Review: 50 Cent dies trying

50 Cent
"Curtis"
(G Unit)
Sounds like: Fiddy's lost the battle to Kanye.

Not everyone can rock timbs like a legit gangsta, but people know good rap and hip-hop music when they hear it - and 50's latest release simply isn't it.

The entire album sounds like something that's been done before. Laden with references to guns and gang violence (which a perusal of any music magazine will confirm is 50's area of expertise), none of the tracks really have that something-something that made us love 50's earlier efforts. While most of the songs are skip-able, particularly "Follow My Lead," "Fire" and "Peep Show," the album isn't devoid of a couple passable songs.

"All of Me" has the added advantage of being a collaboration with the incomparable Mary J. Blige. The closing song "Touch the Sky" is little above average, and, ironically, the Kanye-reminiscent track isn't capable of floating the album to new heights. The much-hyped "Ayo Technology," featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, has some of the luster of the accompanying duo's usual hits but sounds much more like something that should be found on Timberlake's album rather than 50's, which probably isn't the street-cred-lined road 50 wants to take.

Overall, though, 50 Cent has definitely done better, and "Curtis" will just leave one longing for the golden days of "Get Rich or Die Tryin'."

-R.T.

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