Posted on September 20, 2007
50 Cent’s new album, Curtis, offers standard hip-hop tracks containing the usual street subject matter and catchy beats that will be familiar and hopefully loved by any fan of 50.
However, those looking for growth might need to go elsewhere, as 50 seems to be focused on using his tried-and-true song formulas. Curtis offers standard 50 anthems, chick tracks and harder hip-hop pieces, on songs such as “Get Money,” Ayo Technology” and “Fully Loaded Clip.”
In some ways, it’s almost as if the beats are the only things that have changed since The Massacre, 50’s 2005 album effort. The album content and style is so familiar that many might consider Curtis to be called The Massacre, Part II. Despite this, 50 always picks out catchy beats and delivers strong freestyles.
Because 50 doesn’t have the creative talent and wide subject range of artists such as Outkast, Nas and Talib Kweli, his songs can sometimes sound similar. However, he benefits from sticking to what he knows, where he is from and what he can rap about: money, women and drugs. 50 Cent has always been a strong artist because he draws from his roots as a drug dealer and his previous life on the streets.
He is also adept at catering toward women, spitting rhymes on “Ayo Technology” like “different style / different move / damn I like the way you move / girl you got me thinking about all the things I do to you/”
By sticking to these subjects and adding catchy beats, he is creating tracks that will be popular in clubs and on the radio.
The album is also host to many famous and talented producers such as Dr. Dre, Jake One and J Khalil, who recently worked on Talib Kweli’s new album, Eardrum. The record also features Havoc from Mobb Deep, who produces harder tracks like “Fully Laded Clip” and “Curtis 187.”
50 gets in on the game by adding his production credits to tracks “Get Money” or “I Still Kill” with Akon, that will probably be playing in clubs and gathering airplay in several months.
The Sept. 11 release date of Curtis made hip-hop headlines, with the album going head-to-head with the release of Kanye West’s Graduation, which soon turned into an album-sales competition. But whether or not 50 will stick to his promise of retirement is still up in the air.
50 may not be the best lyricist or rapper in the game, but he always knows how to create a track with full party potential, like he does on “Come & Go.” – “everybody know like everywhere I go / when 50 in the club everything go out of control / you can blame it on Em or blame it on Dre/.” 50 is what he is and Curtis is a solid album.
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