50 Cent - Curtis

[Meho]

I did this review back in September on the Outbound thread, just copy/paste it


01. Intro

02. My Gun Go Off 4/5
The album starts with 50 Cents favoruite topic: gun. The production is nice, sort of like a mix of something Em and Dre would do. Flow is sharp, lyrically its dope but whats stopping the song getting a higher grade is the subject matter. Theres just so many times you can rap about your gun and 50 has crossed that line.

03. Man Down 4,5/5
This sounds like some old school 50. Great production from another unkwon inhouse producer, loving the piano loop. 50 actually shows some versatality, with changing the sound of his voice. The hook is crazy, very catchy.

04. I'll Still Kill 5/5
DJ Khalil is a fucking beast. The beat is insane. Akon does his thing and drops a nice verse. 50 sounds agressive, delivery is great. I could see this as the next single, being played in both streets and clubs.

05. I Get Money 4,5/5
Everybody must have heard this by now, especially with all the freestyles over it. 50 said he freestyled over this beat and planned on using it for the mixtape. Because of that, we can easilly hear how relaxed 50s flow is and is not on some "lets make a club banger" type, that 50 usually uses. Production comes from the unkwon Apex, who flipped the sample of Audio Twos "Top Billin". IMO, with a high budget video this could be as big as In Da Club was. Of course Interscope shouldn't have leaked and pushed AYO Technology but thats another story.

06. Come And Go 4,5/5
Dr. Dre on the boards. I was really dissapointed with the beat at first but it kinda grew on me. The melody is great but its just looped. 50 saves Dres ass by showing his talent for club joints. Despite this being the 1000th 50 track talking about the club, 50 still manages to create a great club record. He doesnt sound forced (like he does on some other tracks coming up) and again comes up with an addictive hook. Its good to hear Dre, if only for a few words.

07. AYO Technology 4/5
Also a well known track. Timbaland and Danja provied an unique beat, with a lovely switch up in the chours and some nice background elements. Some say 50 sounds forced but forced or not, its great to hear him use a fast paced flow. Justin kills the hook and Timbo does his thing.

08. Follow My Lead 4/5
The first time I heard this track, was through a video leak. I thought it was awful mainly because I dont think I have ever seen 50 so forced in a vid before. But take aways the crappy vid and you realize that this might be the best 50 chick track since 21 Questions (from his solo LPs of course). The production is very smooth and 50 uses his laid back flow. Robin Thicke is unnecessary.

We're 8 tracks deep and so far, the album sounds great. Here is were things start to go wrong.

09. Movin On Up 2/5
Jake One usually drops nothing but heat, however this is one boring ass beat. And so is 50. Theres nothing wrong with the track really but its just so God damn boring. 50 sounds very uninspired. Sounds like a mixtape track.

10. Straight To The Bank 4/5
The original street single. Ty Fyfe and Dr.Dre provide the best of both worlds ---> mixing the new school melody with an old school bassline. The production is superb, best Dre beat Ive heard since the Big Bang project. 50 kills the first verse, 2nd verse is not as good but still nice but its the chours that takes away something from the song. Yayo of course cant even do the laugh like a non retarted person. I was really suprised to see this being picked as a single, since the production isnt on some new type of beats. Oh, and the intro is pure piff. Track is 3 months old and should've been a bonus cut.

11. Amusement Park 1/5
Oh no. A very sad atempt at creating another Candy Shop. Dangerous LLC usually provide nothing but heat for 50, but this sounds very amateurish. 50 actually sounds like some pre-GRODT mixtape 50 but he usually did songs like this on mixtapes over other people beats, basically just fucking around. Not to even metnion that its 3 months old.

12. Fully Loaded Clip 4/5
Havoc provides another classic, grimey beat for his discography. 50 and Hav had great chemistry in the past and this is no exception. 50 rips both verses and while the chours sounded wierd at first, it sound dope after a few listens. Again, where the fuck is a 3rd verse. Get's only a 4/5 because of the played otu subject matter.

13. Peep Show 2/5
Eminem drops a crazzy ass Dre-ish club banger. 50s flow is again surpisingly fast for a club joint but thats about it. Eminem drops another wierd ass verse with that annoying voice. WTF was 50 thinking picking this track to be on his cd out of the other Re-Up joints they had  . Very forced track.

14. Fire 2/5
Some people been dissing the beat but its not made for your pc. Put it in a good stereo and it will blow your speakers away. Sadly, this is the first 50/Dre collabo, where 50 sounds very uninspied and forced. The Nicole feature is completley out of place and Buck should have had a 3rd verse. 50 said that he was pissed at Interscope for making him have this track on the album and I cant say I disagree. This just screams of "hey, lets make a club banger".

15. All Of Me 3/5
Jake One doesnt dissapont here. The beat is for some reason very Wu-Tang-ish for me, having that classic eastcoast sound. A love track but not done in that cheesy way. 50 shouldve had a thrid verse, instead of Marys whinning at the end.

16. Curtis 187 5/5
Best track on the album. Vintage 50. From the crazy chours to the great storytelling to Havoc grimey sound. 50 should really do a whole album of Havoc beats, it looks like he brings the dark side of him.

17. Touch The Sky 4/5
50 kills his verse, so does Yayo. Chours is dope, except for the retarted adlib from Yayo. But the track is missing something. Oh wait! A third verse, wtf 50.

18. Smile 4,75/5
Great track. 50 actually spitting some personal shit over a soulful melody provided by another inhouse producer. He talks about everything from Jimmy Iovine to Dre and Em to oprah, to Don Imus... I only wished he would spread those topics into more songs and cut those forced club tracks.

So, overall mathematically this gets a 4/5, but I think Massacre is a 4/5, I will give this a 3,75/5.

The frist problem with this cd is, that it sounds rushed, which clearly shows in the lackage of 3rd verses. I know he only took 3 months to make it but thats no excuse. The 2nd problem is the forced tracks, wether its demanded by Interscope or not. And the 3rd problem is having those 3 months old tracks on the cd and not as bonus tracks.


How do I rate it in his discography ?
GRODT and Massacre are better than Curtis. I wont even mention GRODT but I will name the reasons of why Massacre is better than Curtis. Lyrically and subject matter 50 hasnt changed since day one so I wont rate that. But its the production and the overall vibe that makes Massacre a better cd. I hope that people will finally realise that Massacre was indeed a great cd.

How do I compare it with Doctors' Advocate ?
DA is a lot better. Lets leave all the production, flow, lyrics, vibe aspects aside. The main difference is, that you can tell that Game had everything to prove and his motavtion to create a great cd was at an all time high level. 50 on the other hand had nothing to prove and basically just put this cd out becuse hes under a contract. His prime goal in this rap game was to get rich and he did. I just dont see him being passionate about music anymore, especially while hes under a 2 year timeline with Interscope. Maybe, if he takes a 3,4 year brake, we'll see something different.

[Dre-Day]

How do I rate it in his discography ?
GRODT and Massacre are better than Curtis. I wont even mention GRODT but I will name the reasons of why Massacre is better than Curtis. Lyrically and subject matter 50 hasnt changed since day one so I wont rate that. But its the production and the overall vibe that makes Massacre a better cd. I hope that people will finally realise that Massacre was indeed a great cd.

lol