Tough guy
50 Cent
Curtis
(Aftermath)
By Lennat Mak
Choice Cut : ''Ayo Technology,'' ''I'll Still Kill,'' ''All Of Me,'' ''Follow My Lead''
50 Cent, the man of hard knocks, has gone through a tumultuous time with his latest album Curtis. Album release date delayed, songs and videos leaks, and the whole Kanye West face-off debacle (to which 50 lost), what else can go wrong? But just like the life of 50 (a.k.a Curtis) before fame found him, struggles are what the man is made of.
And according to 50, the album is largely inspired by the life he had before he became one of the kings of hip-hop. Without any surprises, Curtis, just like his previous releases Get Rich Or Die Tryin' and The Massacre, is a gritty album of violence, drugs, sex, and bling, all done with 50's trademark swagger. Whether it's the murderous brutality of the 'hood ("My Gun Go Off," "Man Down," "I'll Still Kill"), sex crazed hormonal urges ("Ayo Techology," "Fire") or the flaunting of wealth ("I Get Money," "Straight To The Bank"), 50 rhymes and flows with heavy beats and catchy hooks that serve as the perfect soundtrack if you are driving down the streets where the sun don't shine.
Despite the thuggish macho-ism that appeals only to a selected crowd, Curtis has its tender moments with the suave "Follow My Lead" (featuring Robin Thicke) and the rather soulful collaboration with Mary J. Blige on "All Of Me." Being "soft" is probably not what 50 does best, but with threats and guns a-wavering in your face throughout the album, those do come as a much-needed breather.
Which goes to say, 50 does need something more to reinvent himself, other than banking on more of the same. Sure, he can rhyme all about how "When I made fifty mill, Em got paid," but there are only six shots a barrel and what else can 50 do when he runs out of fire?
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