You may know 50 Cent from a variety of movies. You may know him for his ventures in the businesses of boxing, energy drinks, or clothing. But if you're like us, you know him for his early 2000s rap bangers.
When Get Rich Or Die Tryin' hit the shelves of music stores in 2003, it seemed as if hip-hop had a new king. For a brief period of time, it did. Tracks like "In Da Club," and "21 Questions" were number one hits, and they helped to propel the album to the number one spot as well. 50 was king, no doubt.
In 2005, 50 dropped The Massacre, another number one album, and in 2007 he released Curtis. The latter was involved in a hyped up competition between 50 Cent and Kanye West, who released Graduation on the same day. Musically, 50 headed on a decline while Kanye jetted off into legendary status.
Taking the L to Mr. West doesn't negate the plenty of great cuts 50 Cent has dropped along the way, though. Today, we're throwing it back to Curtis Jackson's best tracks.
50 Cent - How To Rob
Power of the Dollar never saw mainstream success, but it had a few gems. "How To Rob" sees 50 Cent verbally sticking up Big Pun, Timbaland, DMX, RZA, Master P, and many more. That's one way to get attention, 50.
"I'll catch P and Silkk The Shocker right after the Grammy's
And Will Smith and Jada ass down in Miami
Run up on Timbaland and Missy with the pound
Like you give me the cash, you put the hot dog down
I figured it out, niggas been robbing Joe before
That's why his ass don't wanna be a player no more
My attitude while robbing J.D., fuck you, pay me
Had Da Brat with em, should've had his gat with him"
50 Cent - Ghetto Qu'ran
"Ghetto Qu'ran" was on both of 50 Cent's early projects, Power of the Dollar and Guess Who's Back? If you dig 50 over that boom-bap hip hop sound, this one's for you.
50 Cent - Wanksta
"Wanksta" started the whole superstardom for 50. It was the second single off Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack and saw a great bit of mainstream love. It also paved the way for 50's most successful record, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
50 Cent - In Da Club
The beat, the video, the "go shawty, it's ya birthday" introduction...it's all so classic now. Revisit this cut, because it's just too perfect for Throwback Thursday.
50 Cent ft Nate Dogg - 21 Questions
Gangsters have soft sides too, and the plethora of R&B/rap crossover tracks in the 2000s proved that much. Catch 50 and Nate Dogg in the classic "21 Questions." You gotta love it!
50 Cent ft Snoop Dogg & G-Unit- P.I.M.P.
When the steel drum fill kicks in, you know what time it is.
"I don't know what you heard about me
But a bitch can't get a dollar out of me
No Cadillac, no perms, you can't see
That I'm a motherfucking P-I-M-P"
50 Cent ft Eminem - Patiently Waiting
This was the underrated cut of Get Rich, and it's all thanks to an absolutely genius verse from 50's mentor Eminem. Read along...
"They think they're crazy, but they ain't crazy, let's face it
Shit, basically they're just playing sick
They ain't shit, they ain't saying shit, spray 'em 50
A to the K, get in the way I'll bring Dre and them with me
And turn this day into fucking mayhem, you staying with me?
Don't let me lose you, I'm not trying to confuse you
When I let loose with this Uzi and just shoot through your Isuzu
You get the message? Am I getting through to you?
You know what's coming, you motherfuckers don't even know, do you?
Take some Big and some Pac and you mix em up in a pot
Sprinkle a little Big L on top, what the fuck do you got?
You got the realest and illest killers tied up in a knot
The juggernauts of this rap shit, like it or not
It's like a fight to the top just to see who'd die for the spot
You put ya life in this, nothing like surviving a shot
Y'all know what time it is, soon as 50 signs on this doc
Shit what you know about death threats, cause I get a lot
Shady Records was eighty seconds away from the towers
Some cowards fucked with the wrong building, they meant to hit ours
Better evacuate all children, it's nuclear showers
There's nothing spookier
You now about to witness the power of fucking 50"
50 Cent ft Olivia - Candy ShopÂ
This dirty, 2005 single had all the radio love in the world. Along with Olivia, 50 Cent crafted the definition of a hit single.
50 Cent - Just a Lil Bit
A Scott Storch-produced single with oodles of half-naked women in the video? It may be 10 years old, but this throwback still has legs.
50 Cent - Amusement Park
Curtis lacked an interesting direction, but it still had a few solid tracks on it. "Amusement Park," the lead single, is one of them.
