Story goes that at one point in the 1990s Boo Boo told his crew that he was going to stop hustling and become a rapper. No one at that time heard him rap before and were skeptical about how he would fare on the mic. But whatever the cause was for his sudden change of heart, it all happened in the '90s and the result was the infamous 50 Cent. To many people and myself, that decade was considered hip-hop’s golden era. Success depended on originality and creativity, not dick riding the next man’s formula. Ahh how times have changed.

Anyway, when he’s in his mixtape element, few if anyone can see 50 Cent. Especially when he’s remaking hot shit to his own liking. I mean that’s how he got on, remember? Taking someone else’s hit and making it hotter. But this time he isn’t jacking current hits, he’s taking it back to the era that might have inspired him to add his own layer to the hip-hop culture. Throwing his own verses over classic instrumentals like Wu- Tang’s “Heaterz” (“I’m Paranoid”), Biggie’s “Suicidal Thoughts” (“Suicide Watch”), and Case’s “Touch Me, Tease Me” (“Touch Me”) where he used the classic R&B beat to sweet talk his high heel wearing fan base saying, “She’s so vicious/sweet kisses, taste delicious/maybe this is who I should make the Mrs./let’s conversate a little like the fiddle/play with the middle.”

50 continued to be in rare form when he used a slick and sick flow to spit, “They say I ain’t lyrical/they say I ain’t a miracle/I say some hard shit so they say I ain’t spiritual/they act like they know God better than me/I know God Allah, he used to pump crack up the street,” over the Jackson 5’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are.” 50 and Mike went together like bread and butter on that song. And I’m not talking about that “I can’t believe it’s not butter” bullshit. I mean that real artery clogging butter that put an end to Chris Farley and Elvis. That Manteca, b.

On “90’s & My Heart Is Broken” a bunch of R&B classics were blended with old 50 verses and it came out pretty cool. But this time around we were blessed with fresh 50 verses on classic material, and he created something that reminded me why he was so untouchable a few years back. He was more charismatic with his style (not bragging about being rich and not trying so hard to be, well, hard), the flow was impeccable on every joint he did and he was just having fun with the music. That’s how 50 took over the game the first time around. With fun/gangsta joints like “Niggas” and “Wanksta.” Though joints like “Dreaming” and “Get The Money” were a little too dance-ish for me, he still got it in. He took it back to his mixtape essence where he adapted his sound so spot on to popular tracks that it sounded as if these were official remixes. All I can say is, everyone better watch out, 50’s back around…-The Infamous O

Hottest Joint: “Touch Me”

Weakest Joint: “London Girl Pt 2”

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