50 Cent is no stranger to controversy, having feuded with just about every big name in the hip hop game. However, his latest mixtape shows that for all his enemies, Fifty’s made the right friends. The Lost Tape boasts some impressive features, most notably Snoop and Eminem, and introduces a more thoughtful, mature sound from Fifty – He’s come a long way from his “Candyshop” days.
50 Cent's "The Lost Tape"">The album opens with “Get Busy” featuring Kidd Kidd. Fifty raps about overcoming his haters and getting back into the game, his way. A great introduction to get his fans riled up and ready to go. The second track, “Double Up”, is fairly forgettable, but Fifty is right on with the third track, “Murder One”, featuring Eminem. This is a standout track, despite Eminem’s scarce presence (appears for song intro). “Riot Remix” displays some notable rhymes from both Fifty and 2 Chainz, but the beat sounds like it was leftover from Watch the Throne.
The rest of the mixtape offers an impressive array of strong tracks, including “Complicated”, and “Remain Calm” which offers some refreshing verses from Snoop Dogg, a nice contrast to Fifty’s rhyming style. “Can’t Help Myself” is another catchy track which will likely grab listener’s attention, just like “O.J.”
The last track of the album, “All His Love”, is reminiscent of old-school Fifty, with the refrain: “I be like fuck a bitch, I’m tryna stay rich, no time to concentrate on hoes, even if I fuck that bitch, do the freakiest shit, by the morning I got to go”. Some things never change. Although the track is arguably one of the weaker of the album, his longtime fans will likely appreciate it, if only for nostalgic purposes.
On “Swag Level”, Fifty spits “My swag on ten I get the green”, and he’s right – this mixtape marks the beginning of a potentially momentous comeback for the rapper, and it’s about time.
You can find The Lost Tape here.