50 Cent- Before I Self Destruct review, 7.5/10

The Invasion: 6.5/10 Your standard intro track. 50 comes out energetic but without a lot of interesting rhymes it doesn’t really resonate with me. 

Then Days Went By: 9.5/10 Great song. Lyrics are a lot more memorable, the funniest being about being 12 and having sex with a 20 year old. He doesn’t care that it’s technically rape, because it was so cool. Not gonna lie. That’s the exact same interpretation I’d have if I hooked up with a 20 year old. The beat is great too. The organ and background vocals are perfect.

Death To My Enemies: 9/10 This is a Dre beat, and it definitely shows it. 50 goes hard, claiming that this CD isn’t “Tha Carter”. Anything anti-Wayne I’m all for, because he’s played out. There isn’t a whole lot to this track, but it’s great for what it is.

So Disrespectful: 7/10 Ah 50 and your fightin’ ways. This is his anti-Game/Young Buck track among others… It’s not bad, but I actually like Piggy Bank off Tha Massacre more for some reason (wow, I never thought I’d say that).  Woulda given this an 8 if it wasn’t  referencing Young Buck doing more syrup than Pimp C. This is because Pimp C had more talent in his pinkie than 50 Cent has in his entire body.

Psycho: 9/10 50 changes up his flow on this track, which makes you wonder if Em wrote his verses. Both go hard on the track, and Em especially shines (what’s new?). Anytime you mention beating the Octomom with a Cabbage Patch kid you have my vote. Way to go Em. Topical and funny.

Hold Me Down: 4/10 Someone tell Scott Storch to stop doing coke. This beat is strangely bad, and really shows how far Scott Storch has fallen off. 50 Cent’s raps are tired and pointless. So far, it’s the worst song on the album. He must have put this on the album to do Scott Storch a favor. Trust me, he did not do him any favors by allowing millions to hear this track.

Crime Wave: 6.5/10 Another swagger track about guns, how itchy trigger fingers are and how much bullets burn. I don’t discount 50 Cents credibility on the knowledge of how getting shot feels, but I don’t need to hear about it a bunch of times. When did it become cool to get shot a bunch of times? 

Stretch: 9/10 Sha Money XL’s beat is pretty good. Song about selling drugs, but it’s pretty interesting.  I don’t know why I like this track, but it’s strangely hypnotic. “Streeeetch”…”Kurt Cocaine.” I don’t know if it’s clever but I like it. Haha.

Strong Enough: 7/10 Soulful beat. More lyrics about guns and how hardcore he is. Transitions into how much money he has. Then he disses his old crew. It kinda goes all over the place, but the lyrics are better and work well with the beat. 

Get It Hot: 5/10 Not really feeling this track. The beat by Nottz is kinda cool, but it doesn’t work all that great with 50. It clocks in at 2:59 and it feels long. That’s not a good sign. Nottz gonna listen to this song again…

Gangsta’s Delight: 9.5/10 Haha, this song is great. Remix the lyrics from Rapper’s Delight with a Dre beat. 50 has got some balls to redo a classic like this. Somehow, it works. The beat is grimey. I love the piano in the background.  The lyrics work. 50’s flow is perfect. So far, my favorite song on the album.

I Got Swag: 5/10 Did you know 50 Cent has a lot of money, as well as swagger? Me neither! Thank God he cleared it up on this track. Throwaway.

Baby By Me: 8.5/10 Ok, I get it. That’s kinda clever: “Have a baby by me baby, be a millionaire” Throw a Ne-Yo hook on it, and it’s a hit, right? Sorta. It’s overproduced by Polow da Don, but overall I think girls will like it. It’s likable for a chick track. After 12 songs about shooting people and selling drugs, it’s a nice break. 

Do You Think About Me: 7/10 Another girl track but it’s more laid back. It’s not as catchy, but not terrible. I feel like they should have put it somewhere else on the CD to break up the two softer songs.

Ok, You’re Right: 7/10 The only previously released song that actually made the CD. It’s pretty good, but I don’t really like the chorus that much. I actually liked the song “Get Up” more, and am kinda surprised it didn’t make the CD. 

Could’ve Been You: 7/10 Weird song but it flows well. R. Kelly is singing about smelling shit. 50 Cent does alright on the track, but it’s strange to have as a closing song. 

Overall: 7.5/10 (Don’t know if my math worked out on that at all) 

Final impression is that it’s better than Curtis, but the subject matter was too focused on guns and drugs. There were too many generic songs that had no clear message. Half of them were just excuses to rap about killing people with a different chorus for each song. If he would have taken a few of those tracks off and had a few tracks that told a story or had different subject matter, the CD would have been great.