50 Cent: Power of the Dollar

Once again, I'm gonna split this into three parts.

50 Cent is one of the few rappers that is hated by hip hop fans of all types, even the kinds that don’t normally agree on anything. The “backpackers” hate him for being the living embodiment of everything that’s wrong with hip hop nowadays, labeling him a no-talent hack who appeals to the mainstream crowd. The “socially conscious” crowd labels him a modern day minstrel show caricature, an ignorant thug perpetuating negative black stereotypes in exchange for a quick buck. You have the “hardcore” crowd who views him as a snitch and a wannabe gangsta who appeals only to white suburban kids and has lost all respect in the streets. Finally, you have the crowd that I’m sure the majority of the people in this group fall under; the fans of plain old good hip hop no matter its background. They dislike him for the simple fact that as of now, he sucks. His lyrics are lazy, his concepts cliched, and his present catalogue devoid of any sort of substance. If you fall under the first three categories it’s doubtful that 50's never released debut Power of the Dollar will change your perception of him. The title alone should be evident that content wise, its not all that different from the usual that we’ve seen from Mr. Jackson. Drug dealing, money, hoes, shit talking, and killing run rampant throughout the entire CD. However, if you’re simply a fan of good hip hop, I urge you to check this album out. Those who have grown accustomed to the uninspired and just plain crappy music that 50 has put out lately will likely be surprised by what you hear.

Intro:
The album starts with a very cinematic intro. Police and ambulance sirens are heard in the background and dark and soulful music that you might hear out of a blaxploitation film plays. A man, one of 50's “boys” I imagine, starts to speak about the concept of change and how the whole world revolves around it. 50 then joins in and the two of them both label themselves as “winners.” They then deliver a message that many today would see as a stark contradiction to 50's modern day image. To paraphrase “It aint about how many cars you got, or how much ice you rock, it aint about that shit, its about how the fuck you feed your family. Understand that, simple minded muthafuckas. Ya’ll busy getting pimped. So think about that shit, when you recoup your record deal. Yeah, think about that shit cuz you living off the strength of the next nigga anyway.” The sincerity of this little monologue is debatable. But one things for certain, it’s a very strong album intro that pulls the listener in from the get go.

The Hit:
The production of this song, like all the songs on the album, are done by the Trackmasters. Because of this, the majority of the songs sound similar but I like what Tone and Poke do. The beats aren’t as epic and booming as the ones on Get Rich or Die Trying but they have a very smooth and soulful sound that mend well with 50's flow. And that’s the first thing you’ll notice about this song; 50's flow. Keep in mind, the album was made before he got shot in the mouth, and the difference that it caused in his voice is striking. There’s no slurred mumble. His voice is clear, powerful, and engaging. That’s what you’ll notice the most because the song itself isn’t all that memorable. Its basically a way for 50 to introduce his style to the listener and it contains the typical gangsta boasting. But one thing that it does achieve is establish 50's undeniable mic presence and swagger. There’s something about the calm and icy cold demeanor that he has when he raps about his gangsta lifestyle. He doesn’t sound angry, aggressive, or like he has anything to prove. He simply sounds indifferent. This makes him all the more powerful.




The Good Die Young:
I’ve heard this beat before but I can’t remember from which song. I’m sure Tone and Poke used it again since the album was never released. But anyway, this is one of the better songs on the album. It has a very laid back feel as 50 muses about street life and the lifestyle that he lives. It’s one of the few songs where 50 really “opens up” and the listener gets a reasonable look at where 50 is coming from.

Corner Bodega
This is more of a skit than an actual song. Basically 50 tells a story about him making a drug deal. The way that 50 describes it is very engaging and he paints a visual and atmospheric picture that gives insight into the life of a drug dealer. Definitely better than your typical album skit.

Your Life’s A Line
I’m sure most of you have heard this song. It’s a bonus track on Get Rich or Die Trying. Its basically 50 bragging about how gangsta he is while throwing some subliminal shots at Ja Rule. 50 has some decent punchlines and his flow is on point, but to be honest I never really liked this song that much. The chorus is annoying to me.

That Aint Gangsta
This song has one of the better beats on the album. The song is once again 50 bragging about how gangsta he is, but like the whole album, it has a lot more depth than you might think. The level of detail and insight that he gives into the gangsta life is incredible. In a way, he’s educating the listener, almost giving a journalistic account of life on the streets. As you’ll find out later on though, the amount of information that 50 gives gets even bigger as the album progresses.

As the World Turns
This is a song that features U.G.K. The beat is banging and it has a very down south type beat. The song basically talks about the importance of money. 50 tries a southern type flow on this but to be honest I don’t like it that much. I’ll give him an A for effort but it sounds forced. This becomes even more evident once Bun B starts spitting and completely murders 50 on the track.

Ghetto Qu’ran
I’m sure most of you have heard about this, the infamous Ghetto Qu’ran. Many people think it’s the reason that 50 got shot as he describes the street life and various drug dealers in a way that might have been a little TOO accurate. I’m not hear to debate whether it was right for 50 to make this song and whether or not it makes him a snitch. What I can say is that the song is incredible. The emotion and the amount of detail that 50 brings is amazing and after listening, you truly feel as if you’ve just gone on a 4 ½ minute journey into the mean streets of Jamaica, Queens.

Da Repercussions
Self-explanatory. 50 basically goes over the codes of the street and the consequences of not following those rules. Pretty ironic that he has this song play right after Ghetto Qu’ran but whatever. It’s another strong song with good production by the Track Masters.

Money By Any Means
This song is amazing because of the simple fact that its not redundant. At this point in the album, 50 has already told us time and time again that money is important. The fact that he can do it yet again but still sound fresh is pretty incredible. Once again though, he gets outshined by a guest artist. This time its Noreaga.

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Material Girl 2000
Not really feeling this song. It’s basically a song about gold diggers. The beat is hot and 50 rides it well but I just didn’t like the concept of the song.

Thug Love
This is easily the most commercial song on the album and I think it was supposed to be the first commercial single as it features Destiny’s Child. The song isn’t all that bad and 50 actually has some nice verses but it doesn’t belong on an album like this. This would’ve fit better on The Massacre.

Slow Doe
All right, so Money By Any Means was cool but by now the whole “money” theme is overkill. Still, 50's flow is strong once again so I was able to tolerate it.

Gun Runner
This is probably one of my favorite skits/story songs on a hip hop album ever. It basically starts off with 50 asleep and being woken up by an old friend who is interested in buying guns from him. I won’t ruin the rest but I will say that 50's story telling techniques on this one are incredible. In the span of 2 minutes, 50 manages to make a song with realistic dialogue, an interesting plot, and a darkly humorous surprise ending.

You Aint No Gangsta
All right, I know this is gonna sound cliched but this is easily the most “gangsta” song on the album. The beat is probably the darkest and most foreboding on the whole album and 50 works his gangsta bravado to perfection on this one. Once again, its his laid back and matter of fact tone that works so effectively.

Power of the Dollar
Probably my favorite song from 50 Cent ever. The beat, 50's flow, his lyrics, his intensity, his emotion. This is 50 at his best. I know I sound hypocritical praising this song when I complained earlier about the money theme being redundant but this song is so good that it transcends its own tired concept. The song is probably the best examples of 50's flow perfectly matching the beat. I LOVE this song.

I’m A Hustler
With a song as great as Power of the Dollar preceding it, it would be easy for this track to be overshadowed. But it surprisingly holds its own. The beat is a BANGER, reminds me of something that Primo could’ve produced. 50 doesn’t say anything too substantial on this one but he does have a few interesting lines. “I hate a liar more than I hate a thief, a thief is only after my salary, a liar’s after my reality” and also “Here’s a jewel, love your enemies and hate your friends, your enemies remain the same, your friends always change.” Philosophical wisdom coming from the creator of Candy Shop? Maybe not, but the lines are interesting nonetheless.


How to Rob
This is probably the most memorable song on the album and it’s the track that really gave 50 his first major buzz. You’ve probably heard the song or at least heard about it but basically its 50 describing different ways in which he’d rob popular artists in the recording industry. And he spares no one. Everyone from Lil Kim, to the Wu Tang Clan, to Kirk Franklin(yes, you read that right) is a victim of his crime spree. The single caused a lot of controversy and pissed a lot of people off. Was it right or responsible for 50 to make a song like this? No. Is it hilarious and entertaining as hell? You bet ya. Here are my two favorite lines. “I’ll rob Pun without a gun, snatch his piece and run, this nigga weighs 400 pounds how he gon’ catch me son?” and “Caught Timbaland and Missy with the pound, I was like ‘you, give me the cash and put the hot dog down!” Great song and the perfect way to end the album.

In closing, to me, this album is in many ways like a very good blockbuster film. Not a whole lot of substance but so well crafted and made that I can look past that. Way better than the Massacre and in my opinion(and I’m sure a lot of people disagree with me on this) better than Get Rich or Die Trying. 8 out of 10.