He got rich! (Get Rich Or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent)

Name: paulhanton

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Product:	Get Rich Or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent
Date:	11/06/08 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some brilliant, raw talent on show.

Disadvantages: Some absolute howlers included.

This was 'Fiddy's' first album, a collaboration with a fair few aother artistes and on the back of his sucessful single 'In da club'. Produced by Aftermath records, an Eminem, Dr Dre outfit, it was bound to be sucessful. It is hard, gritty; many conservative Americans wanted it banned, not just because of the gratuitous talk of guns n 'ho's' but because of the constant swearing.

Track 1. Intro.
Simply a 6 second coin spinning....why?

Track 2. What up Gansta?
Laconic rap/singing, basically telling his story of brushes with the law and DA and how no one can 'match him', not bad, but a slow burning opener really, heavy drum n bass line. 6/10.

Track 3. Patiently waiting.
Nice back beat and almost movie like suspense riff to match his quite staccato rapping, building on the last track, bit more of a story about him, yep, the ego is starting to show!. 6/10 (mainly dues to the music).

Track 4. Many men (wish death).
Now this is a great track, really great mix of music, singing and rap, with a very catchy chorus, mixed with the sounds of guns cocking etc. 8/10.

Track 5. In da club.
This is the track that 'launched' 50 cent. Some years on it does stand the test of time, great beat, great lyrics and a real catchy hook. He has this ability to rap quite slowly, or at least make it seem slow, over a fast beat. Top track. 9/10.

Track 6 High all the time.
See if you can guess what this is about? Actually a nice song with a good musical backing and pretty cool lyrics, all about material goods and what he see's as important in life. 8/10.

Track 7. Heat.
Absolute cr*p. 1/10.

Track 8. If I can't.
Cracking backing track to this song, lyrics don't match, apart from the chorus which is quite catchy. Not bad, 5/10.

Track 9. Blood hound.
Rubbish again, can't bring myself to even describe it. 1/10.

Track 10. Back down.
Really interesting track, very macho with 50 saying how he won't back down, set to a great backing track with a piano going up and down a scale. Yet for all this machismo toward the end of the track there is a bizarre skit of a rap with someone who is as camp as a row of tents, giving a commentary on what 50 is supposed to have said about another rapper and how 50 is 'back'. It shouldn't work, but does, cracking track. 9/10.

Track 10. P.I.M.P.
More rubbish, did well in the charts, mainly because of the video, naff and outdated in views, lyrics and styule. 1/10.

Track 11. Like my style.
Strange track, I cannot decide if I like this or not.....the lyrics are naff, more guns etc. but the music is busy, confusing and pretty good. 6/10.

Track 12. Poor little rich.
More naffness. "I tell the ho's whatever they wanna hear", please! 1/10.

Track 13. 21 questions.
Great track this, good sampling, good story, all about a bit of self awareness, it is his money and fame which gets him the girls.....what if that wasn't there? what if he ended up in jail? A lyrical exploration of his self doubt.....probably the only 'true' track on the CD. 8/10.

Track 14. Don't push me.
More ego, more threats, more grandiose stories, more guns, more violence. yawn. 2/10.

Track 15. Gotta make it to heaven.
Nothing, nonsense. 0/10.

Track 16. Wanksta.
Great backing, quite cool lyrics, almost comedic, yet serious too, 'dissing' anyone who thinks they are as hard as him. 7/10.

Track 17. U not like me.
I really like this track. He sets out his stall here for sure. talks about his wounds after he was shot nine times in a drug/gang related hit. He gives 'snitches' and pretty much everyone else a hard time. This is all true. I love the line: "Shell hit my jaw, and aint wait for doc to pull it out, hit my wisdom tooth (spit sound) and I spat it out". Great track for me, probably best of the CD. 9/10.

Track 18. Life on the line.
Boring. 1/10.

Track 19. (Bonus). In da Club, (a cappella).
Not great, he really does not have a singers voice, music helps, no more of this please. 1/10.

Final thoughts:
Here is a guy who was selling drugs at 12, been in prison, shot people and been shot himself, nine times on one occasion. If he didn't make it with this CD who knows what would have happened to him. He did make it. It is raw and has many of his past 'elements' still hanging around. Some naff tracks, but some classics. What a shame that after this he really has done little of worthy note. Worth getting, and it can be picked up for less than a fiver now. Good edition to any rap library.

Summary: 50 Cents first and only good CD.