50 Cent – The Lost Tape (Mixtape Review)

    Perhaps no artist’s decline in popularity has been as scrutinized over the past half-decade than 50 Cent’s. After building up a feverish buzz through extraordinary work on the mixtape circuit (don’t get it twisted—conferences or not, Maybach Music Group has no claim to the mixtape game like G-Unit does), 50 Cent released the highest-selling Hip Hop debut of all time: Get Rich or Die Tryin’. 50 came out the gate a dynamic, larger-than life personality with a unique energy on the mic. The similarly (though not as) successful The Massacre followed. Rather than go the Poppier route, Fif’s music on his sophomore release was decidedly darker.

    Then, the magic stopped.

    Try as he may, 50 hasn’t been able to recreate the magic of his first two releases. It hasn’t been for lack of trying: 50 has worked with a bevy of half of Hip Hop’s producers and artists, and drummed up beef with the other half—some real, some imagined.  Regardless, though 50 may still do numbers, it’s clear that his fans’ devotion has waned. So what’s music mogul to do? Simple—go back to what got him to the top: the mixtape.

    With The Lost Tape, it’s not entirely fair to say 50 has gone back to the same old formula. Sure, there’s plenty of gun talk (“O.J.”), as well as the obligatory “thug love” joint (“Planet 50”), but this Gangsta Grillz project has the Queens rapper experimenting at times with a southern sound. Much like Jadakiss, 50 Cent has decided to switched his style to southpaw. “Riot Remix” featuring 2 Chainz is a prime example, with Fif sound right at home rhyming about wood grain.

    50 Cent purists shouldn’t fret; the New York sound 50 made vibrant again in the early 2000s is present here as well. “Murder One” is one such instance, as AraabMUZIK’s bleak production is on the grimy tip. The only complaint? The recent trend of artists claiming that an artist is featured on a track when they’re really just being sampled or, as in Eminem’s case here, saying literally one sentence. It’s ceaselessly annoying, and screams desperation. “You A Killer..Cool” also hearkens to Fif’s NYC roots with its horns and Soul samples.

    “Remain Calm” has 50 Cent at his most comfortable, mixing the high life with the street life: “Try to remain calm, you fuckin’ with a don / Pocket full of green, green in the bong / …Niggas still want me dead like Osam / But they ain’t gonna make it, they come at me wrong / …Money is power, you niggas better wake up / My earrings blinkin’, that’s “oh shit!” from Jacob / …Blackjack, we do that, ten grand a hand / You could get shot fuckin’ with Floyd, that’s my man / Billionaire brotherhood, we call this the Money Team / Pinky ring flawless, my god, I’m gorgeous.” Snoop Dogg and Precious Paris capably assist on the cut, which ends up being one of The Lost Tape’s best offerings.

    For those yearning for 50’s return to the top of the Rap game, The Lost Tape is an encouraging sign. Sure, Fif needs to rediscover consistently great production, and ought to surround himself with better artists (do we need three tracks with Kidd Kidd?), but the bottom line is that this mixtape has 50 Cent having fun again. It he can carry it over into his next studio album, it will indeed be something to write home about.

    DX Consensus: “EP-worthy” 

    Listen to The Lost Tape by 50 Cent

    152 thoughts on “50 Cent – The Lost Tape (Mixtape Review)

    1. i enjoyed the mixtape, but there where a few tracks on it that where already released earlier that dissapointed me ( Murder one, Complicated, All his Love )

      1. Well said! I think 50’s become very boring…Ok he say’s he’s tuff, we get it …how many times have we heard this – re packaged?!! Also stealing Nas’s title…weak

    2. I thought The Big 10 was album-worthy but I wasn’t feeling this mixtape as much, a few dope songs but the features were pretty weak and some of the songs just didn’t do it for me.

    3. Whole tape is fire, better then those compilation MIXTAPES that have came out out(dream chasers 2, consignment I.E) where they are using features to get a bunch of downloads on datpiff

    4. I agree with the below statement artist are watering down the mixtape circuit to get downloads and radio play and it’s sad cuz the mixtape format is the only place to get raw HIPHOP now since the industry has become so commercial and now artist are commercializing the underground as well. 50 and g-unit invented and popularized the the mixtape in album format and continue to be some of the only artist who are not following the watered down trend artist are putting in the mixtape game, a bunch of downloads do not mean u are going to sell a a lot of records when your album drops so y compromise your integrity as a artist it’s destroying the industry as a whole and 50 is one of the only artist still keeping the flame on the torch lit and he doesn’t get any credit for it, like he said on “Many men….”I’m the underground king and I ain’t been crowned” and they still haven’t till this day. Anyway the mixtape is great and worth downloading unlike the crap out now

    5. Also, look at all the goddamn spelling errors in this review. HHDX you guys have some of the worst professional hip-hop reviewers on the internet I think.

    6. I can’t figure out what there is to like about this tape. I found it really boring and un-aggressive. 50 lost me in the last 15 months.

    7. It’s sign of what’s to come if Fif brings this version of himself to the album with the production & features his money can get him, then… GOOD TIMES!!!

    8. Yeah if he has something along the lines of
      Producers
      Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, Buckwild, Havoc, Mr. Porter, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Scott Storch, No I.D., Needlz, Boi-1da, The Alchemist, StreetRunner, Cool & Dre, Lex Luger, Drumma Boy, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League

      Features
      Eminem, Kanye West, Slaugterhouse, Frank Ocean, Raekwon, Young Jeezy, Jadakiss, Tyler, The Creator, Jamie Foxx, Busta Rhymes, Pusha T, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Lloyd Banks, Yelawolf
      It’ll be Dope!!

    9. Pretty boring honestly, The Big Ten record was dope but this shit, not so much

      And he needs to get rid of this fuckin Kidd Kidd idiot, dude sucks horribly, he’s Yayo status and you’ve already got Yayo so whats the point of this dude, how many weed carriers do you need???

      1. CALIFORNA REPUBLIC WAS BETTER…guys, support GAME, buy all his albums, real hiphop lives on with GAME

    10. It’s a hott tape u damm haters and stop talking that top of the line production he always saves that for the album unlike other artist that burn out in time for there album

      1. Anytime you use the word “HATER” you expose yourself as a nigga with no defense of your own opinion. I aint no hater I fuck with 50, but this tape is ass cheeks, mediocrity at its finest, boring beats, tired concepts, replacing Banks with Nutt da kid (or Kidd Kidd or whatever the fuck that young money castaway is calling himself now)

        tape is booty, I still fuck with fif tho, aint no hate involved

    11. so this is easily mixtape of the year this is how a mixtape should beyall motha fuckas way too brainwashed 50 one of the last real niggas in the game

    12. so my nigga fif came back hard af! this mixtape is pure flames! he always makin music i can play in the summer time he got classics for days i love fif & this mixtape goes hard in the whip! you gotta listen to his music in some dre beats or a nice system cuz these beats are soo good!

    13. I really dont know why everybody has been sleeping on track #2 “Double Up”.
      It is being mentioned nowhere. In opinion it was the best song on the mixtape.

      Listen to track number 2 guys. Double up featuring Hayes.

    14. most of the people who are hot and popular at the moment are from the south use south beats and loads of features from the same people

      50 doesn’t fit any of them

    15. few dope songs the rest is weak. 50 is just that rapper with one dope album under the belt and the rest is just average.

    16. “Rather than go the Poppier route, Fifs music on his sophomore release was decidedly darker”

    17. i use to like 50 but he just got old he raps about the same things over and over people just get tired of hearing him everybody knows to last in the music scene you have to grow as an artist and 50 was just not able to do that he is really a 1 hit wonder

      1. What exactly do you think the comments section is for dumbass? Dude was giving his opinion on the matter.

    18. good review 50 always makes excellant mixtapes and i gotta agree bout 3 tracks with that kidd kidd guy i mean why would he bother with a very average mc when he could get lloyd banks to come thru shit 50 and banks should put out an album together they the only ppl in the unit i give a fuck about hearing

    19. how can niggas support this pop album? diz aint hard. diz shit aint shit. ya dig? real niggaz is bumpin Nicki, Wayne & Ross…. swag

    20. Wow, what a stupid review. I heard maybe one or two tracks on the entire tape that didn’t completely lack originality, the lyrics are horrible from start to finish and the production is hit or miss, jesus this site is on 50’s dick. One of the only reviews I have seen putting this tape in a positive light.

      1. Very clever comeback, I’m not hating at all, this tape just sucks, it’s nothing to do with 50.

    21. Fif sounds in his prime in this mixtape. All the joints go hard, not one weak track. Amazing!

      This shit will be on repeat for a long time. I can just see the haters whining and crying, but this tape is just dope.

      1. Let me have mine, I think he’s an idiot, cock sucker? Oh wow, insult of the year right here!

    22. This mixtape is raw as fuck! I was actually surprised because I thought it would be 100 garbage.

    23. 50c is wack and always has been wack. If you want some Real Hip Hop check out the Apollo Brown and O.C. album or the new M.O.P. album.

    24. HEEELL Y EEEZZZ NIKKKAS

      FINALLY IT HAPPENED – JUST BOUGHT A NEW RIDE – A CAM A RO CONVERTIBLE.GOT APPROVED FOR 26 LARGE. BEEN 5 YRS SINCE IVE GOTTEN SHYT APPROVED, BUT NOW ALL MY CRE DIT ISHH IS GONE. ALL OF IT.

      IF YOU STRUGGLING WITH THAT CRE DIT HISTORY ISHH, GET RID OF ALL DAT TODAY – CALL THESE PEEPS AT 8–8–8-9-2-7 -3-3-5-6 . . THEY DO AMAZING WORK AND THEY ARE CHEAP AS FUQQ. GOT RID OF ALL MY SHYYT IN NO TIME.

      MY HOMEBOY WAS IN THE GUTTA TOO, AND HE CLEANER THAN ME NOW-gettin a condo!!

      Hit em up – THEY WILL HELP U!!

    25. you dont really hear this kinda music any more

      if you fed up with the south music and fake shit like me you should check this out

    26. dope tracks,n dey think they better than him.hahahahah 50cent wait ferrari is the ish.holla at us…..west side haahahah,alway on the rewind for me.the whole mixtape

    27. hardly a proper unbiased review, forgot to analyse some very good songs,why mention the maybach group while reviewing a 50 cent mixtape. good journalism is hard to find nowadays,specially in the music department !

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