Some albums hold up really well, some albums were overhyped. Get Rich or Die Tryin' the 2003 official debut of 50 cent does not hold up well at all.
History lesson. In 2003, so called “gangsta rap” wasn't dead, but it wasn't what it was in the early 90's. After Biggie and Tupac died, the rappers that gained popularity were less violent. Perhaps that's a good thing, but it also left room for someone, anyone to fill the role. Curtis Jackson had all the credibility to fill that role. He's from Southside Jamaica Queens, a historically violent neighborhood. He has a rap sheet with felony drug charges, and faced a 3-9 year sentence. Also, as he proceeded to mention many times, he was shot 9 times at close range. Also, unlike rappers like Jay-Z and others, he didn't distance himself from that former life at all.
Then there's the rap aspect. He had a ton of "street singles" and mixtapes. Songs like Ghetto Quran and How to Rob got him a lot of attention. By 2003, he was signed to Shady Records and had the benefit of beats from Dr. Dre and Eminem, something that new rappers would kill for.
When the album began, and the sounds of 2 quarters dropping happens, there's no doubt of his rap skills and his angle
"They say I walk around like I got an S on my chest, no that's a semi-auto and a vest on my chest"
Then Patiently Waiting featuring Eminem plays followed by Many men. The album has a lot of music that holds up, or music that reminds me of my teens when I listened to it for the first time.
On the other hand, when the album is bad, it's terrible. High all the time, P.I.M.P., poor lil rich. Blood hound are all songs that didn't need to be there. I'm also not a fan of 21 questions. 50 cent is good at rapping about getting shot and how tough he is in comparison to everyone else. But he has absolutely no range. Immediately it becomes obvious that the album isn't a classic. It's important. It’s a peek into the early 2000's. However, in comparison to other solid debuts, it's decidedly not a classic.
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