The lyrics at times are better than Get Rich or DIe Tryin, while other times are equal, and other times are worse. A lot of songs on here are VERY good, but then the majority is chock full of the same shit that made me despise 50 the last time. I can definitely sense his subject matter and production making an improvement, which from a hip-hop head's perspective is a vast improvement, yet... I don't know. The thing is, Get Rich or Die Tryin had MUCH catchier songs. This album, much like the G-Unit record, was lacking those catchy, singable 50 Cent hooks. I sort of miss the menacing "one slip and I'ma kill you" lines from "Heat", as well as the lighthearted "If I can't... do it... homie it caaaan't be done" from "If I can't". I think this album would be THAT much better if 50 used his hook-writing talent a bit more. Bottom line is, The Massacre is actually NOT a bad album. It's just slightly below average, and there's enough good songs for me to suggest downloading it.

3.5 Stars... Rounded down

 

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