50 Cent couldn’t have asked for a better debut album than Get Rich or Die Tryin’. It’s the kind of record that instantly makes you a superstar. He had titanic hit songs like “In Da Club”, street anthems like “Many Men (Wish Death)” and “Heat”, and mean diss songs like “Wanksta” and “Back Down”. Mixed with the buzz from his stellar mixtapes prior, he had a dynamic start to his career.
However, technically, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ isn’t actually his first record. In fact, he had a record deal before he united with Eminem and Dr. Dre at Aftermath. Back in 1998, 50 Cent started recording Power of The Dollar, which was supposed to act as his first album.
The first single was the infamous “How to Rob”, where he antagonized all of hip-hop’s biggest stars by telling them how he’d rob them. Naturally, not every rapper found it as funny as 50 Cent did and barked back and forth with him. That beef in itself proved to be great marketing, despite the backlash and serious incidents he got into.
Then, “Thug Love” released, his second single with the help of Destiny’s Child. Mere days before he could capitalize on such a massive cosign, he was shot 9 times. While in the hospital, he signed his publishing deal with Columbia Records. However, shortly afterward, the label found out he had been shot and dropped 50 accordingly.
50 Cent Never Properly Released His Actual Full-Length Debut ‘Power of The Dollar’
Eventually, Power of The Dollar turned into a short, five-song EP for the label to release. It included the two singles and “Your Life’s On The Line”, which was eventually added to Get Rich or Die Tryin’ as a bonus track.
Other songs that were supposed to be on the album were either repurposed for his Guess Who’s Back mixtape or kept in the vault entirely. However, devoted bootleggers would eventually get their hands on Power of The Dollar and only added to the 50 Cent folklore.
Clearly, it worked out for the best; Get Rich or Die Tryin’ became one of the most successful albums of all time. 50 would eventually credit Eminem for saving his life by offering him opportunities after Columbia Records dropped him.
“I put him next to my grandma,” 50 Cent said in 2006. “These are people who took care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself.”
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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