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Live Review
by Oggi Schitler
26-9-2003
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| 50 Cent: a handful of awards and bucks |
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Live: 50 Cent
Wembley Arena, London
Thursday, September 25, 2003
50 Cent’s show is as tall as all his awards
50 Cent’s debut headline show – his first appearance was at the Eminem’s open-air date earlier in the summer – was good, huge, entertaining… But, it was also a show that offered precious little to any seasoned Hip-hop lover. The fact is that 50 does it well but it has been seen before. Many a time, actually, to have become a bog standard genre’s fodder. As is his stock answer of “All those things I rap about, they really happened.”
That’s been the malaise of Hip-hop for a number of years, nothing’s much happened to stimulate acts to really push the border of the genre but gentrify it further. Yeah, making it more pop by bringing it nearer to the R&B territory. Now, if rap is supposed to be the sound-of-da-hoods, the punk of black culture, what are we left with? We are not pished off because he was late onstage due to collecting three MOBO awards.
The Eminem’s disciple has risen to incredible heights (after having an album refused by Sony, his first contract-holder) with mega sales across the globe but he’s not in the same league as some of the Rap’s Hall of Famers. Whenever you read about him (or speak to the man, as we have) it is the stories of being shot 9-times in a day, dealing drugs at 12, parentless at the age of 6 (brought up by grandparents)… Being interrogated by British passport officers before being allowed into the country this time only adds to his aura of mean that, frankly, it is hard to buy, despite his physic.
Yeah, man wears a bulletproof vest to protest himself and that is a cool gimmick but what does he do for music? ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’’ is a statement from a ghetto that has its mind set on getting wealthy and that’s where it loses heartily to Public Enemy or Ice T, not talking about NWA. Curtis Jackson has bling-bling gallery to show for his efforts – diamonds, rings, chains – and new tattoos; he’s secured that the future of his seven-year-old son, Marquis, will never be on street level. 50 can act mean to guarantee him Hollywood future.
The songs, ‘Many Men (Wish Death)’, ‘Back Down’, ‘Gotta Make It To Heaven’, ‘cover’ of Busta Rhymes’ ‘I Know What You Want’, the hits: ‘In Da Club’, ‘P.I.M.P.’ and ’21 Questions’ (duet with Nate Dogg) – what does it say about this rapster? Not much to me, not much to anyone who despises rap’s dumbing down. His album has sold 7 million copies in about 8 months that simply proves that – with the right backing you can sell arranged bricks as artwork, as someone had done years ago.
White Kevlar-jacket on display, obscenities, disses, and still only sub-gangsta rap. It was a solid gig but as illin’ as Beyoncé’s butt.
Oggi Schitler
26-9-2003
50 Cent’s ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’’ is available now on Shady/UMG
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