Get Rich or Die Tryin’

After so many good hiphop albums on this list, this was bound to happen. An entire music style built for saying a lot in a short time.
But after having finished this album I don't think anything of substance has been said in an entire hour. I feel dumber having listened to it.
I'll be back in the other corner of hip-hop.

Classic hip hop album. Not my favorite, but undeniable influence in its day.

Still stands up, consistent throughout and 50s slightly lazy flow continues to be super listenable. The mega budget production bangs and In Da Club is an all-timer. Limited subject matter but you know what you're walking into with this, better than I feared

This album started out okay enough, Hell I even thought I was enjoying it, which was shocking, but then as the hour(!) dragged on I started realizing how tiring this "I'm so cool" shit is. I'm all for being a cool as fuck, ballin' gangster, you do you man, but not a single thing here feels real. It feels like a guy coping with the fact he is a nobody, and can't handle that, so has to build himself up, give confidence by repeating the same tired stereotypes of fucking things up in the streets and the sheets, and not a single moment feels justified. It only explains to me why so many YouTube comments under these songs are like "these are my hustling songs" or "this gets me pumped" because no one is actually impressed with 50 Cent's accomplishments, they only take his place because they wish they were as cool as his lifestyle, and they daydream about it while working their 3rd shift at the gas station.

If you enjoy this, more power to you, as I said, at first I get it, but if you think this whole album's existence is justified, rather than just one or two tracks, I want to know what draws you in, because all I'm seeing is a wannabe gangster rap great, and they make that abundantly clear that's what 50 Cent is, with all the allusions to other, BETTER rappers. 50 may have had hits, but he fell out fame pretty quickly, and this album explains that.

I know this is considered a landmark album in early 2000s hip hop, and for a lot of people it defined an era. I went into it fully aware of its reputation and cultural impact, hoping I might find something in it that connected.

It just did not land for me.

The production is polished and confident, and you can hear why it dominated at the time. There is swagger, hooks and plenty of attitude. But across a full album listen, it all felt very one dimensional to my ears. The themes, the tone and the overall vibe never really shift, and I found myself disengaging rather than getting pulled in.

I can respect its place in music history and the impact it had commercially and culturally. It is clearly an important record for the genre. It just does not align with my personal taste, and I cannot see myself returning to it.

Favourite song: None stood out enough for me
Least favourite song: Most of the album blends into one for me
Album artwork: Instantly recognisable and iconic for many, but not one I would choose to display

It was all going so well until Eminem showed up.

Every song sounds the same. In da club sounds slightly better than the rest. No thanks.

This album is very nostalgic for me. Every song is a banger and there’s so many classics on here. Easy 5.

Standard rap album - not great, not terrible

Gangsta rap is a bit of a blind spot for me, so I have little to compare this to. I will say that I generally wasn’t impressed with 50 Cent’s lyrics or rapping—it wasn’t bad, but just kind of boring. In fact, my ears perked up and I got excited for the first time when Eminem showed up in “Patiently Waiting.” HIS parts were exciting, deep, and interesting. And then it goes back to 50 Cent and I start yawning again. Not great to be outshined on your own album…

“In da Club” is fun and has a great beat (and is one of the few tracks on the album I had any familiarity with).

I will acknowledge my own biases. I don’t really connect with these themes or this aesthetic, and I can respect that people who do probably really enjoy it. 50 Cent’s story is certainly compelling and the album is well produced.

Track Picks: “Patiently Waiting,” “In da Club”

in da club

Deze man heeft blijkbaar een voorliefde voor het samplen van vuurwapens... Als je bij meerdere nummers het zelfde grapje uithaalt, heb je blijkbaar een idee, maar weinig verdere inspiratie. Die inspiratie is ook niet in de standaard onderwerpen gaan zitten, maar dat zagen we al aan de hoes. Met zijn stem onderscheidt hij zich niet echt. Wat biedt het dan wel? Af en toe een catchy muziekje voor in de club en af en toe een leuke samenwerking met een collegarapper. Eigenlijk een schande om het in deze lijst te presenteren, maar omdat ik er een prima autorit mee heb gehad: 3 sterren.

Meh never been a huge 50 cent fan, not sure why this is on the list. Wonder if it’s dropped off on more recent versions of the book. I see it’s credited with reviving gangster rap. Come 2003 I don’t think gangster rap was needing to come back.

It's just boring. No message that I care about. Fades into the background as if it's not even there. The singles I can get how they got popular but the rest just exists and no better than that.

There are some club/radio hits with catchy hooks (i.e. 'In Da Club' and 'P.I.M.P') so credit where credit is due. And where that credit is due is with the people/teams that made the backing tracks and the hooks. If that was Fifty, then kudos to him! If not, then, again, credit where credit is due.

As an album, I don't see why this is something that people should put on a pedestal. The subject matter is repetitive and paints an exaggerated caricature of a lifestyle, that really isn't appropriate to romanticize. The rhymes and rhyming techniques are basic; made all the plainer by Eminem's collaboration on 'Patiently Waiting', where he completely runs circles around Fifty's contrastingly lethargic contribution. By the 7th track I just got bored and it felt like a task to push through anymore.

Let's trade this one out for MF Doom's 'Madvillainy'. People need to hear that!

Not something I'd put on myself but this works. Holds up surprisingly well - the beats moreso than the lyrics. Peak CD era length is exhausting though.

Me ha resultado aburrido y repetitivo al principio. Menos mal que hacia el final se anima con "P.I.M.P." o "Poor Lil Rich". Por ahí se va a ir a 2 estrellas altas, casi 3.

Bileräpin klassikko. Oon yllättynyt, miten vähän huono tää oli. 3/5.

I've just never really been able to get into 50 Cent, in spite of digging a lot of his peers. Some of Dre's production on here is pretty good though I will say. I'm happy I gave it another go.