50 Cent released some extraordinary tracks during the 2000s, and some of them were undeniably catchy and so infectious that they became hits. Dr Dre and Scott Storch were responsible for some of his most well-known songs like ‘In Da Club’ and ‘Candy Shop’. However, in 2005, through Dr Dre, Fifty was partnered up with the Miami production duo Cool & Dre, with whom he made a bonafide hip-hop anthem.
‘Hate It or Love It’ was a hit when it was released in 2005, and it still sounds fresh today. Although 50 Cent, alongside The Game, provided some fantastic vocals and dynamic flows, it is indisputable that the instrumental of the track was its main appeal. The song was so exceptional that it nearly reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at two. The single has been certified platinum in the US and UK three times, so it’s evident that people loved it. However, few know how it was created.
Hate It Or Love It’ was produced by Miami-based duo Cool & Dre and was a beat that already existed on the. The instrumental for the track was released on an unofficial beat tape floating around Miami for years. As producers trying to make it big, Cool & Dre released an instrumental CD hoping it would get picked up by a rapper and that it did.
‘Hate It Or Love It’ was created when the duo stumbled across the 1975 soul song ‘Rubber Band’ by The Trammps. Hearing the potential in the track, they chose to sample it. By chopping it up and re-arranging, the beatmakers formed a dynamic groove. Following this, they beefed up the instrumental by adding a thumping set of drums and a pronounced bass.
Even though the original beat featured on what was a meagre local-level CD, when it made its way into the Aftermath Entertainment building, Dr Dre knew it was a hit and handed it to 50 Cent in the hope that he could do it justice which he did.
In a 2021 interview with ‘Tweak Music Tips, Andre ‘Dre Lyon explained the inspiration for the beat, disclosing, “I was in my truck listening to Encore. I was so stuck on production. The Black Album had just dropped. So I sat in Cool’s garage. We had already met Kanye early; his manager wanted to manage us, so we met Kanye as he was coming up, and being someone who flips samples, you gotta love it. I go into the garage, press the play button and the sample for ‘Hate It Or Love It’, and I was like we gotta make this sh*t!”
The instrumental that the duo produced in their garage home studio turned out to be the one that changed the course of their careers and saw them become legitimate producers in the scene. Overall the beat’s creation was a spark of inspiration partially inspired by Kanye’s love of sampling. You can listen to the track in the video below.
