50 CENT
Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
Aftermath/Shady Records
To quote Prince, “this is the jam of the
year.” Love him or hate him, 50 Cent is now the king of the gangsta heap. The former
crack dealer/shooting victim and all around bad role model makes Eminem look like Mickey
Mouse. Fittingly, Eminem signed his heir apparent and appears on a couple of the tracks.
Surprisingly, these are the worst on the record. Both “Don’t Push Me” and
“Patiently Waiting” pale next to the bare bones guttural kick in the head of the
solo tracks “U Not Like Me” and “Life’s On The Line.” While the
already mega smash “In Da Club” rides the partying, bling bling feel good train
to number one, 50 Cent truly excels on darker cuts like “Many Men (Wish Death Upon
Me).” With chilling ruthlessness, his words jab over a punishing beat. Alternating
lines like “I’ll take your life away” and “have mercy on my
soul,” 50 Cent evokes the desperation mixed with spirituality of early 20th
century Delta blues and all that came out of it. “21 Questions,” on the other
hand is possibly the smoothest rap love song ever and is destined to chase “In Da
Club” to the top of the charts. By mixing his vitriol with genuine heart, 50 Cent
manages to rise above the glut of sound-a-likes. Sure, of 19 tracks included, at least 5
could’ve been cut, but Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ is still the next step in
the evolution spawned by N.W.A. in the late ‘80s. This is the disc you’re going
to be hearing all year.
(Chris McKay/concertshots.com)
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