Five songs you didn’t know 50 Cent wrote for other rappers
Curtis James Jackson III, better known, of course, as 50 Cent, is the kind of success story that renders one, after a few decades, into a cultural institution.
A rapper, actor, record executive and television producer, he is considered one of the most successful rappers of all time, having sold over 30million albums across the world. He’s received his fair share of critical acclaim, too: since his 2002 mixtape was discovered by Eminem and he subsequently signed to Shady Records, Cent has racked up a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three American Music Awards, and 13 Billboard Music Awards, to name a few.
Beyond his own zeitgeist-defining tunes like Candy Shop or In Da Club, 50 Cent has been quietly in the background of other songs in the capacity of a writer, rather than a rapper.
Here are five songs most people, even some of rap’s most earnest listeners, won’t know were penned by Cent.
Five songs you didn’t know 50 Cent wrote for others:
‘Paradise’ – LL Cool J featuring Amerie
At this time, 50 Cent was still largely unknown by the public, more known for his mixtapes than his media appearances.
His writing on this single, the lead from LL Cool J’s album 10, adds some modern vibes and rhythm, allowing the latter and Amerie’s vocals to gorgeously rap and sing over the track. It became a commercial success, and a nod to Cent’s future success in melody and structure.
‘Still Be Friends’ – G-Eazy featuring Tyga and Tory Lanez
A track that speaks to the blurred lines between platonic friendship and potential romance is well-trodden in music, but 50 Cent adds a new flavour to the lyrical genre with some trademark seduction and lyricism reminiscent of his Candy Shop days.
This is the 2000s rapper keeping a quick pace with late ’10s musical sensibilities, succeeding in a tune that is a bona fide club classic.
‘How We Do’ – The Game
When a song is written by 50 Cent and produced by Dr Dre, there’s a fair chance it’ll be a good one, and you know what? It is.
Cited as a successful fusion of the times’ West Coast vibe with East Coast swag, 50 Cent not only wrote it for The Game’s debut album, The Documentary, but featured on it too, with excellent vocal chemistry between the pair. With a solid production and catchy hook, the single rose to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.
‘Remember the Name’ – Ed Sheeran featuring Eminem and 50 Cent
Two titans of the rap genre united for Ed Sheeran’s No 6 Collaborations project, which was assumedly more than just an instant fire in the booth moment; this was the first time Eminem and Cent had collaborated in years.
The beat, produced by Max Martin and Shellback, is laidback, and the lyrics speak to themes of fame, legacy, and perseverance, with the gritty lyrics of the two all the more prominent on the track’s ultra-polished pop production.
‘Got It On Me’ – Pop Smoke
Released posthumously on Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars album, Got It On Me looks towards 50 Cent’s 2003 tune ‘Many Men (Wish Death)’. The two songs share fatalistic themes in their lyricism and a haunting melody to boot.
Not only is 50 Cent credited as a songwriter on this track due to its direct interpolation of his earlier song, but he also executive-produced the album, becoming one of the standout tracks and a testament to the significant mentorship culture within New York rap.