|
You'd have to have spent the last few months on another planet not to have heard about the
overblown drama of the Kanye West/50 Cent feud. With both rappers' new albums set for a Sept. 11 release date, 50 famously
bragged that if West's album outsold his during their first week on the shelves, he'd retire from rapping forever.
Not
surprisingly, West's "Graduation" outsold 50's "Curtis" by a good 300,000 copies, and he quickly backtracked on his promised
retirement.
For all of 50's pre-release bluster, "Curtis" is a bitter disappointment. His attitude has shifted; the
once-hungry young rapper comes off like a professional athlete who, after a few seasons of smashing success, believes he can
skate by on natural ability alone: "God gave me a gift/I'm supposed to be rich," he raps on the sloppy "All of Me."
And
while some fans are willing to subsidize the mediocrity - the album did sell more than 600,000 copies in seven days - a greater
number have decided not to buy into the hype.
Like his two previous efforts, "Curtis" is equal parts gratuitous violence
and sex, but it lacks the cleverness and creativity that established him as the fresh new voice of rap music back in 2002
with the release of the landmark "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." As a result, the first three tepid singles released from the album
("Straight to the Bank," "I Get Money" and "Amusement Park") have tanked.
There may be a time and a place for music depicting the
gritty struggle for survival in the inner city, but 50 takes it to excess with song after song dedicated to thug life. The
monotony of subject matter carries over to the same-sounding beats of "My Gun Go Off," "Fully Loaded Clip" and "I'll Still
Kill."
When he finally takes a break from glorifying the gangsta life, 50 moves on to what apparently is his only other
interest: sex. He trots out an endless parade of lewd analogies to convey his physical prowess in this area, but the bottom
line seems to be that 50 is God's gift to women. In turn, they were put on Earth solely for the purpose of his pleasure. And
let's just say that 50 isn't at all shy about using the b-word.
The lone track rising from the musical abyss is the
futuristic "Ayo Technology," which isn't all that surprising, given that it features music's current golden duo: Timbaland
and Justin Timberlake. But the other tracks with guest artists - including Akon, Eminem and the venerable Mary J. Blige -
only spotlight 50's comparative lack of creative energy.
When he puts some real effort into it, 50 Cent is more than
capable of producing fresh, innovative rap music. But if he no longer wants to do the work that continued greatness requires,
perhaps retirement isn't such a bad idea after all.
::: 50 Cent – Curtis :::
My first impression upon opening the CD case; I find that 50 Cent as the
executive produces decided to have a premium glossy paper vs. cheap paper for the CD insert. There are also some lovely photos
of 50 cent and Ciara. In simple terms 50 Cent is a monster, 50 Cent Curtis launched in stores on 9/11/07. Monster
hit “I get money” has a stanky' beat, I mean hot beat. “I get money” is getting a lot of
radio and video play, although 50 cent may never top his biggest hit “In da club” from his album Get Rich Or Die
Tryin'. “Amusement Park” is another smasha' that appeals to all the women that love 50 Cent.
On to another monster hit “ayo technology” featuring Justin Timberlake. The Timbaland produced “ayo technology”
is something special, the beat, vocals, and production mesh creating a fission needed to take the 50 Cent Curtis album
to Platinum status.
Mediocre Mentions:
Honorable Mentions:
- Straight to the Bank
- Fire featuring Nicole Scherzinger and Young Buck
- I still kill featuring Akon
- Follow my lead featuring Robin Thicke
- Fully Loaded Clip
Overall this is a good album go BUY it don't burn it although 50 Cent is already rich!!
Review by: ~ jblu
Extras:
Ciara and 50 Cent Pics
| 50 Cent - Curtis Track List |
| Intro |
| My Gun Go Off |
| Man Down |
| I'll Still Kill - featuring Akon |
| I Get Money |
| Come & Go |
| Ayo Technology - featuring Justin Timberlake/Timbaland |
| Follow My Lead - featuring Robin Thicke |
| Movin' On Up |
| Straight To The Bank |
| Amusement Park |
| Fully Loaded Clip |
| Peep Show - featuring Eminem |
| Fire - featuring Nicole Scherzinger and Young Buck |
| All Of Me - featuring Mary J Blige |
| Curtis 187 |
| Touch The Sky - featuring Tony Yayo |
|
