50 Cent

About 50 Cent

White hot Queens rapper 50 Cent's biggest enemy is his own hype. Which is saying a lot, considering the MC is notoriously bullet-riddled and constantly embroiled in gangsta rap dynasty in-fighting. But does he live up to it? 50 Cent's breakout disc, Get Rich Or Die Trying, sets a diamond standard for commercial, street-centric hip hop. If you're looking for rappers bragging about their cash and their collection of hotties, few execute the old themes as well as "Fiddy". The album is a savvy mix of thug jams sprinkled with a few tender R&B crooners. 50 Cent's formative years were spent hustling drugs and making connections. The young talent quickly came to the attention of Run DMC's late Jam Master Jay, who mentored young Fifty during the early 1990's. After leaving Jay under disputed circumstances, Fifty signed with Columbia Records and dropped his debut single, "How To Rob." The cut made a bang by dissing a suicidal number of serious hip hop players. Fifty's swaggering snaps are delivered with a quick sense of humor that had fans smirking, but his targets were far less amused. Fifty followed up "Rob" with another controversial single targeting a prominent NYC drug dealer, and his Columbia Records debut was indefinitely shelved. "Fiddy" made the best of it though, catching the attention of Eminem and Dr. Dre with his prolific mix tape tracks. With those two production superstars on his side, 50 Cent went on to unleash his record-breaking debut. Hip hop fans still use Get Rich as their go-to disc for pumped-up singles like In Da Club or P.I.M.P., sure to drive the dance floor nuts or help you kill that do-or-die extra mile on the track.