In trying to find an adjective to describe the life of 50 Cent, the word chaotic quickly comes to mind. While many are aware he has been shot nine times, his wealth of beefs with other rappers also stands out. He has been dissed by the likes of Jay-Z (\I'm about a dollar, what the fuck is 50 Cents"") and Ghostface (an entire track on the Supreme Clientele album), and that was before he even became famous.
The controversy continued when 50 started taking shots at fellow G-Unit member Game, telling Vibe magazine that he was brought in to help salvage Game's The Documentary and that he has kicked Game out of the G-Unit. Then, while Game and 50 Cent were each at competing New York radio stations plugging their albums, shots supposedly rang out at the station 50 was at. The next day, Violator Offices, the management home of 50 Cent, was also apparently shot up.
It remains to be seen whether the situation between 50 Cent and Game is real or simply a publicity stunt, but one certain thing is that 50 Cent works hard at drumming up beef with any rapper that he sees fit. The biggest story of 50's newest release, The Massacre, is the song ""Piggy Bank."" Over a synthesizer-heavy Needlz beat, 50 calls out Fat Joe and Jadakiss, saying ""That fat nigga thought Lean Back was in the club, my shit sold 11 mil, his shit was a dud, Jada don't fuck with me, if you wanna eat, 'cuz I'll do your little ass like Jay did Mobb Deep.""
On the same song, 50 also manages to dis Nas, DMX and Shyne. The song title alone suggests 50 is surely calling out these rappers simply to cause controversy and sell more albums.
As a rapper, 50 Cent's courage and charisma will always overshadow his lack of lyrical skill.
Violence, sex and money dominate the content of most of his songs, including ""Gatman and Robin,"" ""Just A Lil Bit,"" and ""I'm Suppose To Die Tonight."" When 50 raps in such an unoriginal and stereotypical way, the only thing that can save the song is the production, which does not happen in any of these cases.
Of course, there are many instances where excellent production does bail out 50 Cent. ""In My Hood"" features a smooth head nodding beat. Hi-Tek's production on ""Get In My Car"" features an infectious guitar riff and a nice laid-back vibe.
Dr. Dre laces ""Gunz Come Out"" with a dope horn and piano combination, resulting in the type of thumping production that made 50 Cent famous in the first place. The hottest production of the album is probably found on ""Candy Shop,"" which would explain why it's currently the top single in the nation.
Though the quality beats he raps over will always overshadow him, 50 Cent does deserve some credit. On ""A Baltimore Love Thing,"" 50 presents a twisted, yet clever tale that describes addiction in terms of a relationship-he plays the role of a controlled substance and has a conversation with a woman who can't seem to get over him. 50 Cent also enlists the help of Jamie Foxx to take a pretty successful stab at a love song on ""Build You Up.""
50 Cent will never be mistaken for a talented lyricist. In blatantly calling out a group of rappers who all (with the possible exception of DMX) possess superior lyrical talent, 50 Cent benefits in the short term but takes a huge risk for the long term. For now, 50's charisma and brass pair, coupled with high-quality production, will keep him on top. But once the rappers he called out decide to respond, it could end up being quite the massacre indeed.
