![]() ![]() G-Unit’s brash, confident swagger is on full display, and 50 Cent’s trademark singsong hooks feature prominently throughout the 18 tracks. While some might say the album didn’t quite live up to its initial hype, it’s still an exciting listen. The album’s release date was moved up, ensuring G-Unit would go head to head with Jay-Z’s The Black Album. It was a much-anticipated event, especially after the group’s extensive touring and numerous mixtapes. The rapper showed glimpses of brilliance with songs like “Irregular Heartbeat,” “Hold On,” and “Pilot,” but ultimately, 50 needed to adapt to the changing times to reignite his career, and he failed to do so.īeg for Mercy marked the debut studio album for G-Unit, and it’s hard to discuss it without taking into account the immense hype and fanfare surrounding the release. Singles like “Smoke” featuring Trey Songz felt like throwaways, while tracks such as “Winners Circle” sounded like old 50 Cent. Unfortunately, the album’s greatest sin was its forgettability. Overall the project was a tighter, more consistent effort that saw the Queens MC spitting aggressive raps over haunting beats. Often compared to a mixtape, 50’s fifth album had some shining moments, showcasing a more streamlined approach without bloated filler tracks, cheesy love songs, or corny hooks. Released in 2014, five years after his last studio album, Animal Ambition was 50 Cent’s first independent drop – it was released via Caroline, a distributor of Capitol Music Group – and the low-key aesthetic of the project definitely shows. Before I Self Destruct may not have been the perfect course correction, but it proved that 50 could still deliver a punch in his music and he refused to go away quietly. ![]() Songs like “Days Went By” offered glimpses into his troubled past, revealing new stories even when it seemed he had nothing left to tell. ![]() Despite marking a decline in the Queens rapper’s chart dominance, the album still made an impact with hit singles like the Ne-Yo featured “Baby By Me” featuring Ne-Yo as well as gritty street bangers like “Crime Wave” and “Stretch.” Despite its flaws, the album showcased 50’s improved rapping skills, with tracks like “Death To My Enemies” demonstrating his invigorated style. With the rise of eclectic artists like Nicki Minaj and melody-driven rappers like Drake, the scene was moving away from the gangsta wave that had dominated most of the 2000s. Label: Shady, G-Unit, Aftermath, Interscopeīefore I Self Destruct saw 50 Cent attempting to make a fierce comeback amidst a transforming hip hop landscape. But even with tracks like “You So Tough” and “Piano Man” proved that G-Unit could still cook up gangsta anthems, the album could never quite recapture the magic of the early 2000s the shifting group dynamic, with 50 Cent no longer the undisputed kingpin and each member branching out with solo ventures meant that their once-unified aesthetic was now diluted. While they may not have been the invincible force they once were, this album still came out swinging, delivering that raw, unapologetic G-Unit attitude that hardcore fans had been craving for years.
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