Though Before I Self Destruct is set to mark 50 Cent‘s return to the darkly melodic style that made him Eminem‘s favorite underground MC, the Interscope brass aren’t about to give him the green light till he comes out with a mainstream hit. Today, we in the Booth proudly present what may well be the single that gets BISD (finally) onto store shelves! Though some might decry Baby By Me as a “sellout move,” 50’s always been flexible when it comes to getting hits. Two versions were premiered by Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97; here we have the “remix, which finds Ne-Yo delivering a sung hook over Polow Da Don‘s beat (featuring a sample from 50’s own I Get Money). Was 50 right to work the pop-rap angle in hopes of making Before I Self-Destruct‘s November 17th release date stick? Let the debate begin…