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Curtis (50 Cent album)

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Curtis is the third studio album by rapper 50 Cent. Released on September 11, 2007, the album features production from Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Timbaland, among others. Guest appearances include Akon, Justin Timberlake, Nicole Scherzinger, and other notable musicians.

Music critics have noted that 50 Cent divides between "hard" songs and "soft" songs on the album.[1][2] Curtis was released to significant commercial success, selling 691,000 copies in its first week on the Billboard 200, the highest sales week for an East Coast album since Jay-Z's Kingdom Come debuted with 680,000 copies sold several months earlier.[3] After years of slumping sales, the album's competition with Kanye West's Graduation and the resulting record breaking performances both albums displayed was considered to be a "great day for hip-hop."[4]

Conception

Background

Initially, 50 Cent's 2007 album was planned to be Before I Self Destruct,[5] however, he decided to push back its release date to 2008,[6] and to release Curtis in 2007 instead. The album's title was changed twice. The first time, it was changed from "Curtis" to "Curtis S.S.K.". The second time, it was changed back to "Curtis". The "S.S.K.", which stood for "SoundScan Killer", was intended to show the pressure 50 Cent felt to succeed.[7] The "S.S.K." also stands for "SouthSide King"[8] and "Shoot, Stab, Kill". 50 Cent stated that the album was inspired by his life before his commercial debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. He also stated that he chose the album's title because he was known as "Curtis" before he became famous.[7]

Recording

50 Cent wrote parts of the album in his grandmother's old house in South Jamaica, Queens and he also flew to Florida to work on "Ayo Technology" with Justin Timberlake, and finished the song in Houston.[7] 50 Cent wrote a significant amount of the guests' lyrics.[7]

In an interview with XXL magazine, 50 Cent stated,

I mean, it just brings memories back to me. I'm in my old space, see old faces, things start feeling the way they used to. Being able to write material from a perspective I couldn't probably write [from] in any other space like that. And I was in one of those funky creative spaces where I couldn't come up with nothing... For me, when I come back here, it's like my feet are on the ground. I don't think nothing is more painful than having known what it feel like to be successful and then having it taken away from you. So on some levels, it's healthy for me to go 'head and come from the financial space that I'm in back to here, as a reminder, so I can actually appreciate what I've got.[9]

Music

Lyrical content

RapReviews.com stated that "There is no dip in quality lyrically; 50 is often criticized for not being a good lyricist, but he's exceptionally witty in his writtens". RapReviews.com also stated that 50 Cent "manages to cover different themes very well", praising his "seduction" on "Follow My Lead":[2]

You listen to the rumors, they say, "50 fuckin' crazy"

"50 don't know how to treat a lady." They wrong
I like you a lot, I don't want to hurt you
But I call a square a square and a circle a circle
So if you act like a bitch, I'll call you a bitch
Then hang up, probably call you right back and shit
And have to say, "Baby, I apologize."
Cross my fingers, God forgive me for telling lies
Like Janet Jackson said, "I miss you much"

I really want to feel your touch...

PopMatters noted that ""I Get Money" remains the collection's clear MVP, an iron-fisted ode to living large":[10]

I write the check before the baby comes

Who the fuck cares?
I'm stanky rich

I'm a die tryin' to spend this shit.

Stylus Magazine writes that 50 Cent is trying to "revisit the raw fatalism that defined the best tracks on Get Rich or Die Tryin'", quoting lyrics from "My Gun Go Off" as an example:[11]

You know tomorrow's just a day away
If you can just keep your heart beatin' and your ass awake.

Slant Magazine called 50 Cent "one of the worst lyricists alive", criticizing "Amusement Park"'s lyrics and the execution of his metaphors which he "mumbles without a hint of irony or conviction":[12]

I'm hoping you enjoy my amusement park
There's lots of activities fun things to do.

Production

Template:Sound sample box align right

"Ayo Technology"
The number one single from the album and most critically acclaimed.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Template:Sample box end Stylus Magazine stated that "the beats on Curtis sound about as dated and cheap as any Koch record". Stylus Magazine added that "each no-name producer (Veto and Roomio? Jake One? K Lassik?) provides the comfort food they know he'll lap up".[13] Pitchfork Media shares Stylus Magazine's view, saying that 50 Cent "should be able to work with producers who could conjure his hit-making abilities, but instead the MC mostly sticks with tried-and-failed G-Unit stalwarts and Dre-aping up-and-comers that do him few favors".[14] Sputnikmusic praised the production on "Ayo Technology", writing: "Timbaland's shred-guitar-goes-keyboard melody is just mesmerising enough to work".[15]

Guests

While Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre featured mostly G-Unit and G-Unit Records artists respectively, Curtis features artists that 50 Cent has never worked with before, such as Akon, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Timbaland and Nicole Scherzinger from Pussycat Dolls. When asked about his choice of working with artists outside of his company, 50 Cent stated, "The album, for me, was finding a space where I am content and comfortable with my career, where I can go off and create with other artists and experiment a little bit".[7]

Reception

Commercial

Curtis sold approximately 691,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, which was the fourth highest sales week for an album in 2007[16] (originally topping Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight which sold 625,000, but later being outsold by the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, which moved 711,000 units[17] and later Alicia Keys' As I Am bringing in 742,000 copies[18]). However, Curtis brought in the lowest first week sales of 50 Cent's career, with Get Rich or Die Tryin' selling 872,000 [[19] and The Massacre moving 1.1 million copies. As of October 19 2008, Curtis has sold 1.3 million copies in the U.S .[20] [21]

Competition with Graduation album

In July 2007, Kanye West changed the release date of Graduation, his third studio album, from September 18, 2007, to the same release date as Curtis, September 11, 2007.[22] This forced the albums to go head-to-head and compete for higher sales against each other.[23] 50 Cent claimed that if Graduation sold more records than Curtis, he would stop releasing solo albums.[24] However, he later dispelled his comments.[25] When asked again about his threat to retire, 50 Cent stated that, if he were to lose, he will release an album every time a major Def Jam artist releases an album.[26] Curtis debuted at number one on the Irish and Swiss album charts, claiming the top spot on the European Top 100 Albums chart. Curtis also topped the Australian and New Zealand album charts.

Graduation's first week sales of 957,000 and Curtis' first week sales of 691,000 meant that the competition resulted in only the second time ever (since Nielsen SoundScan began collecting data in 1991) that two albums sold more than 600,000 in a week in the United States. The first occurrence of such an event was in 1991, when Guns N' Roses released Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, selling 685,000 and 770,000 copies, respectively. The first week sales totals of Graduation and Curtis have outsold the first week sales totals of Guns N' Roses' two albums.[16]

Critical

Curtis received mixed reviews from music critics.[27] Allmusic wrote that Curtis "is entertaining but only impressive in that 50 can run in place and still be on top".[28] AllHipHop.com called it "a step backwards" and "while the album is not a total brick, it lacks a true consistency where his previous work flowed seamlessly and almost every record worked".[29] The Boston Globe stated that, "artistically, West is always moving, while 50 is at a standstill".[30] The Chicago Tribune wrote that, "at a time when consumers are expressing their dissatisfaction with music-industry product", the album provides "exactly what they say they don't want: More of the same".[31] Rolling Stone noted that 50 Cent is "out to prove he's everything he used to claim", and like The Massacre, he "divides between hard songs ("Man Down," "Fire," "I'll Still Kill") and soft songs ("Follow My Lead")". Rolling Stone also noted that, on Curtis, 50 Cent is for the first time "letting guests sing most of the hooks".[1] Time magazine named "I Get Money" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #6. Writer Josh Tyrangiel praised the song as "hypnotic", observing that its appeal is owed to the "Top Billin" sample, and that 50 Cent's bemusement at his own survival and success "makes the song as wry as it is scary".[32][33] The album helped him win Best-Selling Hip-Hop Artist at the 2007 World Music Awards.[34]

Credits from the liner notes

Information taken from Curtis' liner notes.[8]

Track listing

No.TitleProducerLength
1."Intro" 0:50
2."My Gun Go Off"Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno3:12
3."Man Down"Detroit Red, Don Cannon2:49
4."I'll Still Kill" (feat. Akon)DJ Khalil3:43
5."I Get Money"Apex3:43
6."Come and Go"Dr. Dre3:28
7."Ayo Technology" (feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)Timbaland, Danja4:07
8."Follow My Lead" (feat. Robin Thicke)Tha Bizness3:17
9."Movin' on Up"Jake One3:24
10."Straight to the Bank"Ty Fyffe, Dr. Dre3:10
11."Amusement Park"Dangerous LLC3:09
12."Fully Loaded Clip"Havoc3:13
13."Peep Show" (feat. Eminem)Eminem3:52
14."Fire" (feat. Young Buck & Nicole Scherzinger)Dr. Dre2:49
15."All of Me" (feat. Mary J. Blige)Jake One3:51
16."Curtis 187"Havoc3:57
17."Touch the Sky" (feat. Tony Yayo)K-Lassik Beats3:10
18."Smile (I'm Leavin')"K-Lassik Beats4:29*
19."I Get Money (Forbes 1-2-3 Remix)" (feat. Diddy & Jay-Z)Apex4:31*
20."Hustler's Ambition"B-Money "B$"4:02*

An asterisk (*) indicates a bonus track


Credited samples

  • "Intro" contains dialogue from the motion picture "Shooters". Used courtesy of Lions Gate Films, Inc. & Geops Amsterdam, B.V., by arrangement with PFG Entertainment, Inc. Dialogue excerpts spoken by Andrew Howard and Matthew Rhys.
  • "Man Down" contains elements from "Scooby Doo Theme" (Mook/Raleigh). Mook Bros Music (admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp) (BMI)/Ben Raleigh Music (admin by Music Sales Corp) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved.
  • "I Get Money" contains elements from "Top Billin" (Robinson) Songs of Universal, Inc./First Priority Music (BMI)/Hot Buttermilk Music, Inc. (admin ICG Alliance) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Performed by Audio Two. Produced under license from Altantic Recording Corp, by arrangement with Rhino Entertainment company, A Warner Music Group company.
  • "Come & Go" contains replayed elements from "Just Be Good To Me" (Jam/Lewis). EMI-April Music, Inc./Flyte Tyme Tunes, Inc./Avante Guarde Music Publishing, Inc. (admin by Universal Music Corp) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved.
  • "Movin On Up" contains elements from "Give Me Just Another Day" (Ware). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Almo Music Corp. Performed by The Miracles. Used by courtesy of Motown Records, Co, LLP. By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises. "Do It Baby" (Perren/Yarian). Jobete Music Co, Inc. (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Performed by The Miracles. Used courtesy of Motown Records, Co, LLC. By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises; "Nuttin But A Drumbeat". Performed by Russell Simmons. Used courtesy of Island/Def Jam Records. By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises.
  • "I Get Money (Forbes 1-2-3 Remix)" contains elements from "Top Billin" (Robinson) Songs of Universal, Inc./First Priority Music (BMI)/Hot Buttermilk Music, Inc. (admin ICG Alliance) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Performed by Audio Two. Produced under license from Altantic Recording Corp, by arrangement with Rhino Entertainment company, A Warner Music Group company.
  • "Hustler's Ambition" contains elements from "I Need You", performed by Maze.

Personnel

Charts

Album chart positions

Charts (2007)[35] Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[36] 1
Austrian Charts[37] 4
Belgian Albums Chart[38] 3
Canadian Albums Chart[38] 2
Italian Charts[39] 9
Dutch Albums Chart[40] 3
European Top 100 Albums[41] 1
French Albums Chart[42] 3
German Albums Chart[43] 2
Irish Albums Chart[38] 1
Norweigan Charts[44] 4
New Zealand Albums Chart[45] 1
Swiss Albums Chart[46] 1
UK Albums Chart[38] 2
U.S. Billboard 200[38] 2
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[47] 2
U.S. Billboard Top Rap Albums[48] 2

References

  1. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (September 4, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis Review. Rolling Stone. Accessed September 6, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Gailes, Arthur (September 11, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis. RapReviews. Accessed September 30, 2007.
  3. ^ Hasty, Katie (November 29, 2006). Jay-Z Reclaims His 'Kingdom' with No. 1 Debut. Billboard. Accessed September 30, 2007.
  4. ^ Jokesta (July 31, 2007). Jay Z Says Kanye's Dropping on September 11th, Denies Involvement in 40/40 Wage Scandal. Def Sounds. Accessed September 30, 2007.
  5. ^ Fullmetal (April 30, 2007). 50 Cent "G Unit Album Coming soon". Def Sounds. Accessed September 2, 2007.
  6. ^ Barracato, Joseph (September 9, 2007). Hot Seat – 50 Cent. New York Post. Accessed September 11, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d e Reid, Shaheem; Kash, Tim (April 27, 2007). 50 Cent Talks Timberlake Collabo, Star-Studded New LP Curtis. MTV. Accessed August 18, 2007.
  8. ^ a b Curtis (Media notes). Shady/Aftermath/Interscope. 2007. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |bandname= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  9. ^ 50 Cent – August 2007 Issue XXL Magazine. MixUnit. Accessed September 30, 2007.
  10. ^ Josh Timmermann (September 11, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis. PopMatters. Accessed October 5, 2007.
  11. ^ Jayson Greene (September 11, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis Review. Stylus Magazine. Accessed October 4, 2007.
  12. ^ Sal Cinquemani (September 9, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis. Slant Magazine. Accessed October 4, 2007.
  13. ^ Greene, Jayson (September 11, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis Review. Stylus Magazine. Accessed October 4, 2007.
  14. ^ Dombal, Ryan (September 11, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis. Pitchfork Media. Accessed October 4, 2007.
  15. ^ De Sylvia, Dave (September 6, 2007). 50 Cent – Curtis Review. Sputnikmusic. Accessed October 4, 2007.
  16. ^ a b Mayfield, Geoff (September 18, 2007). Kanye Crushes 50 Cent in Huge Album Sales Week. Billboard. Accessed September 19, 2007.
  17. ^ Gil Kaufman (November 7, 2007). Britney Spears' Blackout Denied #1 Debut On Billboard Chart After Last-Minute Rule Change. MTV. Accessed November 7, 2007.
  18. ^ Jonathan Cohen (November 21, 2007). Keys Storms Chart with Mega-Selling 'As I Am'. Billboard. Accessed November 21, 2007.
  19. ^ Birchmeier, Jason.http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wbfpxqqjldse~T1 50 Cent – Biography]. Allmusic. Accessed September 24, 2007.
  20. ^ Moody, Nekesa Mumbi (September 4, 2007). Can Music Big-Timers Fix Sagging Sales?. Associated Press. Accessed September 24, 2007.
  21. ^ Grein, Paul. "Week Ending Oct. 19, 2008: Battle Of The Hat Acts". Yahoo! Music. October 22, 2008.
  22. ^ Jokesta (July 19, 2007). Kanye Competes with 50, Album Pushed Back to September 11th. Def Sounds. Accessed August 11, 2007.
  23. ^ Williams, Roger. "50 Cent". Iomusic News. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  24. ^ Jokesta (August 9, 2007). 50 Cent: Outsell Kanye or Stop Trying. Def Sounds. Accessed August 11, 2007.
  25. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson; Kash, Tim (August 15, 2007). 50 Cent Explains Last Week's Blowup, Says 'I Will Be #1 on September 11'. MTV. Accessed August 15, 2007.
  26. ^ Hale, Andreas (September 13, 2007). Update: 50 Not Retiring! Declares War with Def Jam!. HipHopDX. Accessed October 4, 2007.
  27. ^ 50 Cent: Curtis (2007): Reviews. Metacritic. Accessed September 11, 2007.
  28. ^ Jeffries, David. 50 Cent – Curtis Review. Allmusic. Accessed September 9, 2007.
  29. ^ Berrios, Martin A. (September 4, 2007). 50 Cent: Curtis. AllHipHop. Accessed September 4, 2007.
  30. ^ Benbow, Julian (September 11, 2007). After the hip-hop hype. The Boston Globe. Accessed September 12, 2007.
  31. ^ Kot, Greg (September 10, 2007). 50 Cent won't save hip-hop with 'Curtis'. Chicago Tribune. Accessed September 10, 2007.
  32. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh; "The Best Top 10 Lists of the Year"; "The 10 Best Songs"; Time magazine; December 24, 2007; Page 39.
  33. ^ Time magazine's Top 10 Songs of 2007 at time.com
  34. ^ Winslow, Mike (November 6, 2007). 50 Cent Named Best Selling Hip-Hop Artist in the World. AllHipHop. Accessed on February 16, 2007.
  35. ^ Albums : Top 100 – 16 September, 2007 (for the Week Ending 20 September, 2007). Canoe – Jam! Music. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  36. ^ AustralianCharts. 50 Cent - Curtis, Australian Charts. AustralianCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  37. ^ AustrianCharts. 50 Cent - Curtis, Austrian Charts. AustrianCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  38. ^ a b c d e aCharts. 50 Cent – Curtis. aCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  39. ^ ItalianCharts. 50 Cent - Curtis, Italian Charts. ItalianCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  40. ^ DutchCharts. 50 Cent - Curtis, Dutch Charts. DutchCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  41. ^ BillBoard. European Top 100 Albums – Curtis. Billboard. Accessed September 30, 2007.
  42. ^ LesCharts. 50 Cent - Curtis, French Charts. LesCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  43. ^ UltraTop. 50 Cent - Curtis, German Charts. UltraTop. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  44. ^ NorwegianCharts. 50 Cent - Curtis, Norwegian Charts. NorwegianCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  45. ^ NewZealandCharts. 50 Cent - Curtis, New Zealand Charts. NewZealandCharts. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  46. ^ HitParade. 50 Cent - Curtis, Swiss Charts. HitParade. Accessed June 13, 2008.
  47. ^ BillBoard. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Curtis. Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2007.
  48. ^ BillBoard. Top Rap Albums – Curtis. Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2007.
Preceded by Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
September 17, 2007 		Succeeded by

Snitch.

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