Category: News

As Valentine’s Day approaches, love is in the air. However, based on whispers across social media, hip-hop and R&B’s hottest young couple DDG and Halle Bailey may be sending the lover’s holiday apart. The pair began their romance in January 2022 and have been publicly spotted in public ever since, including on the red carpet at the BET Awards.

Rapper and YouTuber DDG has spoken about how the singer has motivated him, centered his love for her in his past music videos, and used his platform to speak out against racist trolls targeting her starring role in Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action adaptation. However, after fans noticed that DDG was no longer following Bailey on Instagram, they began questioning if the pair had quietly called it quits.

In a now-deleted tweet, DDG wrote, “All girls are the same.” Without context, the internet began to think that the singer had stepped out of the relationship, but Bailey’s oldest sister took to social media to clear Halle’s name. In the video, she said, “you’re not going to come on social media and insinuate that she was doing something that she wasn’t doing. You need to pipe down and get yourself together.”

After pushback, DDG retired to Twitter to seemingly address the rumors of the singer cheating, writing, “The internet so gullible.”

So, did they break up? It looks like the jury is out for now — but all the signs are there. We’ll have to wait until they confirm it one way or another; ’til then, it’s all just speculation.

Brendan Fraser has been making the rounds lately sharing fun stories, and surprising Mummy superfans, all after starring in an acclaimed Oscar-worthy movie. For someone who has been acting for over 30 years, he sure has a ton of fun behind-the-scenes tidbits from the pre-social media days, when privacy still existed.

Fraser recently spoke to Howard Stern about his prolific career, beginning with School Ties, the teen drama that followed Fraser as David, a young Jewish teen who wants to play football in a school of anti-Semitic students. One of those students is Charlie, played by Matt Damon, who learns of David’s religion and challenges him to a fight in the locker room, where the boys wrestle fully nude in the shower.

Of course, with movie magic, it’s easy to assume that they weren’t actually naked, but Stern was surprised to learn that the boys were really bare. When asked if they really shot the scene naked, Fraser said, “Oh yes. Absolutely,” Fraser admitted, much to Stern’s surprise.

School Ties was one of Fraser’s first films, so he added that he wanted to please the director. “It’s scary to do that. When you’re an actor and you’re just starting off, you’re pretty much game for anything. They say ‘jump,’ you say ‘how high?’” he continued.

Despite being naked in the shower with Matt Damon (which sounds like a dream to some, a nightmare to others), Fraser said that he admired how easy it was to shoot. “I appreciated that this isn’t really for wow or a scintillating factor of going, ‘Hey, look at that. Naked people,’” he explained, adding that nudity played an important part in showing the intensity of the moment.

He added, “The point of it was that when Damon’s character says what he says about David, he just reveals who he is. His anti-Semitism and his prejudice is stripped down naked and it’s ugly. And the door is locked and they fight over it like shaved apes that need to be pulled apart because they’ve run out of things to say to one another, and it just turns into an ugly knuckle-dusting fit.” The movie also starred Ben Affleck and Chris O’Donnell.

Fraser’s naked breakout role helped him then land the lead in Airheads, so we all won here! You can check out the rest of the Howard Stern interview here.

(Via EW)

Cate Blanchett is a two-time Oscar nominee and for over three decades, she’s been one of the best working actors in the film industry. Blanchett is the master of subtly and glamour, with an aura reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She takes big risks and is a generous scene partner, two qualities that have earned her two Oscars and several nominations.

Here are the best Cate Blanchett performances to watch ahead of the 2022 Oscars, where she is nominated (and very likely to win) for her career-best role in Tár.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), streaming on Paramount+

While Cate Blanchett does not have much screentime in The Talented Mr. Ripley (one of the best films of the 1990s with one of the best casts of any decade or century), she delivers a subdued but powerful performance that is indicative of her prowess. In the film, Blanchett plays Meredith Logue, an American socialite who befriends Matt Damon’s Mr. Ripley, who is lying to her about his identity. Her character is not in the novel the film is based on, but was added to the film specifically with her in mind by director Anthony Minghella, who expanded the role even further. Entrancing and glamorous as always, Blanchett shows her signature strength in restraint: in Talented Mr. Ripley she knows she’s irresistible, but also knows she is not the main event amongst a cast including Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. And yet, despite her limited role, the film would not be the same without her.

The Aviator (2004), streaming on Netflix

Katherine Hepburn was a legend. The actor, who starred in classic comedies including Adam’s Rib and The Philadelphia Story, had a lot in common with Cate Blanchett: tall, slender, and glamorous. Blanchett’s performance as Hepburn in The Aviator, which won her an Oscar for best supporting actress, is so good because it’s not mimicry. Instead of doing an impression of Hepburn’s recognizable raspy Mid-Atlantic accent and demeanor, Blanchett created an aura of Katherine Hepburn. But most importantly, Blanchett let her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio do a majority of the heavy lifting.

Notes on a Scandal (2006), available to rent on Amazon

In Notes on a Scandal, Blanchett successfully faces off with Judi Dench, one of the best to ever do it (it being scenes so tense you need the world’s biggest, sharpest knife to cut them). In the psychological thriller, Blanchett plays Sheba Hart, an art teacher who has an affair with a student. Sheba’s friend and co-worker Barbara, a veteran teacher played by Dench, discovers the dark secret and their friendship and lives unravel. Blanchett’s choice to let Dench take control benefits both their performances, but especially her own: restraint is a common theme in Blanchett’s career, and this performance is the best example: like her performance in Tár, she is so restrained that she is explosive.

I’m Not There (2007), streaming on Amazon via Freevee

Todd Haynes’ eccentric ensemble film I’m Not There is an experimental biopic of Bob Dylan, that tells the singer-songwriter’s story through various vignettes with the Dylan-type character played by a different actor in each. It’s also Blanchett’s biggest, boldest performance to date, right in front of her role as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Blanchett plays the most iconic version of Dylan in the film: the messy brown hair, and the black square sunglasses. Although Blanchett at this point was known for playing glamorous feminine roles with a hint of masculine energy as Hepburn in The Aviator and as Queen Elizabeth II in Elizabeth, Blanchett is still alluring. She deepens her voice but not too much, changes her physicality but not too much (her precision remains), and allows herself to be the biggest performer in the room. Blanchett received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for the role. She should have won, but she did not.

Blue Jasmine (2013), available to rent on Amazon

Unfortunately, one of Blanchett’s best performances, which won her an Oscar for best actress, was written and directed by alleged sex predator Woody Allen and co-stars Alec Baldwin and Louis C.K. But Blanchett, who excels at playing glamorous women in dire circumstances, especially mentally, is the titular Jasmine (blue figuratively, not literally), a New York socialite who flees to San Francisco after her marriage to a wealthy man falls apart. Jasmine, distraught from the loss of a comfortable, wealthy, lifestyle, tries to adjust to a more low-key life. Blanchett uses every part of herself to convey Jasmine’s struggle from the blink of an eye, the twitch of a finger.

Carol (2015), streaming on Amazon via Freevee

This is the film that turned Blanchett into a lesbian icon. In the best Christmas film ever made by director Todd Haynes (who directed her in I’m Not There), Blanchett plays Carol, an elegant but stagnant 1950s housewife whose friendship with a young photographer she meets at a department store gets complicated. Blanchett’s mystique is a perfect match for the mysterious character, but also for Haynes’ unique approach to filmmaking. Together, Blanchett and Rooney Mara carefully capture melancholy, fragility, and attraction in a modern masterpiece.

Tár (2022), streaming on Peacock

Cate Blanchett’s performance as Lydia Tár, a disgraced lesbian icon and EGOT winner who threatens a German child in Todd Fields’ Tár, is the best, most committed performance of her career, which I have popped off about elsewhere. It earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress. If she wins – which is likely – it will be her third win.

You don’t have to be a market analyst to know that the price of eggs has skyrocketed. If you’re just an average person buying eggs for breakfast, it may seem ridiculous that egg prices are so high when it appears that the local Tractor supply always has baby chicks for sale.

But with an outbreak of avian flu infecting nearly 58 million birds while people move away from meat protein and consume more eggs, the price increase makes sense. It’s painful to people’s budgets, but it’s how the market works, and families aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch.

Small businesses that rely on eggs are also experiencing their budgets busting due to egg prices. Sweet Anna’s Bakery in Dallas, North Carolina, already had to raise prices due to the cost of eggs and other ingredients, but owner Courtney Johnson discovered she had a connection. Fifth grader Rylen Robbins has 21 chickens that were producing too many eggs for his family to eat. (You see where this is going, right?)

---

The chickens produce 18 to 19 eggs a day according to Rylen, who was interviewed on Fox & Friends. That’s a lot of eggs for one family, so Rylen’s dad took to social media to unload them, which is how Johnson became aware of the surplus of eggs.

“He had posted that Rylen Robbins had some eggs, and egg prices just kept going up every week and I just couldn’t do it anymore, so I reached out and said, ‘I will take as many as you can give me,’” Johnson told Fox & Friends.

Before long, the unlikely duo had become business associates. Rylen was able to sell Johnson eggs much cheaper than cartons of eggs from the store. Johnson revealed to Fox & Friends that she used to only pay $2.42 for five dozen eggs but now, “The highest I’ve seen [eggs] has been about $6 to $7 a dozen. They have started to come down, but he [Robbins] is cheaper at $3 a dozen.”

That’s a pretty significant jump in prices, and while the price of eggs is starting to fall, they’re still expensive. The baker has tried finding other ways to cut costs so she doesn’t have to keep raising prices on her baked goods. It’s a business venture that just makes sense, even if the person she’s doing business with is only 11 years old. But this isn’t the first time Johnson and Rylen have crossed paths.

Turns out, Johnson has made birthday cakes and other baked goods for the Robbins family’s parties in the past, so the business relationship is a little more personal. In a way, Rylen is helping the entire community by selling eggs to Sweet Anna’s Bakery, because it helps keep costs down for everyone, not just the owner.

The entire story is so sweet and you can check it out for yourself below:

Cocaine Bear would have a good cast even without its star, a bear on cocaine.

The ensemble includes Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Character Actress Margo Martindale, Kristofer Hivju, and Ray Liotta in one of his final roles. But the main draw is the titular nose candy-addicted bear, as well as the film being (very loosely) based on a true story.

“The movie flashed before my eyes,” director Elizabeth Banks told Variety about her reaction to reading the script for the first time. She’s best known for comedies like 30 Rock and Wet Hot American Summer, but she took Cocaine Bear seriously. “I don’t recommend anyone do this, but if you go down the internet hole of looking at actual animal attacks on humans, it’s f*cking gnarly as sh*t,” she said. “I love gore. I grew up on Evil Dead. The gore is part of the fun of the ride.”

Banks’ embrace of the carnage in Cocaine Bear also stems from her conviction that the movie would work only if the audience believed the animal was real. “It had to feel like a NatGeo documentary about a bear that did cocaine,” she says. “It couldn’t be something silly. It couldn’t seem animated in any way.”

Fun fact. Cocaine Bear has already made history: it’s the only movie to ever have “cocaine” and “bear” in the title. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Cocaine Bear opens on February 24. Make it a late Valentine’s Day present.

(Via Variety)

Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ Grammys performance of “Unholy” was sure to garner some attention after Smith wore a hat with horns and all the performers onstage donned complete red ensembles.

So, basically, right-wing politicians are dubbing it as Satanic worship and imagery that invokes the devil… not like the song is called “Unholy.”

It seems that they shouldn’t have much to worry about, as the Church Of Satan’s magister David Harris offered his thoughts to TMZ on Smith and Petras’ so-called tribute to Satan. He notes that he only thought of it as “alright” and “nothing particularly special,” while noting that the performance (and the pushback) don’t particularly align with the church’s beliefs.

“It’s sad when politicians on a national stage use someone’s religion as a punchline,” Harris added.

However, something controversial that Harris did feel aligned was Lil Nas X’s music video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” In it, Lil Nas twerks on the devil himself and ascends the pretend throne.

“For the uninitiated… Satanists don’t actually worship Satan, nor do they believe in God or the Devil,” he added. “They’re opposed to anything supernatural and all spirituality, and with no belief in the afterlife, Satanists emphasize being your true self, personal achievement and living life to the fullest… with one of the key tenants being individuals are their own Gods.”

Watch Smith and Petras’ not-so-satanic “Unholy” performance from the 2023 Grammys above.

Harrison Ford is having one heck of a year. After being stuck at home during the pandemic, the legendary actor was eager to get back to work and threw himself into a slew of projects. He’s currently starring in the Yellowstone prequel, 1923, and the new Apple TV series, Shrinking. On top of joining the world of prestige TV dramas, the actor will reprise one of his most iconic roles in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is set to hit theaters this summer.

Of course, with Ford returning to his classic Indy role, there’s the unavoidable issue about the actor’s age. There was already significant criticism for 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and well, Ford hasn’t gotten any younger in the 15 years since. However, this time around, Ford and director James Mangold are leaning into the age issue, but they won’t be doing it with the “old Indy” jokes that plagued Crystal Skull.

Here’s what Ford recently told The Hollywood Reporter:

In [Dial of Destiny] there were a lot of old jokes in the script. We took them all out. There is a moment where he observes himself in this situation and says, “What the f*ck am I doing in here?” But I hate what I call “talking about the story.” I want to see circumstances in which the audience gets a chance to experience the story, not to be led through the nose with highlights pointed out to them. I’d rather create behavior that is the joke of age rather than talk about it.

Ford also opened up about Dial of Destiny‘s opening flashback sequence, which uses de-aging technology to make the actor look like he’s appearing in a scene that closely matches the aesthetics of the original Indiana Jones films from the ’80s. At first, Ford was also hesitant about the controversial CGI filming technique until Lucasfilm walked him through their own unique process.

“I never loved the idea until I saw how it was accomplished in this case — which is very different than the way it’s been done in other films I’ve seen,” Ford said. “They’ve got every frame of film, either printed or unprinted, of me during 40 years of working with Lucasfilm on various stuff. I can act the scene and they sort through with AI every f*cking foot of film to find me in that same angle and light. It’s bizarre and it works and it is my face.”

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny whips into theaters on June 30.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Beginning this April, subscribers to Vinyl Me, Please will get exclusive access to a special collection of Dolly Parton’s iconic albums. Those who join Parton’s record club, appropriately called Vinyl Me, Parton will receive one of her albums on vinyl every month for the next year.

As VMP explains, the albums will range from some of her most acclaimed and revered records, including Jolene, My Tennessee Mountain Home, and New Harvest…First Gathering. One of her classics, 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs, will receive a re-pressing for the first time in nearly 40 years.

All of the albums included in the membership were remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound in Nashville, and will come pressed in unique colors on 180g vinyl.

“I love listening to records, and to know that fans around the world are discovering music on vinyl is wonderful,” said Parton in a statement. “I am really happy to see some of my favorite albums that have been out of print on vinyl or were never pressed on vinyl be made available. What’s old is new again!”

You can see the schedule of album deliveries below.

• April 2023: My Tennessee Mountain Home
• May 2023: Little Sparrow
• June 2023: Blue Smoke
• July 2023: Just Because I’m a Woman
• August 2023: 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs
• September 2023: Backwoods Barbie
• October 2023: Hello, I’m Dolly
• November 2023: Jolene
• December 2023: Halos & Horns
• January 2024: Better Day
• February 2024: Those Were the Days
• March 2024: New Harvest…First Gathering

You can sign up for Vinyl Me, Please and the Vinyl Me, Parton series here.

It might be hard for you whippersnappers out there to believe, but once upon a time, Jay-Z was not the biggest rapper in hip-hop. In fact, despite some of the baller raps from early in his career, some of his first encounters with the trappings of wealth came through other rappers who were more successful than him at the time.

Missy Elliott, who was a hitmaking juggernaut in the mid-90s and early 2000s, shared a funny anecdote on Twitter about how she gave Jay one of his first luxury experiences. Along with a video of the two rappers strolling through a hallway backstage at the recent Grammys, she nostalgically recalled giving Jay his first-ever ride in a Lamborghini.

“fun fact Jay said the 1st time he ever rode in a Lambo car was mines over 20 yrs ago,” she wrote. “now look he probably own a damn spaceship with a alien driver.”

It’s pretty funny to think about Jay being driven around by a Martian (and only slightly more far-fetched than learning he had never been to Central Park, despite living in New York all his life). But it’s also a reminder that Missy is one of the most delightful follows on social media.

Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Twenty years ago this week, 50 Cent dropped his debut album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.

I want you to understand something about this. I am in no way, shape, or form exaggerating in even the teeny tiniest little bit when I say that this album F*CKED THE GAME UP. We talk a lot in this business about “groundbreaking,” “earth-shattering,” or even paradigm-shifting albums. Usually, that’s a bunch of nonsense. But this time? This time, it’s all the way real.

The strongest way that I can put it is that Get Rich Or Die Trying had roughly the same effect on teenage boys in 2003 that The Beatles coming to America had on teenage girls in 1964. Again, I am not exaggerating. A lot of credit has been given to Eminem, 50’s mentor and patron as the head of Shady Records (which released the album), for popularizing rap for a generation of white kids.

I respectfully submit that a lot of that credit should go to 50 Cent, who seemingly overnight spawned a multimedia empire, spurred by untold legions of suburban youths living out their gangsta fantasies vicariously through his debut album to the tune of 11 million records sold globally by 2020. This was before streaming.

This was at the height of Jay-Z’s reign. 50 Cent was a cultural phenom, upending hip-hop’s then-dominant party music status quo and bringing back something akin to menace, and the kids couldn’t get enough.

In honor of this actual game-changer, Yoh and I are counting down the best 50 Cent songs.

34. “U Not Like Me”

One of the lower-key songs from 50’s debut is a defiant challenge to haters, biters, enemies, and snitches that showcases his way with blunt-spoken-but-effective wordplay. As 50 compares all those against him to his superior circumstances, the scintillating Red Spyda beat clinks away behind him, reminding of the run of mixtape dominance that led to 50 rising above the competition. – Aaron Williams

33. “When It Rains It Pours”

Appearing on the Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ soundtrack, “When It Rains It Pours” is desperado music, updated for the modern-day black hats that 50 represents. Of course, the rain in question is hot lead, turning the Che Vicious production into an ominous warning. 50 isn’t holding back when it goes down. – AW

32. “What If”

50 tends to show out on conceptual tracks, and this offering from the Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ soundtrack is no exception. Rapping in character as the film’s protagonist Marcus (who was loosely based on 50 himself), 50 wonders about the results of rap stardom. It’s exactly the sort of song that an aspiring rapper would make, and 50 sells it well, even a few years removed from that humble position in real life. – AW

31. “I Don’t Know Officer” Feat. Spider Loc, Lloyd Banks, Mase, and Prodigy

A cheeky but menacing mixtape posse cut produced by Malay and Jake One, “I Don’t Know Officer” was one of many attempts to launch G-Unit on a grander scale. It’s an intriguing curio, featuring a rare collaboration between 50 and Mase, who have never had as contentious a relationship as 50 has with some members of his now-defunct label, but who have still never really put out too much music together for some reason. Also, Spider Loc is here, giving the Compton rapper one of his very few mainstream appearances. – AW

30. “Best Friend” Feat. Olivia

If you had to guess, without looking, how many views on YouTube does “Best Friend” have? If you guessed 30 million, wrong. If you guessed 60 million, wrong. “Best Friend” has over 141 million views. An unbelievable number for a sentimental record produced by Hi-Tek, that features Olivia, samples “Silly, Wasn’t I?” by Valerie Simpson, and interpolates parts of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend.” “Best Friend” is unquestionably a hit, one of the biggest in 50’s catalog, and he achieved it by leaning into the lady-man music that his nemesis Ja Rule was famous for. Life is funny like that. – Yoh Phillips

29. “Follow My Lead” Feat. Robin Thicke

50 Cent had nothing to prove by Curtis, his third album. He had written the hits, gave hip-hop a classic debut, a strong sophomore, and had room to double down on concepts that made his character multi-dimensional. “Follow My Lead” paired him with Robin Thicke for one of his more tender-hearted themes. The slow-burning tempo and soft piano keys bring a candle-lit vibe that would make no sense on Get Rich or Die Tryin’, but he didn’t die, and even thugs need love. – YP

28. “Disco Inferno”

Legend has it that after Interscope Record decided to push back his sophomore album, The Massacre, 50 chose to leak his lead single, “Disco Inferno, on Thanksgiving Day. A daring move that speaks to how leaks have long affected superstar careers and driven labels crazy. With that said, how 50 made the clubs move may be hard to fathom in a time so removed from his hitmaking, but he had the hottest hand in terms of turning simple jingles into Billboard chart-toppers. “Disco Inferno” peaked at No. 3 and restarted the mania around the world’s boldest rapper. – YP

27. “I’ll Whip Ya Head Boy” Feat. Young Buck

G-Unit had some great records. “I’ll Whip Ya Head Boy” is a prime example. You have 50 and Young Buck over one of the hardest beats Ron Browz ever made, sounding starved, like they’re ready to reach through your headphones and take whatever money is in your wallet. You would think they were performing to be co-stars in the next Grand Theft Auto. It’s a shame these three didn’t attempt more collaborations. They have a working chemistry that went unexplored, but that is why the hit has aged so well: No one ever made a sequel. – YP

26. “Major Distribution” Feat. Snoop Dogg & Jeezy

An underrated latter-day 50 Cent single, “Major Distribution” was originally released as a promotional single for his oft-delayed (and probably canceled) sixth studio album Street King Immortal. While it never charted as well as it could have, 50 and his collaborators do display some cozy chemistry, and the anthemic Soul Professa production lends some impressive energy to the affair. Also, it’s always nice when 50 steps outside of his usual small collaborative circle to include different rappers — and Jeezy delivers one of his stronger verses here. – AW

25. “Like My Style”

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is a time capsule. “Like My Style” is a Rockwilder-produced club record that feels made for dance-off scenes in You Got Served. The off-kilter rhythm pushed 50 to loosen up. His flow is flexible, his cadence is fun, and he’s in such ecstasy the man said, “I’m a New Yorker, but I sound Southern.” Not true, but the sentiment touched on how 50 was ready to expand outside his region, and “Like My Style” does that by venturing beyond predictable comfort zones. Although not one of his big hits, “Like My Style” had all the pieces of an early 2000s hit. – YP

24. “Ski Mask Way”

Some might think breakout success would keep him away from gritty street tales, but 50’s best storytelling comes out of a darker, colder slice of life and that didn’t change because he sold a million records. “Ski Mask Way” is stickup kid music from the perspective of a scheming kleptomaniac who will take whatever his eyes see, whatever his hands touch. A chain, a watch, earrings — nothing is off limits. What takes this robbery rap deep cut even higher in esteem is how rich and soulful the beat is. The late Disco D outdid himself. – YP

23. “Heat”

The Dr. Dre-produced “Heat” was in Rakim’s possession first before 50 laid the vocals that earned him a track filled with Glock cocking and gunshot sounds. He raps threat after threat with bulletproof poise despite the war zone ambiance. There’s something compelling about how he raps, unbothered by all the noise, as if this environment of hyper-violence is where he feels the most at home. Of all the tracks on his infamous debut, “Heat” doubles down on 50 as an agent of chaos that will place his listeners in a world of bullets, burners, and bravado. – YP

22. “I’m Supposed To Die Tonight”

By the time The Massacre came out in 2009, the subject matter of this song, 50’s 2000 shooting in front of his grandmother’s house, was well-worn material. Rap fans looking for evolution or new material weren’t going to find it here. That doesn’t mean it’s not effective; as a nostalgic reflection of a pivotal point in 50’s life, it’s vivid as HDTV. – AW

21. “God Gave Me Style”

Another standout from The Massacre, this song is unusual in 50 Cent’s discography because it’s one of his few songs that isn’t A.: A chilling meditation on violence, or B.: A blatant bid for radio dominance. He sounds happy here, relishing in the outcome of the past few years of his career, and one of the few times he freely admits, “Best deal I made was tradin’ the mic for that triple beam.” 50’s music can often be motivational, but rarely is it uplifting — this is one of the few exceptions. – AW

20. “High All The Time”

50 wanted to sell records — enough to make a record that wasn’t faithful to life. “High All The Time” talks of intoxication, but the Queens rapper is too intense to be a believable stoner. What should be a loose and lucid record is confrontational and forbidding, but he displays his gift for pairing a sweet melody with brash bravado, the gangsta rap image with a hitmaker’s ear. There is a rare charm to “High All The Time” that captivates even when you can’t trust his character. – YP

19. “Part Of The Game”

50’s rap resurrection has come from a seemingly unlikely place. His constellation of Starz crime dramas, beginning with Power, have offered a showcase that helps to properly contextualize his grimy street narratives. See, he’s not telling 20-year-old war stories anymore, he’s telling you about the show, the things the characters are going to go through. Maybe he took a page from Jay-Z’s book with American Gangster; until we get 50’s version of the reflective 4:44, the Power theme songs — this one’s from Book III: Kanan — let us relive 50 at his best and temporarily ignore the fact he’s a mogul who hasn’t touched a pack since Clinton was in office. – AW

18. “Power Powder Respect” Feat. Lil Durk & Jeremih

The theme song to Power Book IV: Force sees 50 tap Chicago veterans Lil Durk and Jeremih — fitting additions, considering the show’s setting. For those who aren’t up on game, this spin-off follows the original show’s Tommy Egan as he flees to Chicago and works to take over the Windy City. Obviously, power, powder, and respect are the three things he’ll need to accomplish this goal, but while they aren’t in short supply, they aren’t exactly the easiest things to obtain, lending the show its conflict and this song its narrative tension. – AW

17. “Big Rich Town” Feat. Joe

The theme song from the original Power marked a turning point in 50 Cent’s music career. It’d be fair to say he hadn’t been as much of a force on the music scene as he was in business, particularly in the screen business. With his last full-length album nearing a decade ago, it seemed like he’d moved on from rap — until he rediscovered his hunger by putting himself in the mind of his character from the show, Kanan. And while that character is no longer a fixture of most of the remaining spinoffs (RIP), by spitting from the perspective of his shows’ street-stuck subjects, 50 once again sounds vital. – AW

16. “Still Think I’m Nothing” Feat. Jeremih

These two may be an odd pair on paper, but 50 and Jeremih have a commendable work history. Their standout collaboration, “Still Think I’m Nothing,” serves as a harmonious meeting place for raw and reflective raps to find amicability alongside a soulful R&B voice. The silky groove Bongo produced was an ideal canvas for these two to share space. The infectious outcome deserved more praise when this one dropped in 2017. How 50’s ad-libs carry over into the chorus gives “Still Think I’m Nothing” a clever juxtaposition that more artists should attempt today. You really feel the best of both worlds. – YP

15. “Ryder Music”

Hi-Tek might be one of the most underrated rap producers of all time. The man comes with heat, and while it may have seemed a surprise to see the backpack rap producer working with a towering figure such as 50 Cent in 2005, the results speak for themselves. Over a haunting Stevie Wonder loop embellished by Tek’s artist Dion, 50 comes as close as we’ve ever heard him to introspection, juxtaposing his titanic star status with the trappings of trap life. – AW

14. “How To Rob” Feat. The Madd Rapper

The song that first introduced 50 Cent to the masses in 1999 laid the foundation of his future blueprint of courting controversy for attention, and by extension, sales. The tongue-in-cheek concept is simple; 50 is going to rob every successful rapper in hip-hop. He proceeds to name-check dozens of them, from Canibus to Will Smith, dropping in a few R&B singers and even choir director Kirk Franklin. The song didn’t make him many friends, but it garnered plenty of fans, especially after several of his targets responded with tracks of their own, fueling the feeding frenzy. – AW

13. “I Don’t Need Em”

50 is one of rap’s greatest anti-heroes because he commits to antagonism. “I’m rich, I still wake up with crime on my mind,” he raps on “I Don’t Need Em,” the penultimate record found on his sophomore album, The Massacre. It’s an incredibly mean-spirited track, full of the foul energy only a villain could emit. The middle-finger lyricism is paired with phenomenal production by Buckwild, who pulls classic hip-hop grit out of The SCLC Operation Breadbasket Orchestra And Choir’s “Nobody Knows” should be in classrooms studied by professors. – YP

12. “Back Down”

To find the death knell of Ja Rule’s hip-hop dominance, relisten to “Back Down,” track ten on 50 Cent’s classic debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin.’ They don’t make diss records quite like this anymore, where a whole career gets disrupted by its content. The whole track is a vicious and valiant attempt at ending a career, robbing 50’s adversary of any leftover respect since the start of their beef. If liquefied, “Back Down” would taste like poison. That’s how deeply 50 despised Ja. So much so, allegedly, two versions of “Back Down” exist. The OG was disrespectful enough for Dr. Dre to have him change it. It’s hard to imagine a harsher diss, especially with the Alex Thomas outro. – YP

11. “This Is 50”

Fame, celebrity, money; 50 Cent had all the perks of superstardom by 2005, and he still made “This Is 50,” a record that reintroduced him as a Benz-driving, limo-riding rap star with an itchy trigger finger. In both verses, the hook and bridge embody his resistance to be some safe pop star. He may have made riches without having to die, didn’t mean that made him softer, kinder. No, not him, and for anyone who may have forgotten, “This Is 50” makes it crystal clear: A persona doesn’t mean pretending. – YP

10. “Window Shopper”

Appearing on the soundtrack from Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, “Window Shopper” features the most hilarious version of 50 Cent. The one who pulls up alongside you in his brand-new Lamborghini, eyes you up and down, and lets out a pointed, derisive chuckle before he peels off as the light turns green. Here, the put-downs are comical, but the commentary is no less incisive. He doesn’t need to brag or threaten because he’s already reduced you to the worst version of yourself in his mind — and yours. – AW

9. “What Up Gangsta”

The first time I heard anyone from outside of California use “cuz” — the standard salutation of the street-affiliated gentlefolk around my way — on a record, my mind was blown. 50’s street credentials didn’t seem so gimmicky or manufactured to me after that, because I realized he knew some stuff. Anyway, I was 18 at the time and didn’t know any better. This remains one of my favorite 50 Cent records, though. – AW

8. “Hustler’s Ambition”

For all the catchy hooks 50 Cent is best known for, for all the boisterous hits, I’ve always thought he was at his best when he still rapped like he had something to prove over gritty, primal hip-hop beats. Check and check. The stripped-down production, sampling the soulful Frankie Beverly and Maze song “I Need You,” offers a clean backdrop for 50’s straightforward bars about the trevails of the hustler’s life. Placed on the soundtrack to 50’s film debut, which was named after his first album, it sets the stage for the hungry, barely fictionalized version of the character we see in the film. – AW

7.”Patiently Waiting”

The Eminem-produced “Patiently Waiting” was sent to 50 soon after signing with Em in 2002. The drums drop like elbows from a top rope, and that only begins to describe a swelling beat where all the intersecting parts create the perfect atmosphere for titans to pop shit. They pop it, not caring who they offend, especially with all the references to 9/11. It’s bold, but what do you expect from two brass-knuckle rappers with a love for mayhem? Their platinum-selling collaboration was a statement-making moment for Shady Records, one that still feels potent 20 years later. – YP

6. “Wanksta”

A new rapper must add lingo to hip-hop’s vernacular to reach superstardom. “Wanksta” wasn’t a widespread term before 50, but after his 2002 single, it was everywhere, viral, an instant classic. Often viewed as a Ja-Rule diss, “Wanksta” shames posers and taunts pretenders with laughable contempt. Lyrically, the track is rap bullying at its best, and 50 makes it catchy, an imposer-shaming rap sing-along. Then, the beat by J-Praize is unlike anything rappers had at the time and still sounds like it was from the future when played today. A super classic by all metrics. – YP

5. “A Baltimore Love Thing”

While there are quite a few “love songs” that characterize all manner of drugs and other vices as romantic foils to their respective songwriters, this standout from The Massacre captured a side of 50 that hadn’t been seen yet. Where he had always played the cold-eyed hustler, willfully apathetic of the effects of the products he sold, here he personified those products, taking a clinical look at the destruction they’ve wrought on his customers. – AW

4. “21 Questions” Feat. Nate Dogg

The “girl song” reared its head so often in the halcyon teenage years of hip-hop. Yet, never before had it been so effectively ruggedized. Acknowledgment for this likely belongs to Nate Dogg, the California crooner whose cognac vocal graced many a hit in the early 2000s. Rather than begging his way into his paramour’s bed, 50 and Nate draw her in, putting the ball firmly in her court. Will she remain loyal? Will she persevere? What is she willing to do to keep this thing going? By reversing the roles of pursuer and pursued, 50 sounds both enamored and coolly unattached. – AW

3. “I Get Money”

Every year a few rap records come out and have no flaws. A perfect beat, a perfect performance, a perfect release. In 2007, one of those flawless tracks was “I Get Money.” You would have thought its placement on Billboard had peaked higher than No. 20 the way it reached from Brooklyn to Buckhead, from Washington to Wichita. The Audio Two sample and the flex, “Have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire,” had hip-hop in a chokehold. You can play the song today and imagine the impact, but really, “I Get Money” was a moment you had to be there for, a true one-of-one anthem that was every hustler’s ringtone. – YP

2. “Many Men”

There are few songs that truly convey the sense of paranoia that comes from being a marked man because there are so few songs that can accurately balance the anxious, eye-rolling dread with the slight thrill of adrenaline, that rush that makes it almost seem worth the risk. That 50 could back his boasts with his factual story of survival — nine shots to the torso, neck, and head — takes the subject matter from grim to weirdly triumphant. “He got hit like I got hit,” 50 snarls, “But he ain’t f*ckin’ breathin’.” – AW

1. “In Da Club”

A calling card song of the highest order, “In Da Club” is the one 50 Cent song that you’d play your friend who’s never heard a 50 Cent song and they’d get it. A pummeling, punishing treadmill of a Dr. Dre beat sounds like the Knight Rider theme song without actually sampling it (it’s been done a few times), setting the stage for a pulse-pounding, heart-gripping action movie in audio form. 50’s boasts sound at once victorious and somehow humble — like he’s reached the pinnacle of a years-long climb, only to spy greater peaks in the distance. – AW