Guess Who's Back? (Full Clip, 2002) by 50 Cent

"Niggas wanna shine like me (me), rhyme like me (me)/Then walk around with a 9 like me (me)/They don't wanna do it, 3 to 9 like me/And they ain't strong enough to take 9 like me/Aiyoo, you think about shittin' on 50... save it/My songs belong in the Bible with King David/I teach niggas sign language, that ain't def son/[click, click] you heard that? That mean RUN/Ask around, I ain't the one you wanna stun on, pa/Pull through, I'll throw a fucking cocktail at ya' car/From the last shootout, I got a demple on my face/It's nothin', I could go after Mase's fanbase/Shell hit my jaw, I ain't wait for doctor to get it out/Hit my wisdom tooth *huck-too* spit it out/I don't smile a lot, cause ain't nothin' pretty/Got a purple heart for war, and I ain't never left the City/Hos be like "Fitty, you so witty"/On the dick like they heard I ghostwrite for P.Diddy/You got fat while we starve, it's my turn/I done felt how the shells burn, I still won't learn/Won't learn"

-50 Cent, "U Not Like Me"

Straight Outta Cashville (G-Unit, 2004) by Young Buck

Proving that current southern hip hop music was more than just crunk at the time, Nashville's Young Buck put a bit of gangsta attitude back into rap below the Mason Dixon.  "Shorty Wanna Ride," the album's second single, is one of Lil Jon's finest productions and embodies a lot of the album in its 4:21 length- the south, the hood and a somewhat rowdy (but still very skilled) approach to rhyming.  "I'm a Soldier" is a great start to the album, and 50's guest appearance helps get the momentum up and running.  Other than that, the other album's highlight is when Ludacris outshines his host on "Stomp" and delivers harsh words for T.I.

Beg for Mercy (G-Unit, 2003) by G-Unit

The fact that this album was released before a second major label set from 50 proves that he has great business savvy.  He knew to introduce the world to his crew before his shadow got too large for any of them to get out from under.  And the album is really good.  The formula is simple: tough talk over great beats and catchy hooks.  Some of the better cuts are actually the singles, the Mr. Porter-produced "Stunt 101" and the Joe-assisted  "Wanna Get To Know You".  Other highlights include "My Buddy" which puts a bad boy spin on the doll commercial and "I Smell Pussy."  At 19 tracks, the album runs a bit long.  However, it does give Banks, Buck and Yayo enough space to introduce themselves.  And Nashville's Young Buck brings it full circle on the Dr. Dre-produced "G'd Up" when he says, "But I'm gonna keep this glock on my waist 'til my dyin' days/It's nuttin' but a G thang, G-Unit and Dr. Dre."

God's Plan (n/a, 2002) by G-Unit

The second set of tracks that 50 flooded the streets with continued his streak of album quality cuts on mix tapes.  50 and the G Unit not only jump on others artist's tracks and outshine the originals, they also bring their own personalities to them which made them rap stars, in addition to credible emcees.  "Catch Me in the Hood" and "You're Not Ready" finds them ripping through Eminem and Beanie Sigel cuts respectively.  Biggie is also featured on the tape.  Some of his vocals are used for "N****s" (Puff also does a drop at the beginning) and "The World is Filled…" track is rhymed over on "The World."  This is a good tape that proved 50 and his crew were ready for superstardom.  

The Invasion (n/a, 2002) by DJ Green Lantern

The first installment in this legendary mix tape series is famous because it, for all intents and purposes, ended Benzino's career as a rapper.  Eminem's "The Sauce" is a great diss at The Source and his "Nail in the Coffin" is more of a personal, damning record aimed squarely air the magazine's "co-founder."  Obie's "Welcome to Detroit City" is a great take on Cam'ron and Jay's "Welcome to New York City."  And 50's "The Hood", with a beat courtesy of Dr. Dre, and G-Unit's "G'd Up" are also standouts.  Other highlights include DJ Green Lantern's blend of "Lose Yourself" and The Flipmode Squad spitting over the remix to "U Don't Know."

The Documentary (Aftermath, 2005) by Game

The Documentary is one of the best albums of the 00s.  The production is top-notch, and Game single-handedly brought the West Coast back into the hip-hop spotlight after nearly a decade away from it.  Despite the feud with 50, one of the album's best tracks is  Game's collaboration with him on "Hate It or Love It."  Game is guilty of name dropping a a bit excessively throughout the album, however, particularly on the title track, he is very clever with it.  "Runnin'" has a surprisingly strong guest verse from Tony Yayo and Game correctly admits to Eminem killing him on his own shit  with "We Ain't."  Other highlights include "Dreams" and the confessional "Don't Need Your Love."  This album is one of the reasons why I still want G-Unit to get back together.

Invasion Part II: Conspiracy Theory (n/a, 2003) by DJ Green Lantern

Of the three mixtapes in the series, the second one is my favorite.  Yes, "The Sauce" was good and "Nail in the Coffin" is one of the best diss records ever (both on the first Invasion), but as an emcee, Benzino never struck me as a worthy opponent for Eminem.  Therefore, it seemed obvious that Eminem would be victorious immediately when everything started.  Ja Rule, who was feuding with 50 at this time, however, had a bit more credibility and had sold millions.  I did think Ja was good on some records ("Holla Holla", "Can I Get A…", "Murdergram", and "Get the Fortune"), but when he began to compare himself to Tupac- he lost me.  And Shady Records took full advantage of that poor decision on Ja Rule's part, the "Hail Mary (Remix)" not only uses Ja's words against him but has three stellar verses from Eminem, 50 Cent, and Busta Rhymes.  As far as Green Lantern's blends, it has one of my favorites that I've ever heard from him, where he takes 50 and Lil Kim's vocals from "Magic Stick" and puts them over "Work It," "Fuck You," and "21 Questions" beats.  There are some skippable tracks on this project, but fewer than the other two and I think the tape concludes on a high note with a live recording of Em and 50 performing "Patiently Waiting" in Detroit, MI.

The Massacre (Shady/Aftermath, 2005) by 50 Cent

50's sophomore album seems like a natural extension of his debut.  And because of that, the album falls a bit flat.  The tough talk is all the same and so the artistry didn't seem to show much growth from before.  However, that doesn't mean it isn't entertaining.  My favorite lyric is in "Piggy Bank" wherein 50 dissects Fat Joe's success with Terror Squad's "Lean Back," "That fat n***a thought 'Lean Back' was 'In Da Club'/ My shit sold 11 Mill, his was a dud."  That line is crazy because "Lean Back" was a huge hit.  And yet, it didn't translate to record sales the way 50's smash single, "In Da Club" did.  Then there's "Ryder Music" where Fif claims to have slept with a lot of famous actresses, "Last year I woke up with good luck, damn it feels good/On the low, I done fucked like half of Hollywood."  I really like to beat for "Ski Mask Way" (R.I.P. Disco D) too and Dre's heavy drums on "Outta Control" still bang today.  This album isn't nearly as impressive as his earlier work, just evidence of who was unquestionably one of hip hop's biggest stars at the time.  Hate it or love it.

The Lost Tape (n/a, 2012) by 50 Cent

Clearly, 50 has a lot of pressure on him musically to succeed with his new LP later this summer and I think that this tape is a great way to bring him back to the masses and set him up for a successful release.  "Get Busy" and "Murder One" do an excellent job of bringing back the gritty street sound that made the industry fear him over a decade ago, while "I Ain't Gonna Lie" and "Complicated" infuse that gangsta pop approach by putting aggressive/explicit talk over infectious and melodic beats.  50 also stays current by doing a solid remix of 2 Chainz' "Riot" Perhaps, the only fault to this tape is that switching back and forth between so much different (but quality) material make the tape seem a little inconsistent as a whole.  But having so much versatility is the best problem an artist can have.  At the beginning of the aforementioned "Murder One" the G-Unit General says, "Don't you ever forget it n***a, I'm the reason you make a mix-tape sucka!"  Damn straight!  50 doing a mix-tape with DJ Drama is already epic, but the quality of the release is a pleasant reminder as to why those two are two of the best to ever make them.

8 Mile Soundtrack (Shady, 2002) by various

"Lose Yourself" is a history-making song and one of the most popular records of its time.  The title track is actually one of my favorite Eminem songs and I think 50's "Places to Go" should have been his introductory single instead of "Wanksta".  The other song that I go back to a lot on this album is Gang Starr's "Battle".  A movie about hip-hop in the mid-90s without a DJ Premier beat is blasphemous.  Not surprisingly, the music supervision for this film for material that was actually made in the mid-90s is superb.  And truth be told, as a whole, the soundtrack to 8 Mile can't touch More Music from 8 Mile.  However, 8 Mile and its soundtrack helped establish Eminem as a hip-hop icon at the height of his popularity and continued to showcase his untouchable rap skills as well as his ability to find and develop new talent (50 Cent, Obie Trice).

Get Rich or Die Tryin' (Shady/Aftermath, 2003) by 50 Cent

This album is a modern day classic.  It benefited from great timing and came out at a time when sing-songy rap (i.e. Ja Rule) was dominating the airwaves.  The drop of the coin for the introduction was a great set-up for "What Up Gangsta".  Not only does that track set the tone for the rest of the album, but it is a song with great energy that smoothly transfers to an amazing live performance.  And "Patiently Waiting" is the best song that 50 has ever done with Eminem.  Other highlights include "Heat" [gun-shot snares = genius] and "Many Men".  Then, last but not least, there is "In Da Club".  At first look, it appears to be a materialistic rhyme that's been heard too many times.  However, after one listen, it becomes clear that it is anything but that.  Dre's masterful production makes for one of the most memorable beats of his career.  And the "Go Shorty, it's your Birthday" ad-lib that 50 put in at the beginning made this a timeless song because everyday is somebody's birthday and they're always going to want to party.

50 Cent is the Future (n/a, 2002) by G-Unit

For my first mix-tape entry, I had to start with the best.  I remember hearing "How To Rob" on the In Too Deep Soundtrack a few years earlier.  It was not bad, but I was not blown away.  Then when "Wanksta" took off from the 8 Mile Soundtrack, I thought it was better.  However, I much preferred 50's "Places to Go".  But then I learned that "Wanksta" built a buzz on the mix-tape circuit.  I went to Beat Go On in my hometown to pick up the tape in order to try to give hip-hop's consensus the benefit of the doubt.  However, they didn't have No Mercy, No Fear and so I got 50 Cent is the Future instead.  After hearing the Future cut, "U Should Be Here", it all made sense and I played it along with Guess Who's Back? even more than Fif's Shady/Aftermath debut.  A decade later, with gangsta rap in decline, this mix-tape is a modern day classic that bangs harder than ever.