March 03, 2005 @ 12:31 pm

50 Cent- The Massacre (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)

Jayson Rodriguez

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On Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 Cent had one goal in mind: getting paid.

On Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 Cent had one goal in mind: getting paid. With The Massacre, however, the G Unit general is out to deaden the noise that moving up several tax brackets has made his life a little too comfy. Full of finger pointing panache, 50 delivers a taut, albeit less explosive, album aimed at both silencing his detractors and keeping the ladies satisfied. Throughout Massacre, which showcases songs that are more in your face than in the club, 50 rocks a punchier flow than on his past efforts. Even the radio-friendly Scott Storch–produced “Candy Shop” sounds menacing with its spine chilling strings. And on “Piggy Bank,” 50 lyrically assaults Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Nas, Shyne, and nemesis Ja Rule. Making sure to keep his TRL appeal intact, 50 does venture into the pop zone with “21 Questions”–styled songs. On the other hand, when he adds the right twist of his ’hood sensibilities—i.e., “Baltimore Love Thing,” a clever, metaphorical tale about drug addiction—the result is illuminating. Although Massacre isn’t a rags-to-riches manifesto, 50 proves he doesn’t have to be hungry to make a killing.

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