CD Review: 50 Cent


By Kylee Dawson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Thursday, March 24, 2005

50 loves God, guns, bitches

Even after comparing the 43 images of guns featured in The Massacre's jacket art to only three women featured within, it's hard to determine which 50 Cent loves more: sex or guns.

Ample references to sexin' both bitches and hos, gats and money, pot and coke, and armed robbery and other random acts of terrorism are just some of the repetitive themes on his second album.

With phat beats provided with the help of co-executive producers Dr. Dre and Eminem, it's not hard to get into the bullet-wound-totin' rapper or his vulgar and oftentimes violent lyrics on the 22-track album.

Of course, a rap album isn't an album without cameos, but 50 managed to keep them to a minimum. In addition to Olivia's two appearances, Eminem becomes the sidekick rapper on a catchy little ditty called "Gatman and Robbin.'"

"I Don't Need 'Em" (which is not short for Eminem), helps re-emphasize 50's status as the alpha male, with a chorus that goes, "I tell niggas to suck my dick/ Get the fuck out my face/ 'Cause I don't need 'em/ 'Cause they're never around/ When I'm down/ Shot and I'm bleedin.'"

Other cameos include Jamie Foxx and Tony Yayo, who also appeared on a G-Unit remix of "Hate It or Love It," which also appeared on The Game's debut album and features Young Buck and Lloyd Banks.

Fiddy's first single, "The Candy Shop," features Olivia, who also appears on "So Amazing," which could pass for a legitimate love song. A very, very X-rated love song.

Remember, he's into having sex, he ain't into making love, so he has no problem bragging about all the other bitches he's been with, including a brief minute-long fling with Vivica A. Fox, on "Get in My Car."

50 Cent avoids bitches, profanity and weapons of all kinds in "God Gave Me Style," but still manages to include a smidgen of violence by stating his mom would kill him if he didn't mention her.

How much gangsta rap can one society stomach? A lot, apparently, and as long as audiences keep illegally downloading, burning and purchasing 50 Cent's albums, the man will continue producing nastier, more violent lyrics. But don't hate the player. Hate the million-dollar record-generating game.