Twenty years from now, when asked what hip hop musician was most popular in 2007, answer simply by saying: "Put on Curtis by 50 Cent, and pay attention to the guest appearances."
But if the question was about the greatest album of 2007, Curtis wouldn't be the right answer.
Curtis features guest appearances by almost every popular singer and producer today (with the exception of Beyoncé) in an attempt to add depth to his work, or to cover up his lack of inspiration for this new album.
Akon, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Robin Thicke, Eminem, Young Buck, Mary J. Blige and Dr. Dre all contribute to Curtis.
50 spits the same game as he did on his last two albums. "I ain't fresh out of the hood / I'm still in the hood," he claims on the track "Fully Loaded Clip."
While tracks like "Follow my Lead" and "All Of Me" feature the softer, more understanding 50 Cent, there is really only one thing 50 Cent wants you to know on Curtis: he has the biggest ego in the rap world. "My Gun Go Off," "I'll Still Kill," "I Get Money," "Come & Go," "Follow My Lead," "Movin' On Up," "Straight To The Bank" and "Fully Loaded Clip" all have to do with 50 being at the top gangster of rap.
The ego boosters on Curtis are nothing new for 50 Cent, but the hooks that worked for the past two albums have gotten lazier and less catchy.
The most boring hook on the album can be found on "Come & Go." 50 Cent raps, "Bring 'em in / Kick 'em out / Bring 'em in / Kick 'em out," about eight times throughout the song.
Bad hooks aside, 50 Cent's euphemism for sex on "Amusement Park" is so awful it's hard to believe it was even made into a single. "If you wanna ride on a roller coaster baby come on and ride / It goes up and down and round and round."
Even a cameo by Justin Timberlake and production by Timbaland on "Ayo Technology" doesn't score Curtis any street credit. In an ironic twist, the tongue-in-cheek song about being tired of technology is mixed with the most production and technology on the album. Timberlake steals the show, thankfully, giving the listener a break from 50.
Blige's monstrous vocal solo on "All Of Me" distracts the listener from the fact that Curtis is 50 Cent's album. Yet Blige's performance doesn't justify purchasing Curtis.
Although Curtis is full of trash songs, 50 Cent is sure to be heading straight to the bank thanks to the publicity generated from this much-talked about showdown with Kanye West.