50 Cent
Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
Interscope

50 Cent came, gambled and walked away with fat pockets, but not the jackpot.

The emcee who has been shot, stabbed and locked up has been causing insatiable buzz in the industry. And after dozens of mixtapes hawked on New York’s streets and numerous spouts about his rough life, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ rewards lovers of rap and the grimy lifestyle, but fails to provide substance for backpackers (underground rap lovers) who listen to artists such as Talib Kweli and The Roots.

50, the 26-year-old native of Jamaica, Queens, talks about life on the streets, the drug game and guns. He can’t seem to get the latter of the three out of his mind. Throughout the album, 50 manages to emanate his message and thoughts about guns on almost every track. He is very similar to Tupac Shakur in this regard, as he seems to be able to see his time in front of him.

50 also uses his street wit and bullet-riddled memories to smear tracks with dark images. On “Patiently Waiting,” one of two tracks that featuring Eminem, 50 makes you double-take and rewind the CD when he says: “Destination heaven/sit and politic with passengers from 9/11/the Lord’s blessings leave me lyrically inclined/s—- I ain’t even got to try to shine.”

“Don’t Push Me” follows its lead by looping gunshots throughout the beat to get the listener more acquainted with 50’s shoot-em-up lifestyle while the Tupac-esque lyrics burn the track.

Though flying bullets turn up on this album way more than Dr. Dre and Eminem do, there are some bullet-free tracks. “Wanksta,” the Ja Rule dis track that was originally on the 8 Mile soundtrack, surfaces here including another Murder Inc. basher, “Back Down.”

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ falls short in the beat department though some tracks work well.

Although it does not live up to all the hype, Get Rich has the remnants of a hot album. 50, as long as he can stay around and not fall victim to the guns he raps about, may one day be a major player in the rap industry. But right now, 50 Cent isn’t worth all his name implies.

Contact Rorik Williamsat oracletunes@yahoo.com