The Massacre
The Massacre is the second studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on March 3, 2005, by Shady Records, G-Unit Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The album debuted and peaked at #1 on the US Billboard 200, selling 1.15 million copies in its first week. Upon its release, The Massacre received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, but lost to Kanye West's album Late Registration at the 48th Grammy Awards.
The Massacre | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 3, 2005 | |||
Recorded | July–November 2004 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 77:22 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
50 Cent chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Massacre | ||||
|
Background
The Massacre has a music video for every track (with the exception of "Gunz Come Out") on the special edition version of the album. The original title for the album was revealed as St. Valentine's Day Massacre and was arranged to be released on February 14, 2005. However it was postponed, and the album title was shortened to simply The Massacre. The censored version of the album censors out most profanity, violence, and all drug content. The track "Gunz Come Out" has inconsistency in the editing, and contains some profanity. The opening track "Intro" removes the shooting sequence, and is cut down to 20 seconds. In comparison, the album is not as heavily censored as his previous album Get Rich or Die Tryin', but it is still a very highly censored album ranking in severity with albums such as Jadakiss' Kiss tha Game Goodbye (2001), along with Tony Yayo's Thoughts of a Predicate Felon (2005) and Nas' Stillmatic (2001).
Commercial performance
The Massacre sold 1.15 million copies in its first four days of release, becoming the 6th-largest opening week for an album at the time since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.[1] This is the second best opening week for a hip hop album, behind Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP (2000), which sold 1.76 million copies in its 1st week.[2] As of 2015, the album has sold 5.36 million copies in the United States and over 11 million worldwide.[3][4]
In 2005, The Massacre was ranked as the number one album of the year on the Billboard 200.[5]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 66/100[6] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Blender | [8] |
Entertainment Weekly | B−[9] |
The Guardian | [10] |
Los Angeles Times | [11] |
NME | 8/10[12] |
Pitchfork | 7.0/10[13] |
Rolling Stone | [14] |
Spin | B−[15] |
The Village Voice | A−[16] |
The Massacre received generally positive reviews from music critics; it holds a score of 66 out of 100 at Metacritic.[6] Vibe magazine found it "full of finger-pointing panache" and wrote that "50 delivers a taut, albeit less explosive, album aimed at both silencing his detractors and keeping the ladies satisfied".[17] NME observed "a new depth to the murderous lyricism" from 50 Cent on the album.[12] Greg Tate, writing in The Village Voice, said that, like Tupac, 50 Cent is "a ruffian who knows the value of a good pop hook", and called The Massacre "the most diabolically sensous collection of baby-making gangsta music since Pac's All Eyez."[18] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times found the album to be "nearly as addictive as its predecessor" and called 50 Cent "a crafty songwriter, specializing in obvious but nearly irresistible tracks that sound better the more you hear them."[19] In his review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau said that 50 Cent's "ugly gangsta lies" are "incidental to the mood of the piece, which is friendly, relaxed, good-humored, and in the groove."[16]
In a mixed review, Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club said that, although its strengths lie in 50 Cent's "dark charisma" and "fluid delivery", the album is marred by flaws typical of "big rap releases: At nearly 78 minutes, it's far too long, wildly uneven, and not particularly cohesive sonically or thematically."[20] Uncut magazine wrote that, despite 50 Cent's "cool menace", "not even tight productions from Eminem and Dre can stop things from flagging midway."[21] Lynne D. Johnson of Spin felt that it lacks "originality" and makes artistic concessions: "He's tryin' too hard to be everything to everybody."[15] In a negative review for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis panned him as a lyricist and felt that the album lacks "any of the factors that make the best gangsta rap disturbingly compelling ... There's nothing except a string of cliches so limited that repetition is unavoidable".[10]
Accolades
The Massacre was nominated at the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album,[22] but lost to Kanye West's Late Registration.[23] It was ranked the twenty fifth best album of the year by Rolling Stone.[24]
According to 50 Cent, the album received more mixed reviews than his album Get Rich Or Die Tryin' because he was focused more on the hooks and song structure: "People fought love for the things they see are significant. Jimmy Iovine was a producer … he loves the significance of production. He loves Dre. I don’t give a fuck what I made … look, I made my whole second album as a 10-record. I knew they wasn’t my best verses but my choruses were right so I focused on my song structure."[25]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro (The Massacre)" | Lindsay Collins | Eminem | 0:41 |
2. | "In My Hood" |
| 3:51 | |
3. | "This Is 50" |
|
| 3:04 |
4. | "I'm Supposed to Die Tonight" |
|
| 3:51 |
5. | "Piggy Bank" |
| Needlz | 4:15 |
6. | "Gatman And Robbin" (Feat. Eminem) |
|
| 3:46 |
7. | "Candy Shop" (featuring Olivia) |
| Scott Storch | 3:29 |
8. | "Outta Control" |
| 3:21 | |
9. | "Get in My Car" |
| Hi-Tek | 4:05 |
10. | "Ski Mask Way" |
| 3:05 | |
11. | "A Baltimore Love Thing" |
| Cue Beats | 4:17 |
12. | "Ryder Music" |
| Hi-Tek | 3:51 |
13. | "Disco Inferno" |
|
| 3:34 |
14. | "Just a Lil Bit" |
| Storch | 3:57 |
15. | "Gunz Come Out" |
|
| 4:24 |
16. | "My Toy Soldier" (featuring Tony Yayo) |
|
| 3:44 |
17. | "Position of Power" |
| J.R. Rotem | 3:12 |
18. | "Build You Up" (featuring Jamie Foxx) |
| Storch | 2:55 |
19. | "God Gave Me Style" |
| Needlz | 3:01 |
20. | "So Amazing" (featuring Olivia) |
| J.R. Rotem | 3:16 |
21. | "I Don't Need 'Em" |
| Buckwild | 3:20 |
22. | "Hate It Or Love It (G-Unit Remix)" (Bonus Track) (featuring The Game, Tony Yayo, Young Buck and Lloyd Banks) |
| Cool & Dre | 4:23 |
Total length: | 77:22 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
21. | "Window Shopper" (bonus track) |
|
| 3:12 |
22. | "Best Friend" (featuring Olivia) (bonus track) | Jackson | Hi-Tek | 4:14 |
Total length: | 84:48 |
- Notes
- Sample credits[27]
- "Intro" contains elements from "What Up Gangsta" performed by 50 Cent.
- "This Is 50" contains elements from "Things Done Changed" performed by The Notorious B.I.G..
- "I'm Supposed to Die Tonight" contains vocal samples of "Vocal Planet" performed by Spectrasonics.
- "Gatman and Robbin'" contains replayed elements from "Batman Theme" composed by Danny Elfman.
- "Candy Shop" contains a sample of "Love Break" performed by The Salsoul Orchestra (uncredited).
- "Outta Control" contains an interpolation from "Set It Off" performed by Strafe.
- "Ski Mask Way" contains elements from "What Am I Waiting For" performed by The O'Jays and resung elements from "Cell Therapy" performed by Goodie Mob.
- "A Baltimore Love Thing" contains elements from "I'll Be Waiting There for You" performed by The Dells.
- "God Gave Me Style" contains elements from "Each Day I Cry a Little" performed by Eddie Kendricks.
- "I Don't Need 'Em" contains elements from "Nobody Knows" performed by S.C.L.C.
Personnel
Credits for The Massacre adapted from Allmusic.[28]
|
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[65] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Belgium (BEA)[66] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[67] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
France (SNEP)[68] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[69] | Platinum | 200,000^ |
Greece (IFPI Greece)[70] | Gold | 10,000^ |
Ireland (IRMA)[71] | 2× Platinum | 30,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ)[72] | Gold | 100,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[73] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Russia (NFPF)[74] | 3× Platinum | 60,000* |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[75] | Platinum | 40,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[76] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[77] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000[78] |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI)[79] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
Worldwide | — | 9,000,000[4] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
The Massacre (Special Edition)
The Massacre (Special Edition) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 6, 2005 | |||
Recorded | 2004–2005 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 73:47 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
50 Cent chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Massacre | ||||
|
Background
The album was re-released under the name The Massacre (Special Edition). It was re-released on September 6, 2005 with a remix of "Outta Control" featuring Mobb Deep. The remix replaces the original version of the song as track 8. The re-release included a bonus DVD with music videos for all of the songs (except for "Disco Inferno", "Gunz Come Out" and the Intro), and the trailer for the movie Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Due to the ongoing feud between 50 Cent and The Game, the re-release does not include the twenty-second track, G-Unit's remix to "Hate It or Love It". The re-release helped the album re-climb the charts to number 2 in the United States. The original version was also re-issued using the special edition track listing leaving out the parts for the DVD.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" | Lindsay Collins | Eminem | 0:41 |
2. | "In My Hood" |
| 3:51 | |
3. | "This Is 50" |
|
| 3:04 |
4. | "I'm Supposed to Die Tonight" |
| Eminem | 3:51 |
5. | "Piggy Bank" |
| Needlz | 4:15 |
6. | "Gatman and Robbin'" (featuring Eminem) |
|
| 3:46 |
7. | "Candy Shop" (featuring Olivia) |
| Storch | 3:29 |
8. | "Outta Control (Remix)" (featuring Mobb Deep) |
|
| 4:07 |
9. | "Get in My Car" |
| Hi-Tek | 4:05 |
10. | "Ski Mask Way" |
| Disco D | 3:05 |
11. | "A Baltimore Love Thing" |
| Cue Beats | 4:17 |
12. | "Ryder Music" |
| Hi-Tek | 3:51 |
13. | "Disco Inferno" |
|
| 3:34 |
14. | "Just a Lil Bit" |
| Storch | 3:57 |
15. | "Gunz Come Out" |
|
| 4:24 |
16. | "My Toy Soldier" (featuring Tony Yayo) |
| Eminem | 3:44 |
17. | "Position of Power" |
| J.R. Rotem | 3:12 |
18. | "Build You Up" (featuring Jamie Foxx) |
| Storch | 2:55 |
19. | "God Gave Me Style" |
| Needlz | 3:01 |
20. | "So Amazing" (featuring Olivia) |
| J.R. Rotem | 3:16 |
21. | "I Don't Need 'Em" |
| Buckwild | 3:20 |
Total length: | 73:45 |
- Notes
^[a] signifies an additional producer.
- Sample credits
Informations taken from The Massacre liner notes:[27]
- "Intro" contains elements from "What Up Gangsta" performed by 50 Cent
- "I'm Supposed to Die Tonight" contains samples of "Warning" by The Notorious B.I.G.
- "Gatman and Robbin'" contains replayed elements from "Batman Theme"
- "Candy Shop" contains a sample of "Love Break" performed by The Salsoul Orchestra (uncredited)
- "Ski Mask Way" contains elements from "What Am I Waiting For" performed by The O'Jays and resung elements from "Cell Therapy" performed by Goodie Mob
- "A Baltimore Love Thing" contains elements from "I'll Be Waiting There For You" performed by The Dells
- "God Gave Me Style" contains elements from "Each Day I Cry A Little" performed by Eddie Kendricks
- "I Don't Need 'Em" contains elements from "Nobody Knows" performed by S.C.L.C.
See also
References
- "50 Cent Massacres Album Chart Competition". Billboard. March 16, 2008. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-29.
- Nguyen, Hao (November 24, 2013). "5 Biggest First Week Album Sales in Hip-Hop History". Stop the Breaks. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-29.
- Caulfield, Keith (December 10, 2015). "Adele's '25' Hits 5 Million Sold in U.S." Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
- Weiss, Sam (February 6, 2013). "Check Out an Infographic of 50 Cent's Career By the Numbers". Complex. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "2008 Year End Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- "Reviews for The Massacre by 50 Cent". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 6, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- Jeffries, David. "The Massacre – 50 Cent". AllMusic. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- "50 Cent: The Massacre". Blender. New York (36): 116. May 2005.
- Browne, David (March 11, 2005). "The Massacre". Entertainment Weekly. New York. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- Petridis, Alexis (March 10, 2005). "50 Cent, The Massacre". The Guardian. London. Friday Review section, p. 17. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- Dreisinger, Baz (March 2, 2005). "50 Cent's sophomore effort is fun, familiar". Los Angeles Times. p. E.2. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- "50 Cent: The Massacre". NME. London: 58. March 12, 2005.
- Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (March 6, 2005). "50 Cent: The Massacre". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- Brackett, Nathan (March 10, 2005). "The Massacre". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- Johnson, Lynne D. (April 2005). "50 Cent: The Massacre". Spin. New York. 21 (4): 100–01. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- Christgau, Robert (April 19, 2005). "Consumer Guide: Ignorants and Know-Alls Keep Out". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on August 16, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- Rodriguez, Jayson (April 2005). "50 Cent: The Massacre". Vibe. New York. 13 (5): 166.
- Tate, Greg (March 8, 2005). "Married to the Hook". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on July 7, 2009. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- Sanneh, Kelefa (March 3, 2005). "A Timeout From Hip-Hop Tough Talk to Purr Come-Ons". The New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- Rabin, Nathan (March 15, 2005). "50 Cent: The Massacre". The A.V. Club. Chicago. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- "50 Cent: The Massacre". Uncut. London (96): 95. May 2005.
- Complete list of Grammy Award nominations Archived 2005-12-12 at the Wayback Machine. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2009-12-25.
- Grammy Awards Best Rap Album Winners: Late Registration Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. About.com. Retrieved on 2009-12-25.
- The Top 50 Records of 2005 Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine. Rolling Stone.
- https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.56668/title.50-cent-disses-rick-ross-meek-mill-jay-zs-roc-nation-ceo-all-in-one-swoop
- "The massacre - Nouvelle edition" (in French). Fnac. Archived from the original on 2013-05-17. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- (2005) Album notes for The Massacre by 50 Cent. Aftermath Entertainment.
- Credits: The Massacre. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-02-28.
- "Australiancharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Austriancharts.at – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Ultratop.be – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Ultratop.be – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "50 Cent Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Danishcharts.dk – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "50 Cent: The Massacre" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Lescharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2005. 13. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Irish-charts.com – Discography 50 Cent". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Italiancharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Charts.nz – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Portuguesecharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Spanishcharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Swedishcharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Swisscharts.com – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "50 Cent Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "50 Cent Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "50 Cent Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2005". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Jahreshitparade Alben 2005". austriancharts.at. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Jaaroverzichten 2005". Ultratop. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Rapports Annuels 2005". Ultratop. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2005". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Top de l'année Top Albums 2005" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2005". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2005 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
- "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2005". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
- "Canadian album certifications – The Massacre". Music Canada.
- "French album certifications – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (50 Cent; 'The Massacre')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- "Greek album certifications – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in Greek). IFPI Greece.
- Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd. "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- "Japanese album certifications – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2005年3月 on the drop-down menu
- "New Zealand album certifications – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Recorded Music NZ.
- "Russian album certifications – 50 Cent – The Massacre" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF).
- "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (50 Cent; 'The Massacre')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- "British album certifications – 50 Cent – The Massacre". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Massacre in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "American album certifications – 50 Cent – The Massacre". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- Caulfield, Keith (December 10, 2015). "Adele's '25' Hits 5 Million Sold in U.S." Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2005". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
External links
- The Massacre at Discogs (list of releases)