50 Cent and Kanye face off with album releases -- 50 Cent
By David Harding
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's third and most lyrically mature album to date, "Curtis," was sprinkled with stars both in the "booth" and on the vocals.
The stand-out track on this record was 50's collaboration with the godfather of producers, Dr. Dre, on "Come & Go." The beat is easy to recognize because of Dre's dark stringed-chords and slowed-down break beats.
50's "My Gun Go Off," however, filled with gunshots and cussing, is the worst song on the record. It reminds me of 50's sophomore album, "The Massacre," and I'm not sure how many times 50's "guns have been going off" since he found fame and fortune.
"All of Me," featuring the queen of R&B Mary J. Blige, has a nice soul sample with layered horns and a "wah-wah" guitar hit. 50's verses seem a bit watered down, and while I understand the music game has become a business concerned with album sales, his verses could have been more focused on the song's supposed theme.
Mary kills this one, though, and the beat is very Kanye-esque in style, possibly an attempt to show the hip-hop world that 50 can put together a soulful mixdown to compete with Chicago's finest, Mr. West.
The rest of the album is made for the club or your car. The bass and synth throughout the album are very mainstream and have a clean sound. The single "I Get Money," produced by Funkmaster Flex, has had a lot of commercial success already and of all the songs on the album gets the point across that 50 still "runs New York" in the rap game, even if it is commercial.
Another great club track off the album is "Ayo Technology," produced by Timbaland with Justin Timberlake on the hook. Again, 50 proves he can stay ahead of the curve in the music business, moving in the direction of a house/trance/techno blend of hip hop with a pulsating bass and artificial synths, which seem to be a trend in hip-hop music recently.
Lyrical play in this song is simple, but effective and very catchy, as is the rest of the album. There isn't much that will move you emotionally in 50's wordplay, but it doesn't matter when Timbaland and Dre have your back on the boards.
Overall this album should do well in stores, with a couple possibilities for new singles to drop soon, such as "Fire," a joint with member of G-Unit Young Buck and Pussycat Dolls' own Nicole Scherzinger, and "I'll Still Kill," featuring Akon.
I wouldn't go out and buy this album unless you are a 50 fan, but the beats are hot, and if you're a DJ, this album is a must to keep the dance floor moving.
As for the "Clash of the Titans" battle between 50 and Kanye West -- Kanye wins hands down.
Grade: B-
Contact David Harding at dharding@scu.edu.