CD review: Before I Self Destruct - 50 Cent
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Houston under water when found
50 Cent is a self-confessed thug. In the past, the rapper has used enough charisma and pop nous to craft bonafide hit singles like In Da Club, Candy Shop and Disco Inferno out of his gangster persona.
But, on his fourth album Before I Selt Destruct, Curtis Jackson is shown up for what he really is: An arrogant, talentless bully trying but failing to throw his weight around in a hip-hop genre that has long since passed him by.
"I just squeeze and squeeze till the whole clip done, you just bleed till the police come," he boasts on opener The Invitation, one of many songs in which 50 Cent imagines mowing down his enemies in a variety of ways. Paranoid, much? Or just stuck in a lyrical rut?
Production wise, there's little of interest and most of the beats are tinny, simple and uncomplicated. Strong Enough plods along like a lame horse, Then Days Went By lives up to its name and even Fitty sounds bored on the monotonous I Got Swag.
Only Dr Dre's sparse, menacing Death to my Enemies, the dramatic Psycho, featuring a guest spot by Eminem, and the jagged throwback Gangsta's Delight show any sign of adventure. Shame their lyrics - tired refrains about killing and sex - render them pointless.
Even when 50 Cent changes tone and brings Ne-Yo on board for the single Baby By Me, his taunts of "Have a baby by me baby, be a millionaire," sound more like a threat than anything resembling a romantic come on. Run for the hills, girls.
Lose the guns, the attitude and have a listen to new albums by Mos Def, Anti-Pop Consortium and P.O.S, Fitty. It'd do you some good to listen to what's going on in hip-hop in 2009.
* What do you think of Before I Self Destruct? Post your comments below.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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yeah, He aint no Lil Wayne
Plenty of skill involved with hip-hop, just not this kind. Knock a beat up in ten minutes, then get some clown to rhyme about girls and guns over the top of it. Unfortunately, it sells...
At last reviewers & the music press finally see hip hop for what it really is....CRAP!
I AGREE FULLY WITH THIS REVIEW,SAME OLD GARBABGE COMING FROM 50.HASNT EVOLVED AS AN ARTIST SINCE 03 AND STILL TRYNA LIVE THOSE GLORY DAYS,EVEN THE FANS HAVE TURNED OFF HIM SHOWN BY THE SOUNDSCAN DEBUTING AT 5TH WITH A WEAK 160K.HES EGO HAS GOT THE BEST OF HIM AND IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE CAME CRASHING DOWN.ONLY TRACK I WAS INTERESTED IN WAS PYSCHO WHICH EMINEM DOMINATED.THANKS GODNESS THIS IS HIS LAST ALBUM ON INTERSCOPE AFTER A GREATEST HITS ALBUM HOPEFULLY HE TAKES THE CLUE FROM COPING AN L FROM KANYE AFEW YEARS BACK AND RETIRES.HES A GOOD REASON FOR DESTROYING RAP IN ITS CURRENT FORM,AS WELL AS ISOLATING HIMSELF FROM OTHER RAPPERS.
BLUEPRINT 3 AND RELAPSE HIP HOP ALBUMS OF THE YEAR.
KEEP UR EAR OUT FOR R.E.D ALBUM FROM THE GAME,FEB 2010 EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY DR DRE FOR A RETURN TO SOME REAL HIP HOP WITH SOLID LYRICS AND CLASSIC DRE BEATS.
meh who cares! there is no skill in it
Hey what up I think 50 cent need to do what he said in his music n quit talking rubbish
all his beats sound the same. the only good song was "baby by me" cos that tune was catchy. so overall.. it sucked
Based on the fact that your interset in hip hop is directed at Mos Def, Anti-Pop Consortium and P.O.S, you were never going to enjoy this album. In all honesty, I didnt even know he had a new album coming out, so thanks for the up date, I will go check it out now.
album is pretty much what i expected from his last solo album on interscope - going through the motions... he's definitely spending more time focusing on the ricky ross beef and now with beanie going at jay-z he's bound to get intimately involved there too.
i think he's got a lot more to come but is saving it for his new deal, probably when he's putting it out himself.
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Are you guys all serious? its a good album man.. apart from the lame sample of i get money its pretty hot ay.. eminems verse is weak in 1 track.. and it kinda does sound like a mix tape but its still cool man.. you guys will hate regardless.. youve gotta rememebr this was made before his last album sooooo.. and that game guy at #7?.. the game gets ripped in this haha