Credit: Alamy

Almost every musician dreams of their debut album hitting the critical and commercial stratosphere of success. Very few musicians actually achieve this. In the case of 50 Cent and his 2003 Get Rich or Die Tryin’, his first album not just launched his profile upon the world stage, but would come to be one of the most influential pieces of music within the hip-hop genre.

And, of course, it was released after Cent survived being shot nine times. Which in itself is an incredible achievement. One could make the argument that the least he deserved was a hit album. And yet his roaring victory was not one born out of sympathy, but hard won from excellent talent, work, and production.

With Dr. Dre and Eminem behind the wheel, as well as features from G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, the number one chart topping album includes timeless classics such as “In Da Club”, “21 Questions” and “P.I.M.P.”, tracks that have become legendary singles not just for Cent’s discography, but that of the genre’s, too.

So it’s somewhat surprising – and definitely interest piquing – that Cent would ever consider an album better than Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

And yet, apparently, he does. In a 2005 interview with music blog Dub CNN, the rapper discusses his then yet to be released second album, The Massacre.

“Oh man, I feel like it’s better than the first album!” said Cent. “I put a lot more details into it, I got a chance to sit back and see what was effective already. I mean I felt like I had my finger on the pulse of what’s going on.”

“I’ve had my first releases off my record company, G-Unit Records had the success they’ve been having,” Cent continued. “Like Beg For Mercy sold like 3.5 million worldwide, Lloyd Banks scanned over 2 million records, Young Buck is platinum, and Game debuted number one, selling 580,000 records his first week!”

The Massacre was initially intended to be a companion album to the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ film, but took on a life of its own as the rapper’s growing talent and versatility came to further fruition. Dr. Dre and Eminem returned to produce the album, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Coming in at nearly 78 minutes, some critics took issue with its length. Otherwise, it received nearly parallel acclaim as its predecessor, with cultural commentators noting the album’s advanced lyricism and polished production.

It debuted atop the charts, and sold an incredible 1.15 million copies in just its first four days. Single “Candy Shop” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the rapper’s third number one; fellow album single, “Disco Inferno”, was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2006 Grammy Awards.

Sure, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ launched 50 Cent as a hip-hop star worth paying significant attention to. But The Massacre, released a mere two years afterwards,cemented his status as an international heavyweight in not just hip-hop, but the noughties music scene at large. As for which is better? With two of the genre’s most impressive albums at play, it may just come down to personal preference.