50 Cent:
The Massacre

Release Date: 07 March 2005

Reviewed By: Melisa Tang

1. Intro

2. In My Hood

3. This Is 50

4. I'm Supposed to Die Tonight

5. Piggy Bank

6. GATman and Robbin

7. Candy Shop

8. Outta Control

9. Get In My Car

10. Ski Mask Way

11. A Baltimore Love Thing

12. Ryder Music

13. Disco Inferno

14. Just A Lil Bit

15. Gunz Come Out

16. My Toy Soldiers

17. Position Of Power

18. Build You Up

19. God Gave Me Style

20. So Amazing

21. I Don't Need 'Em

22. Hate It Or Love It

Coach Carter - Soundtrack
Read Review

Everyone knows 50’s story. It’s been published in magazines and newspapers across the world, spread across every music website on the Net. It’s a life story that undoubtedly deserves acknowledgement, but lately 50’s been in the news for a manner of different reasons, including for the somewhat controversial and much-hyped track, ‘Piggy Bank’.

Aside from all the drama, what hip hop heads really want to know is, can the gangsta rapper live up to the reputation that he set with his multi-platinum debut, ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’? Two years on, does 50 have what it takes to overcome the sophomore jinx?

The album has been highly anticipated by 50 fans, especially with the leak of the infectious, light-hearted ‘Disco Inferno’. The beat comes courtesy of C. Styles and Bang Out, and is along the same lines as Lloyd Banks’ ‘On Fire’. It’s said that 50 himself grew impatient and leaked the track, after Interscope kept pushing back the release date of his sophomore project. His tactic worked, and the streets were buzzing when they heard what they thought was 50’s new single. Alas, ‘Disco Inferno’ was only to whet our appetite, as the official single, ‘Candy Shop’ was only later released to the masses. This cut sees the welcome return of rapstress Olivia, (remember ‘Bizounce’?), which adds a sexy twist to the chorus. This is already a huge club banger and is sure to bring 50 some more chart success over on this side of the Atlantic.

The track everyone was waiting to hear was the aforementioned ‘Piggy Bank’, which was rumoured to take aim at the likes of Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Nas and Kelis. Indeed, 50 does take shots at them, but what he also does with this track is make everyone realise just how pathetic and childish he really is. 50 is a good lyricist; no one can fault that. But, getting at other rappers in the game like this isn’t the way to go, and he’s turning many of his fans against him, including myself.

50 shows us what he can do with words on ‘Gunz Come Out’, a track produced by Dr Dre, as well as on Hi-Tek’s ‘Ryder Music’. One of the best songs of the album however, is the gritty ‘I’m Supposed To Die Tonight’, which sees the rapper address the threat of the streets, almost like a follow up to ‘Many Men’. Eminem’s production works really well with 50’s grim lyrics, which are incredibly hard-hitting: “All through the hood I keep hearing n*ggas sayin’ I’m supposed to die tonight/ N*ggas gon’ put a hit out and they talkin’ like the sh*t OK, but I’m gonna ride tonight.”

Dr Dre’s ‘Outta Control’ also deserves a mention; a track which sees 50 riding high on another hot club joint. On ‘In My Hood’, 50 explains the rule of the streets of Queens, NY; the same streets that a young Curtis Jackson walked 10 years ago. Again, the guys behind the decks are Styles and Bang, relative newcomers in the game, who put on a good show for 50’s ‘make or break’ album. However, 50 best shows his creativity on ‘A Baltimore Love Thing’, where he rhymes as if from the view of heroin, one of the harshest drugs on the street.

As with his last LP, there are high points and there are low points – the main reason for this? There are just too many tracks, (22 in total, including the Intro). There are the obligatory songs for the ladies, such as ‘So Amazing’ featuring Olivia, and ‘Build You Up’ featuring Jamie Foxx, which to be fair, are not that bad, but there are also beats for the pimps and thugs, like ‘Get In My Car’ and ‘Ski Mask Way’, which reminded me of all the reasons why I had come to dislike that 50 Cent/G-Unit sound and persona.

Yet, the album ends on a good note, the G-Unit remix of The Game’s ‘Hate It Or Love It’. It’s not that much different from the original, but it’s worthy enough to feature on ‘The Massacre’, bringing the album to a close.

It must be said – 50’s sophomore attempt was not as bad as I had feared it might be, but there are bits he can improve on. The bonus DVD would be an added incentive for hip hop fans to buy the album, but the music alone should turn you, as it has me.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Top 3 tracks:
4) I’m Supposed To Die Tonight
8) Outta Control
11) A Baltimore Love Thing

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z