Massive expectations usually are the precursor of two things: that a star is about to be born, or it’s about to explode and flame out forever, never to regain its brightness.
In the case of Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, massive expectations led to one thing and one thing only, a domination of the rap world, all thanks to an album called "Get Rich or Die Trying".
In retrospect, this domination was not so predictable. Jackson was born in Queens and started dealing drugs as early as the age of twelve. As he got older he decided to put aside the drugs and strictly pursue a career in rap music.
He suffered a set back in 2000 after being shot nine times with a 9mm handgun at close range. While Jackson sustained some heavy injuries, including a small slur in his voice, he survived the incident and used as motivation for his music.
Jackson later stated that: "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life... How much more damage could that shell have done? Give me an inch in this direction or that one, and I'm gone".
After the shooting Jackson focused hard on his music, releasing the mixtape, “Guess Who’s Back?” in 2002. Eminem got his hands on a copy of the album, which he shared with Dr. Dre, both of whom were impressed. Soon after that Jackson signed a one million dollar record deal Dr. Dre, and began walking on the path to superstardom.
Released in February 2003, “Get Rich or Die Trying” debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts and eventually went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide. That doesn’t happen by accident. Sure, 50 had the street cred from being shot, but it was also his charismatic, laid-back drawl that brought the fans to frenzy.
The album is filled to the brim with twenty quality tracks without a skit in sight. “Get Rich or Die Trying” plays out like every rapper wishes their debut would: opening with a personality defining track (“What Up Gangsta”), a team up with one of rap’s biggest stars, Eminem (“Patiently Waiting”) and of course, the radio ready single that blows up (“In da Club”).
Along with those tracks, “21 Questions”, “Don’t Push Me”, “If I Can’t”, “High All the Time”, and “P.I.M.P” are the highlights on this impressive debut. “Get Rich or Die Trying” is an incredibly calculated album, with Eminem and Dr. Dre handling some production in the background, but it’s also an amazing one.
“In Da Club” might not be considered one of the greatest tracks ever, but its effect can’t be understated. I think it has one of the catchiest beats of all time, and when 50 starts off by casually slurring, “Go shorty, it’s your birthday/We gonna party like it’s your birthday,” you know all bets are off. I think the track is easily one of the most memorable of all time, just due to the sheer amount of popularity it attained.
“Many Men (Wish Death)” is one of the most serious and personal tracks on the album. It begins with a dramatization of 50’s shooting incident, and as the song goes on he raps with anger and ferocity, his mood changing with each verse.
You can hear the pain in his voice as he raps: “In the Bible it says what goes around comes around/Homie shot me, three weeks later he got shot down/Now it’s clear that I’m here for a real reason/’Cause he got hit like I got hit, but he ain’t fuckin’ breathin’.”
“High All the Time” is my personal favorite track, and it’s not just because of the subject matter. Jackson raps with a deliberate yet casual style that fits extremely well with the beat. He drops some of his most clever lines of the album on this track as he raps: “Daddy need Perelli's to look mean on 22s/Stash box, Xbox, laptop, fax machine, phone/Bulletproof this bitch and I'm gone.”
The track also has one of the best and simplest choruses of all-time. 50 channels fellow West coast rapper Nate Dogg and crafts the motto for the modern day smoker: “I'm high all the time, I smoke that good shit/I stay high all the time, man I'm on some hood shit.”
“Get Rich or Die Trying” is hands down one of the best party albums of all time. No matter where you are and not matter who you are hosting, you can play the album from beginning to end and keep the party going the entire time.
On top of that, with this explosive debut, 50 solidified himself a place all his own in the hip-hop industry. “Get Rich or Die Trying” is one of the best debuts of all-time and is definitely a classic.
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