Maps of Music

Curtis (2007)

Where the lyrics of Curtis take you, and where it was really made.

The album was first planned as Before I Self Destruct, and its title was changed twice before release.

Key places

Florida session for Ayo Technology (2007)

Recording site Criteria Studios — 50 Cent flew to Florida to work on Ayo Technology with Justin Timberlake. The track was finished later in Houston, Texas. The pin marks a Miami studio at city level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Curtis: third studio album by American rapper 50 Cent
• Released September 11, 2007
• Labels: Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, Interscope Records, and Violator
• Production credits include Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Timbaland, among others
• Music writers note that 50 Cent divides the album between hard and soft songs
• Heavily anticipated after the success of Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005)
• Went through many changes before release

Background

• Originally planned as Before I Self Destruct for 2007
• He pushed that album back to 2008 and released Curtis in 2007 instead
• Title changed from Curtis to Curtis S.S.K., then changed back to Curtis
• S.S.K. meant SoundScan Killer, showing the pressure to succeed
• S.S.K. also stands for SouthSide King and Shoot, Stab, Kill
• He said the album was inspired by his life before his commercial debut
• He chose the title because he was known as Curtis before he became famous
• In January 2007, DJ Whoo Kid predicted a double disc LP; this did not materialize

Recording

• Parts were written in his grandmother's old house in South Jamaica, Queens
• Flew to Florida to work on Ayo Technology with Justin Timberlake; the song was finished in Houston, Texas
• Unlike the previous two albums, which featured mostly G-Unit artists, Curtis features artists he had not worked with before
• Guests include Akon, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Timbaland, and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls
• He wrote a significant amount of the guests' lyrics

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Curtis James Jackson III, known as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, record executive and businessman.
• Born July 6, 1975 in Queens, New York City; raised in South Jamaica by his grandparents after his mother died in a fire when he was eight.
• Began pursuing a music career in 1996 under Jam Master Jay; debut album Power of the Dollar was recorded for Columbia Records in 1999–2000 but shelved after he was shot nine times on May 24, 2000.
• The 2002 mixtape Guess Who's Back? was discovered by Eminem, who signed him to Shady Records (an Interscope imprint).
• Debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced the number-one singles "In da Club" and "21 Questions".
• Formed G-Unit Records in 2003; The Massacre (2005) gave him his third number-one single "Candy Shop".
• Later albums Curtis (2007), Before I Self Destruct (2009) and Animal Ambition (2014) saw declining critical and commercial reception.
• Turned to television with Power (2014–2020), which he executive-produced and co-starred in, plus spin-offs under G-Unit Film and Television.
• Has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won a Grammy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
• Billboard ranked him 17th on its "50 Greatest Rappers" list in 2023.

Business

• Built a diversified business portfolio including Formula 50 beverages, SMS Audio headphones and Effen Vodka.
• Co-founded film companies G-Unit Films (2003) and Cheetah Vision (2008).
• Ran a boxing promotion company, TMT, from 2012.
• Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July 2015.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Curtis received generally mixed reviews from music critics upon release.
• Stylus Magazine's Jayson Greene wrote that the beats sound about as dated and cheap as any Koch record.
• Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal wrote that 50 Cent mostly sticks with tried-and-failed G-Unit stalwarts and Dre-aping up-and-comers.
• RapReviews editor Arthur Gailes stated that there is no dip in quality lyrically.
• Metacritic average of 58 from 15 reviews.
• Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot wrote that Curtis provides exactly what consumers say they do not want: more of the same.
• Slant Magazine called 50 Cent one of the worst lyricists alive.
• Robert Christgau named it dud of the month with a B grade.
• Entertainment Weekly placed the album third on its list of Worst Albums of 2007.

Reappraisal

• In a positive review, USA Today's Steve Jones wrote that the themes are not new but 50 Cent delivers them with unmatched swagger and flair.
• Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield noted that 50 Cent is out to prove he is everything he used to claim.
• Sheffield also noted that 50 Cent is for the first time letting guests sing most of the hooks.
• Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times said his mush-mouthed delivery is still charming.
• Greg Tate of The Village Voice called the album tightly wound 21st-century pop songwriting.

Records

• Debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 691,000 copies in its first week.
• Gave 50 Cent his third consecutive top five album in the country.
• Sold 1,225,000 copies in the US in 2007.
• Ranked 36th most popular album of 2007 on the Billboard 200.
• Ayo Technology reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100; I Get Money reached the top 20.
• 50 Cent won the Best-Selling Hip-Hop Artist award at the 2007 World Music Awards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title was changed from Curtis to Curtis S.S.K. and then back to Curtis.
• Man Down had all police references censored on both the censored and uncensored versions of the album.
• On December 18, 2007, the fully uncensored version of Man Down was leaked onto YouTube.
• Kanye West moved Graduation to the same release date as Curtis, and 50 Cent claimed he would stop releasing solo albums if Graduation sold more.
• Time ranked I Get Money sixth on its list of The 10 Best Songs of 2007.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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