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50 cent animal ambition12/1/2023 ![]() Both erred in assuming the pervading presence of celebrities was enough to negate public disinterest in the artist. LL’s Authentic cast a wider net, corralling everyone from Brad Paisley to Eddie Van Halen into the Queens legend’s return to rap after a lengthy sabbatical and a break from Def Jam. sought to restore hip-hop’s fourth best-selling artist of all time to a position of dominance by pairing him with a parade of peak A-listers, from Nicki Minaj and Pharrell to T.I., Future, and 2 Chainz. Animal Ambition is not the result of that plan-it's an important stepping stone in it.Ī year ago, erstwhile hip-hop heavy hitters Nelly and LL Cool J found themselves in a similar space. And yet, for reasons presently opaque (boredom, sport, nostalgia-more than likely a bit of all three) he’s cooked up a protracted plan to get his rap career back. To his credit, 50 is an elite businessman, preternaturally aware, it would seem, that the ill will he engendered in his heyday hangs over his head like an iced-out sword of Damocles and that the five year break since his last proper album snuffed his buzz. During a recent Hot 97 interview, program director Ebro Darden point blank accused 50 of fracturing the New York rap mainstream and sending it into the present tailspin. When things got prickly within his own crew, he publicly excommunicated them one by one. But he used his power to marginalize his peers-Joes, Jadas, Cams, Nasirs. There was a time when Fif was hip-hop’s cash king, the face of the genre at the apex of its national crossover moment. The G-Unit general scored his first flop. He spits, “Got the eye of the tiger, I’m on that animal shit/I got the heart of a lion and the looks of an elephant/Damn scared of rats, but I’m ready for anything/It’s the unit, my nigga, take a look at my face.The results are in: 50 Cent’s new album Animal Ambition moved less than 40,000 units its first week out. The gritty realm 50 has dominated is also found in the title track, where he’s just as entertaining as the lion roars and elephant trumpets on the Swiff D production. “Irregular Heartbeat,” which features Jadakiss and G-Unit's newest signee, Kidd Kidd, captures the cold-hearted streets of NY through storytelling lyrics. “Hold On” is intoxicating and filled with menace, reliving shades of the old 50 from his earlier output. While 50 had promotional singles like “Major Distribution” and “We Up” that sparked curiosity, he fed fans a large majority of Animal Ambition to generate some buzz. Animal Ambition is an attempted return to form, where he tapped into familiar topics of gangsta and street with ferocity. I’ve done so much that having the music that makes people enjoy themselves, that actually means something at the moment, is the goal.” 50’s been on track. In my head, what good is because of the success I’ve had in the past, that’s so much lower. In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, he addressed his low sale predictions and the true intentions of Animal Ambition. The album is his welcome back moment for 50, who sounds like his hiatus didn't affect his ability to create his signature street records. The Queens rapper wants to prove that the game still needs him. On Animal Ambition, his fifth studio LP and first indie release, 50 Cent is trying hard to be musically relevant again. There’s a lot to be said about him in recent months: leaving Interscope, a viral marketing strategy for his new album, G-Unit reuniting at Summer Jam 2014. But these days, 50 feels invigorated musically once again. From Self Destruct on, Fiddy took a step back from music, made lucrative business deals and became known for his quotes rather than his chart-topping songs. ![]() ![]() So, the G-Unit general tapped into his hustler's ambition and focused on building his empire. He saw his spot at the top of the hip-hop food chain in jeopardy, leaving him no choice but to reevaluate how to maintain his staying power. 50 saw a gradual decline in his popularity after he took an L from Kanye West during their competitive album showdown between Curtis and Graduation in 2007. Do fans still care about 50 Cent? Five years ago, with the commercial flop Before I Self Destruct selling a shockingly low 159,700 copies in the first week, it seemed like they didn't. ![]()
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