Aight then, another album that didn't officially get the release it deserved.
50 Cent's Power of the Dollar. I remember how mind blowing it was for me to find out the fact that 50 had a whole album before the G-Unit tapes and Get Rich or Die Tryin'. I was 11 when I found out about it, and his early cuts were some heat.
1998 was a kickstart for 50, appearing on the Onyx single "React". Around this time, he was working with Jam Master Jay, recording a full-length album entirely produced by him. That one never saw the light of day AT ALL! But it was 1999, that was supposed to be his breakthrough year. He secured a deal with Columbia, appearing on the In Too Deep soundtrack with two songs: "How to Rob" and "Rowdy, Rowdy". While the latter had a music video, it wasn't as popular as the first, considering that "How to Rob" was a song that took light jabs at popping rappers of the time; which a lot took seriously.
According to an interview at The Tunnel in '99, his debut album Power of the Dollar was scheduled for a January 2000 release date. It's possible it went through some pushbacks overtime for somewhat reason. But in April 2000, 50 was unfortunately shot 9 times, likely due to a song on the album called "Ghetto Qu'ran" which caused controversy. As he was recovering, he ended up getting dropped from the label and blacklisted. The album release was officially cancelled, leading to it being bootlegged. The good thing is 50 still managed to make it out alive, starting from square one again, releasing a series of classic mixtapes in 2002 before inking a deal with the legends Eminem & Dr. Dre (Shady/Aftermath) and dropping the masterpiece Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
Anyway, Power of the Dollar features 18 tracks, with guest appearances from Noreaga, Bun B, Destiny's Child & Dave Hollister. The album mainly consists of your typical street cuts from 50, and it's pretty obvious that 50 had yet to master his catchy radio-friendly hooks and shit, considering he used singers to help him.
The album starts off nicely, after a skit introduction, we get "The Hit", a funky tune which 50 flows smoothly over, metaphorically making the song like a homicide, with the hook suggesting that, and it sets the mood for the album very well. There's already a few quotables, including 'I'm eating, ya'll niggas fasting like it's Ramadan/Bowlish way in Lebanon know 50 the bomb' and 'I know I lie, it's a habit, I vow to clean the city like the mayor/And in the crack game I'm a franchise player'. "The Good Die Young" samples "You Are Number One" from The Whispers, which would later be sampled on the classic Monica hit "So Gone". It's another hardhitting cut to vibe out to, where he details what to expect if he was to pass away, reflecting on his street life, whether it's money, doing grimy shit and more.
There are a lot of solid moments on Power of the Dollar, and on my first listen, I was pretty surprised. "Corner Bodega (Coke Spot)" is a prime example of the best song on an album being the shortest. And actually I'm fine with that, 50 manages to impress me amazingly with only one verse, expressing how things go down in the drug game. L.E.S. uses a classic sample, previously used for "Nuttin' But a G Thang" and he flipped that like it was nothing. "Your Life's on the Line" is the infamous Ja Rule diss, which ethered the hell outta him. What else is there to say about that one, ha?! "Ghetto Qu'ran (Forgive Me)" is well-known for being one of the main reasons that 50 ended up being blacklisted (and a possible reason for his shooting), mentioning a number of people, mainly criminals, 50 remembered from his early years in his South Jamaica neighbourhood in Queens. It's also one of my favourites off the album really, with 50 being in his most introspective on it. "Da Repercussions" is another of my favourites, which hit hard on my first listen. 50 was a beast on that joint, it was on repeat for time! I could mention more, but this paragraph is long enough, so... just check my key favourites down below.
As I mentioned before, Power of the Dollar didn't feature the radio-friendly style we know him for these days, and there was only like 2 commercial joints on here. "Material Girl" was a decent cut, and Dave Hollister did his thing on the hook. It's not too special tho. "Thug Love", on the other hand, was an amazing radio-friendly attempt, and would've got the credit it deserved if 50 didn't get shot before the video shoot and all. Destiny's Child really came through on them vocals, especially Bey, and 50 delivered some great verses. The rest of the features were also good on the album too. "As the World Turns" is a "New York meets the South" vibe, with Red Spyda providing such a chill Southern beat to ride to. 50 switches up the flow this time, rapping effortlessly on the joint. He manages to keep up with Bun B very well, who murked this cut. Noreaga comes through on "Money by Any Means", which was pretty decent, and he did a good job. I wanna give love to "Da Heatwave", another 50/N.O.R.E. cut which unfortunately didn't make the final cut on the album (it was on the EP version). This time, Noreaga was on the hook, and 50 killed it. Plus, Erick Sermon was on the boards too, and killed the production. The Madd Rapper ends the album with his appearance on "How to Rob" as a hypeman and hook duty. You already know about this tune, he came at everybody and alla that.
Blah, blah, you already know I'm bringing up the production. Almost everyone killed it. "Corner Bodega (Coke Spot)", "You Ain't No Gangsta", "I'm a Hustler", "Power of the Dollar" and "The Good Die Young" are some of my favourite beats on the album, and 50 floated over them. Erick Sermon also did his thing too, "Da Heatwave" is FUEGO! I wish it made the final album cut, easily could've made the album better.
But overall, this album is dope. One of my favourite projects from 50, yet the most underrated as it never got the official release deserved. I could say the same shit I've said in 98% of my reviews, so you know the deal. Hardly any bad songs, good production, great bars and features. Yeah yeah, I'm done talking. Go check this album out!
Recommended Tracks: "Corner Bodega (Coke Spot)", "You Ain't No Gangsta", "As the World Turns", "I'm a Hustler", "The Good Die Young", "Power of the Dollar", "The Hit", "Thug Love", "Your Life's on the Line", "How to Rob"
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