Kanye West may force 50 Cent to retire

Say what you want about whinging sore-loser Kanye West, his new album, “Graduation,” is said to be musically superior and more of a move forward for the ego-challenged artist than 50 Cent’s “Curtis.”

Both artists released new albums yesterday, with 50 famously saying that if Kanye outsold him, he’d retire. The reviews and the projected sales are in, and the more obnoxious of the two may prevail.

Former producer Kanye is all too aware of how full of himself he is, and includes countless references in his lyrics to his battles with self-importance and wealth. “Graduation” is said to be a musical step forward for Kanye with a mix of multiple genres, and catchy and unique tracks. Collaborations with Daft Punk and Coldplay’s Chris Martin help make the album diverse and appealing to a wide audience, which cannot be said of 50’s album.

Here’s a review from the NY Times of West’s new album. The main criticism the reviewer seems to have is that Kanye is tripping over his own ego. They’re lauding the music and lyrics:

Mr. West is smart, forthright, thoroughly musical and nobody’s fool. On his previous albums, songs like “Jesus Walks” and “Crack Music” connected his own story to wider perspectives: community pride, thoughts of family, questions of purpose and accountability. But now that he’s “major” (as he exulted on his 2005 album “Late Registration”), with a worldwide audience awaiting his album, Mr. West’s horizons are shrinking. This time it’s all about him. He knows it; as the album begins, he calls himself “Mr. Fresh, Mr. … by his self he’s so impressed…”

As his own producer, Mr. West maintains quality control to rival any of the luxury brands he name-drops. Somehow his productions build momentum even when they revolve around a handful of repeated samples. Nearly every song on “Graduation” is memorable for both its hooks and its overall sound.

Mr. West can get Chris Martin of Coldplay to sing the hook on “Homecoming.” He can afford a Steely Dan sample on “Champion.” He has guest appearances from T-Pain, providing a filtered-voice hook on “Good Life,” and from Lil Wayne, free-associating on “Barry Bonds.”

While Mr. West is inordinately fond of soft rock — which helps him reach an audience that shies away from the brittle, freeze-dried productions of hard-core hip-hop — he is also savvy enough to latch on to a hard-nosed electronic hook from Daft Punk in “Stronger,” where he tells a girl, “I’ve been on ya/Since Prince was on Apollonia /Since O. J. had Isotoners.”

“Graduation” has some clever rhymes and some honesty. There are plenty of Mr. West’s latest career reflections, from a half-apology for his tacky outfit on the Grammys to an entire song, “Big Brother,” about his respect for and rivalry with Jay-Z.

But two things are missing from “Graduation.” One is the sense of humor that crackled through songs like Mr. West’s 2005 hit “Gold Digger.” (This album’s tale of a pickup, “Drunk and Hot Girls,” has a pulsating sample from the German rock minimalists Can, but little flair in its lyrics.)

The bigger problem is that on “Graduation,” for the first time, Mr. West can’t see beyond his own fame. “Homecoming” takes lyrics from “Home,” a song Mr. West released on a mixtape. In “Home,” John Legend sang about soldiers who weren’t coming home, while “Homecoming” chides Chicago, his hometown, for not being quite proud enough of his Mr. West’s success.

[From the NY Times]

“Curtis” is being dismissed as more of the same from 50. It’s said to be the same solid rap we’ve come to expect from him, along with predictable lyrics about his former hard knock life.

Neither self-deprecation nor humility is part of Fiddy’s equation. He’s more concerned about squashing rivals, real and imagined (“My Gun Go Off,” “I Still Kill”), highlighting his street pedigree and reminding us of his bottomless wealth.

The disc is mostly standard-issue gangsta talk that only in moments recalls vintage Fiddy such as “Wanksta” or “P.I.M.P.” For example, on the menacing funk of “Fully Loaded Clip,” Fiddy takes aim at rap/R&B elite who’ve gone soft, snickering: “When Jay and Beyonce was um-um kissing/ I was cooking 1,000 grams in my kitchen/ When Nas was telling Kelis, “I love you, boo”/ I was shining my nine, you know how I do.” And over the deep bass thuds of “I Get Money,” which features a classic Audio Two sample, Fiddy gloats: “They callin’ me cocky/ I come up out the jeweler, they callin’ me Rocky/ It’s the ice on my neck man, the wrist and my left hand/ bling like BA-LOW, you like my style.”

As much as Fiddy banks on ruthless rhymes and nouveau riche bragging, he also fancies himself a rugged sex symbol. Hence the obligatory cuts that reveal his sensitive thug side, notably, “Amusement Park” and “Peep Show,” the latter featuring a lewd verse from Eminem. However, the tracks capture little of the magic of past winners such as the touching “21 Questions” or the seductive “Candy Shop.”

[From Yahoo! Music]

What’s more is that the advance sales are in and West’s album, with its mix of songs that are more radio-friendly, is expected to be more of a commercial success.

Judging these guys on their personalities, I would root for 50 any day. In the interviews I’ve seen with him, he comes off as genuinely kind and humble. He just seems like a nice guy to me. Kanye, however, is the biggest crybaby sore loser in the music business, and publicly bitches over every minor perceived wrong.

A lot of people feel the same, and Yahoo! Buzz reports that searches for 50 Cent have consistently outnumbered Kanye West, with searches the music section at two to one. What’s more is that 50 Cent’s first video off of “Curtis,” “I Get Money” is outranking Kanye’s first video, “Stronger” by about 1,500 user votes.

Personality and commercial success are two different things. They’re both incredibly successful musicians, with 50 excelling in business ventures too. At least 50 has a lot to fall back on if he does end up retiring, but considering how popular he is, that doesn’t seem likely.

Here’s 50 Cent’s “I Get Money” (lyrics NSFW)

Kanye West’s “Stronger” featuring Daft Punk

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