Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)

Get Rich or Die Tryin' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Interscope Records, G-Unit Records, Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment. After signing with Eminem, 50 Cent also worked heavily with Dr. Dre and Eminem both acting as the album's executive producers, who worked to combine the gangsta rap and R&B combo prevalent in New York hip-hop. Additional production is provided by Mike Elizondo, Sha Money XL (who also executive-produced the album), Mr. Porter, Rockwilder, Dirty Swift, Megahertz, and more.

The album also contains guest appearances from Eminem, Young Buck, and Nate Dogg, as well as features from G-Unit co-members Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Before the album, 50 Cent released several mixtapes alongside the Trackmasters, and in 2000 recorded an unreleased album titled Power of the Dollar, which was supposed to be his first. However, after suffering legal troubles and being blackballed from the music industry, 50 Cent found difficulty in securing another major-label recording contract until he signed with Eminem's Shady Records in 2002.

Released a week in advance to combat bootlegging and Internet leakage, Get Rich or Die Tryin' debuted and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 872,000 copies in its first week of sales. The album's singles also saw worldwide success, with both "In da Club" and "21 Questions" reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, while "P.I.M.P." became a number one hit in several countries. The album was ranked number one on the Billboard Year-End 2003 and received general acclaim from music critics.

Get Rich or Die Tryin' was ranked by several publications as one of the best albums of the 2000s. In 2020, it was certified 9× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was the best-selling album of 2003 in the US, and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. It won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at 2003 American Music Awards and Top Billboard 200 Album at the 2003 Billboard Music Awards. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album number 280 on their updated 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Background

Prior to the release of his first studio album, titled Power of the Dollar, 50 Cent was shot nine times in Queens, New York, on May 24, 2000. He survived but was dropped from his label, Columbia Records, who canceled the album's release. Seeking to avoid another encounter with his shooter, 50 Cent traveled out to Westbury, Long Island, at the invitation of producer Sha Money XL and began recording mixtapes there. During this period, 50 Cent also recorded several songs that would ultimately appear on Get Rich or Die Tryin'; he recalls that, when he completed a song that he was especially impressed by, he would decline to release the song and instead save it for his eventual studio debut.

According to 50 Cent in March 2002, he was already in talks with J Records, Universal Records, and Jive Records to release his debut album titled Get Rich or Die Tryin' via his own then imprint, Rotten Apple Entertainment. In 2002, Eminem listened to a copy of 50 Cent's Guess Who's Back? mixtape album through Jackson's attorney, who was working with Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg. After being impressed with the mixtape, Eminem invited 50 Cent to Los Angeles where he was introduced to producer Dr. Dre. 50 Cent signed a one-million-dollar record deal with Eminem and Dr. Dre; 50 Cent then released his next mixtape, No Mercy, No Fear to gain more buzz. It featured his own 8 Mile single, "Wanksta" (in addition to appearances on three other tracks from the album), which was later put on Get Rich or Die Tryin'. "Wanksta" began to attract attention from radio DJs throughout the United States, building hype for 50 Cent's forthcoming album.

Both Eminem and Dr. Dre had started producing tracks on his debut album with additional help from producers Mike Elizondo, Sha Money XL, and others. 50 Cent's second commercial single, "In da Club", was the first of seven tracks he recorded in five days with Dr. Dre. Eminem was featured on two songs, "Patiently Waiting" and "Don't Push Me". His songs also featured rappers within G-Unit such as Lloyd Banks ("Don't Push Me"), Tony Yayo ("Like My Style"), or Young Buck ("Blood Hound"). "Back Down" was an instrumental originally intended to be used on Rakim's debut Aftermath album, Oh My God, but due to creative differences was not released. Early pressings of Get Rich or Die Tryin' included a limited edition bonus DVD.

The album title originates as a tattoo on Sha Money XL's arm. The album artwork of Get Rich or Die Tryin' was designed by Julian Alexander and Sacha Waldman. Featuring a shirtless 50 Cent standing behind a broken glass pane, it has been described as "among the most recognizable [album covers] in rap history". 50 Cent commented about the title: