For once this year, 50 Cent is making headlines for his music. With all the drama revolving around Power, the lawsuit filed against him by Rick Ross’s baby mama, and his subsequent filing for bankruptcy, 2015 has been a whirlwind of a year for 50.
One would think, then, that this would reflect in the man’s music. However, 50’s latest offering, the seven-track The Kanan Tape, finds the G-Unit general as entrenched in cold-blooded street talk as ever. Then again, makes sense as the freebie is inspired by Power’s brutal and calculated drug pusher villain Kanan, portrayed by Fiddy himself. As Dr. Dre found inspiration from his work on Straight Outta Compton for Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre, Vitamin 50’s role as actor and producer on Starz’s biggest hit has lit a fire in his back unseen in quite a while. Doesn’t mean he’s creatively backtracking. The Kanan Tape features some fairly fantastic guest appearances from both Post Malone and Boosie Badazz among others.
Contrary to his last few releases, The Kanan Tape finds 50 neither going through the motions nor lamely trying his hand at trends. Instead, he’s returned to his essence, alternating between menacing and playful, and seems to bask in the process. Fiddy seems less concern with reliving those unprecedented pop moments that propelled Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ or The Massacre up the charts. This is the unfiltered Queens native digging deeper than he has before. For the first time in his career, 50 has balanced his New York roots with contemporary Southern Hip Hop trends without sounding uneven.
Nowhere is this more apparent than on “Body Bags,” a hauntingly soulful track courtesy of The Alchemist over which 50 spews venom and braggadocio with equal fervor. “I peep my swag in the mirror, I think I got a crush on me / I don’t want no wack bitches touchin’ me,” he rhymes, while elsewhere on the song he spits “I’m a nightmare right here, just me and my knife, nigga / Don’t let me find out you ain’t ‘bout that life, nigga.”
It helps that the production is top-notch. The likes of Bandplay and Colt 45 provide hard-hitting backdrops to 50’s grimy rhymes. Even the floss-heavy “Too Rich for the Bitch” betrays a sense of foreboding. The best production on The Kanan Tape however, is wasted. “I’m the Man” sports a spacy, inspiring beat that could have served well to a reflective Curtis Jackson. Instead, we get more of 50’s braggadocio and threats. And, that’s totally fine.
That restrictive content doesn’t hold back The Kanan Tape contextually. 50 Cent himself is far removed from the street drama that inspired his rise in Hip Hop. Therefore, it makes total sense as to why he would find inspiration from someone who he could have been at one point in time. Those invested in both 50 and his fairly amazing series Power could consider this project his American Gangster. That context alone could remove possible criticisms of The Kanan Tape tipping into repetitive themes. Regardless, there’s always an entertaining moment brought by 50’s uncanny ability to make evil look so charismatic. Whatever the case, even at seven tracks, The Kanan Tape becomes repetitive. By the time the closer, “On Everything,” rolls around, we’ve heard it all before and then some.
And it’s fireeeeeeee!!!! Effen
The Kanan Tape is classic. I have been waiting 6 years for this.
50 is back and i am so happy. Everyday for the last 6 years i have been complaining about him, but he finally made me happy again. THE GODFATHER SKI coming soon.
Me no like this wack shiz. The only decent track relied on a stolen sean price beat. I hope his family got paid for it but probably not.
Tape is fire, even tho similar content every track gotta a different vibe to it and 50’s flow is just sick
dope tape, fif is back
reloaded tape coming soon
street king immortal soon after
Sh*t is dope!!
Best music we’ve heard from 50 in awhile. I think the production definitely helped take this project up a few notches. Production was damn near flawless.
50 also put a bit more effort into the lyrics this time around. He didn’t seem like he was just going thru the motions.
This shit is hottt but… Best Music in Years??? BRO… STFU. IT sounds just like the mixtapes before Animal Ambition… 3 tracks, the south sounding ones like, Too Rich, I’m The Man, Nigga Nigga…. < 2 of those were produced with the producer "PRESENT" thats why they sound CRISP AS A MOTHER FKER but those are the only tracks that sound a bit different from his past 7 years... the other tracks on the album 50 got the beat and put his vocals on it, they sound good but it sounds like alot of his old mixtape shit... The difference right now is because 50 is building some buzz and hes doing it from the ground up going to clubs and mixing it up with the young guns in the game.
Ya accept this crap from 50.
Beats and rhymes weak, he stole Sean P (RIP) beat for body bag lol!
50 – I see why you waiting after (Fab, Weezy, Ross) etc to drop this crap.
The real question is does hiphop give Curtis Jackson 9 lives to come back to hiphop.
I rather hear a Lloyd Banks or Young Buck album.
So why’d you give it a 4 out of 5.
1 extra star for Goodwill. U telling me any of these songs better than the good songs on Animal Ambition?
Why didn’t you niggas review Summertime Shootout wtf… This is a great tape by fif but Fab is way more relevant musically… Fuck it keep reviewing Beiber albums “hip hop”dx
There is something for everyone on here. There is hood songs, commercial songs…and something in between. Tape is solid
The tape is fire!!
This shit is weak. There are some banging beats but no memorable lines from 50. He’s always been a garbage overrated rapper. No wonder why no one in the music industry fucks with him. Giant ego, based upon what? It’s not even justified, this guy has contributed absolutely nothing to hip-hop culture. Nothing that he’s done is even remotely original, profound or groundbreaking. Retire please.
He changed the mix tape game fool
u aint listenin right lol
Fire
He DID NOT do the sean p beat justice AT ALL. The body bags track super weak. How u disrespect the god like that, Curtis?
you stupid classic 50 style
Word. P! Kilt that shit. 50 not so much. The beat overpowered him and put him in a body bag.
don’t be stupid! he kilt it!
FOH
FOH
You stupid kid
Why u care so much about MY opinion? If i say its wack, its cause i think its wack. Whats it to you? Why u care so much?
Its cause all them niggas g-unit or 50. Why u think they feel the need to defend it so much?
If I never heard Sean P. on this beat body bags would be decent to me
Real shit
50 is back niggazzzzz……. kil em up
He’s back
So 50 content repetitive! His lane is gangsta rap. That’s like sayin wiz talks abt weed too much or Drake is emotional. The Tape solid to gangsta rap hip hop fans
I like the mixture of the music..
Dope
I agree bro!
This shit is repetitive as fuck. Im 50 fan but i think 50’s time is up. Dude is 42 now and gotta be more responsible and mature instead of telling lame gangsta stories and creating fake beefs on twitter. i hate to admit it but Game and Rick Ross are contstantly dropp dope albums and 50 is just stuck in 2003. he didnt grew as an artist or as a person.
he is 40 years old,,stop it ,,and game and ross drop 3 wack lps in a roll ,dont know what world u are in , meek is the biggest artist on that label MMG ,,THIS IS A GOOD MIXTAPE FOR HIM,, like the gunit mixtapes better, and this nigga calling 50 broke when he still has more money than him,,smh ( p.s i still fucks with game but he name drops to much )
Ross makes the same gangsta rap as a former corrections officer. At least 50 lived the life
don’t game and rick ross make the same gangsta raps over and over, too?
On my 200th listen and this is mixtape of the year
Very solid mixtape 5/5!
no drake no fucks given. Drake is rap. With out a drake feature rappers are irrelevant
Drake doesn’t even run current rap. Just because he makes catchy hits is no reason to D-ride.
You guys serious? Hey at the end of the day it’s all subjective but this mixtape was a huge let down. Nothing on this comes even close to dope shit like 9 shots. Body Bags is dope and Burner on me and that’s it. Far…very far from his best music in years. 50 should not use producers that mess with no talent clowns like Young Thug.
50 is 50 its the unit!!!!
He killed this. 4/5
Nice tape fif..
It’s dope! I’m the man is my song .
Great tape 7 out of 7 – each track is hot! Great beats and writing. My fav is I’m the Man but I really like every track.
Rap needed this heat
finally..a FIDDY comeback…….a CERTIFIED DOPE album..
Dope tape. Nice mixture of production. Fif has always done his thing well over the southern sounds and the grimy shit on this album is dope too. He sounds refreshed. Keep it up 50!
Just when I think this idiot can not release any more garbage music worse than BISD, this fool comes out with this trash. Eminem needs to start writing again for this dude and Dr. Dre needs to resume production because this clown has totally lost it musically.
Shut the Fuck up your an idiot this album is good. Incase you missed it (which you clearly did) this is a concept album where he is playing his character from his show power. Which he nails.
A step in the right direction sonically.
fireeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
FIRE‼️????????????????????????????
This is 50 finally evolving. Listen to it, he lets the producer run the track. It’s evident on “I’m The Man.” Lyrically, 50 has always been there; he talks, people listen. But now he’s focusing on his musical craft since ’03. I think “I’m The Man” is the best song he’s ever done since “In Da Club”. I knew he’d be back on his shit after that bankrupt stuff. Maybe he has songwriters now but he’s good again. And that’s fine.
This mixtape is fire and I’m sure “Too Rich” and “I’m The Man” will be all over urban radio stations soon.
this is a dope mixtape and production has great diversity, 50 hooks are fire like always. hes always been a hook and cadence specialist “too rich” and im the man are the top 2 standouts. tho there are plenty other fire songs like tryna fuck me over with post malone and nigga nigga with boosie and buck. body bags sounds like a old 50 songs and i mean that in a good way but im more interested in this new current sound 50 has been using and used greatly on this project. and 3 of these songs would be a great idea to put on street king immortal witch are too rich im the man and tryna fuck me over, he can add a verse to tryna fuck me over and im the man i say put drake on im the man and make it SKI lead single. i say drake because he would fit perfectly on it. his verse would have to be dope because 50 moon walked on that beat, he was too smooth kinda used his 03-05 flow but modernized hes just in pocket musically right now and everyone should just enjoy it im looking forward to his next mixtape reloaded and of course the album street king immortal
50 gee…the best ever
Dope tape. 50 still gots it…GGG
Dope tape. 50 still gots it…GGG
Dope tape. 50 still gots it…GGG
dope tape , he still gat it.
Ugh. Wow, this is Gorgeous.
Tracks: 3.5.6 and 7.
50 cent is very hot like never Dm the kanan is repeat to my phone like dm I can benzel wek up legit boss u say nhn
This tape is straight fire. Too Rich, I’m The Man and Burner On Me are some of 50’s best songs in recent years.
spoks
Sounds like Power of a Dollar mixed with Get Rich or Die Tryin (Soundtrack and Major Label Debut) best 50 Cent product in a while… I give it 4/5
50 did a great job! 5/5!
This Tape go hard in the paint. Ciroc Boy
Effen*
50 certified NY coming back strong
I still like 50’s trying to fit into the new rap groove, his slowly getting there but his developed more of a future type of way and should stick to the 50 we all know and love.
kb
2016 about to look like 2003.
2016 about to look like 2003.
5
dope shit fiddy been rocking with you since 2k
Man, I have been waiting for this album