, a posturing rappers' duet about whose got the most girlfriends buried in their backyard. So it's business as usual for 50 on his fourth album, and musically he's walking and shuffling to the same old loping and often creepy beat (the latter is not necessarily a bad thing).
This album was initially meant to be released in 2007, but the bulletproof rapper decided to put out
Curtis
instead with
Before I Self Destruct
to follow a year later. It's now been two years and considering many of these songs were written a while ago they don't sound dated.
There are even glimpses of brilliance, like the depth-charge beats and agitated soul of
Crime Wave
(produced by rising Washington DC crew Team Demo) and the poppy
Baby By Me
(with soul crooner Ne-Yo) offering a respite from the album's predominantly dark and ominous tone.
However, the bottom line is there's nothing to rival tracks like
Wanksta
and
In Da Club
from his 2003 debut
Get Rich Or Die Tryin
', when 50 was at his fresh, swaggering best.
Scott Kara