[Review] 50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct

Artist: 50 Cent
Album: Before I Self Destruct
Release Date: 17th November 2009
Guests: Eminem, Ne-Yo, R. Kelly & Jovan Davis
Producers: Dr Dre, Scott Storch, Polow Da Don, DJ Premier, Ty Fyyfe, Timbaland, Nottz, Team Demo, Tha Bizzness, Mark Batson, Rich Harrison, Sha Money XL, Nascent & QB Da Problem, & R. Kelly

Since 50 Cents explosion to the top of Hip Hop in early 2003, his name will remain synonymous with modern day rap music. But with the fame comes hate, and that is exactly what has happened with 50, despite making it to the top, he was been hated on by many a person - rap fan or no rap fan.

In 2002, 50 had to put his gangster life behind him and look towards his superstardom future. He had to put behind him the drugs, the guns and the violence, in order to mingle with acresses, models and other celebity figures at red carpet events around the world. Despite relying on his street cred image, 50 knew that to make it bigger than all of the other rappers who had made it out of the street, he would need to open himself up to a brand new audence and different cultures. He would need to become accepted by more than just the kids on the block.

But perhaps the right mixture of both was over balenced. 50 soon had his street cred under scrutiny, his gangster image the target for sabotage. While Get Rich Or Die Tryin' was a hard going album, featuring a new voice desperate for success and hungry for money, it was soon followed by a softer follow up two years later, The Massacre, with songs such as The Candy Shop and Just A Lil' Bit, targeted towards a more mainstream audience. 50's style seemed to change - gone was the aggresive and determined bulletproof fien who's past stories had other rappers wishing they could have been a part of his G-Unit gang, and in was the voice of a layed back millionaire with different ambitions.

Fans soon anticipated the next album, Curtis, which promised to go back to the old '50 Cent', but when the 2007 release dropped, fans were left a little bit disappointed - "this wasn't the same 50 that crushed every other New York MC, and changed Hip Hop."

So when 50 said in 2008, that Before I Self Destruct would be his last album on Interscope Records, fans were unsure whether they would ever hear the same 50 that they had heard all of those years ago. Then the track 'Get Up' began circulating the internet and radio stations, a style very similar to the 'In Da Club' days. The song received average responses despite getting good exposure. Were the general public fed up of hearing 50 Cent? Instead, Flo Rida was #1 in the UK and US, and he was getting love from the music critics. Maybe the days of 'gangster' rap getting to the top of the charts were finished and we should all learn dance moves instead?

To dishearten 50 Cent fans a little bit more, the song Get It In leaked, and received little exposure. It had a below average Dr Dre beat and simple hook with nothing exciting about it. It might come a suprise to some, that neither of these songs made the final cut for the album, the first suprising me a lot.

Then came OK You're Right, a powerfull Dr Dre beat, although it could perhaps have more variation on the hook, rather than just a continuous loop. The song was the first actual song from the new album that we got to check out - but obviously this would only be a street single. Soon, the next single, Baby By Me succeeded a couple of mixtapes that were attepted convincers that 50 was still at large under the street lights.

Baby By Me originally featured a hook from an unkown RnB singer by the name of Jovan Davis, and later a version with a different hook by Ne-Yo soon surfaced. Rumour has it that Jovan had only recorded the demo for Polow Da Don to send to 50 as an example for Ne-Yo to sing, but when Ne-Yo insisted that he wrote his own hook rather than use something ghost written for him, thats when we ended up with two versions. In the end, 50 kept the Ne-Yo version for the album, and the Jovan Davis version for the extras, a decision I feel can pnly have been based on Ne-Yo's popularity, as Jovan had a neater hook. The song actually samples a line from another 50 Cent song from Curtis: I Get Money.

When 50 drops the album in November, fans will hear another 50 Cent from the previous three albums. His vocal style has changed significantly, more for the aggresive side. In fact, if you listen to the first track, midway through the second verse, 50 almost loses his voice. In fact, it sounds like his voice is very much more rougher, mirrored in his lyrics. The last time 50 tried to be this aggresive, Interscope actually had to censor the album version of the song (see 'Man Down' on Curtis).

Track 2, 'Then Days Went By' has actually become my favourite song on the CD. Produced by Rich Harrison, the hitmaker behind Beyonce's 'Crazy In Love', and Amerie's '1 Thing', the song has a relaxed feel about it with a catchy set of strings on the hook build up. The song reminises the old days of 50's upbringing in the street.

That is followed by track 3, 'Death To My Enemies' which is a grimy Dr Dre produced, gritty, hard going gangster song. In fact, when I looked at the production credits, I was suprised that it was a Dr Dre beat, as it was by far one of his classics. Maybe that was the purpose - to create something thst only some could relate to. Then 50 goes into assault mode with a track correctly titled as 'So Disrespectful' - a violent reminder to any enemies that he will stand on anybody that threatens the throne he claims. Rumours were rife after the 'Flight 187' mixtape track that 50 was dissing Jay-Z, only to be denied in interviews later. It turns out that 50 was offended by Jay-Z's lack of response to the mention, and his 'above everybody' else attitude that he is 'too big' to diss 50 back - resulting in 50 going back at Jay again. 50 raps: "Jays a big man, but too big to respond / Im a big dick, the one everybody jump on."

And don't worry, some of G-Unit's former artists have not escaped the assault. The Game is attacked by being accused of being disloyal, leading Dr Dre to stop working with him. He also mocks the Hot 97 incident when 50 Cent was on air, dismissing The Game from the Unit, only for The Game to arrive outside and shots being fired: "Come'on Game, you can never be my equal, your homies shoot at doors, my n***** shoot people, im the type rapper you never gon' be, im in the tax bracket your never gon' see."

And another former G-Unit employee, Young Buck also comes under fire, again with his loyalty to the group being questioned, as well as his apparent drug abuse and spending of royalty money.

There is an obvious lack of guest features in comparison to other 50 Cent albums. There are no other G-Unit members featured on the new CD, a first time that this has ever happened. The only three guests are Eminem, who you would expect, as he forsees much of 50's output, Ne-Yo, and a track at the end of the album with R. Kelly, titled 'Could've Been You'. The leftover version of 'Baby By Me' is available with iTunes purchase.

The album seems to start off hot, with a lot of street tracks, but then begins to fade, around halfway through. It then picks up nearer the end with a sample of Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight', titled 'Gangster's Delight', changing the words of the chorus. The track with Eminem on it sounds like it may have been a leftover from his Relapse album, released earlier this year. The song has Eminem rapping on two verses, although the last one is broken down with a few of 50's bars. The song is far from something 50 would rap about, suggesting it had been an original track for Em, produced by Dr Dre. Another track which is a new direction for 50, is a Sha Money XL track called 'Stretch'. 50 raps with a new vocal style, as if he is just messing around in the studio, whilst high on drugs.

Its hard to say whether or not 50 Cent fans will accept this as being one of his best albums. During my listen, I struggled to locate where the next major single would come from, meaning that it will have to rely on 'Baby By Me' to create shockwaves to publicise the album. I still do not think that this will come near to Get Rich Or Die Tryin', but there is no shame in that, because that is an all time classic album. Maybe 50's fans are expecting too much compared to what he has already done. The album certainly gets rated higher in my books than Curtis was, but Im not sure if it is on a level with The Massacre. There are certainly very few commercial tracks on this one, so do not expect many songs for the ladies.

So overall, 50's style on the tracks has impressed me. Where other rappers may create a presence in Hip Hop, 50 is more like a poltergeist - he is a ruthless millionaire that will do whatever it takes, stand on whoever it needs, just to get to the top, and he has certainly done this. This is certainly one of my highlights so far in 2009. If only it had just one of two more commercial tracks on it, then it would be perfect.

9/10