Curtis (50 Cent album)
Encyclopedia
Curtis is the third studio album
by American rapper 50 Cent
, released September 11, 2007, on Aftermath Entertainment
and Interscope Records
. The album features production from Dr. Dre
, Eminem
, and Timbaland
, among others. Music writers have noted that 50 Cent divides between "hard" songs and "soft" songs on the album.
Upon its release, Curtis was met with significant commercial success. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling 691,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, the album received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. After years of slumping sales, the album's competition with Kanye West
's Graduation
and the resulting record breaking performances both albums displayed was considered to be a "great day for hip hop
."
, however, he decided to push back its release date to 2008, and to release Curtis in 2007 instead. The album's title was changed twice. The first time, it was changed from "Curtis" to "Curtis S.S.K.". The second time, it was changed back to "Curtis". The "S.S.K.", which stood for "SoundScan Killer", was intended to show the pressure 50 Cent felt to succeed. The "S.S.K." also stands for "SouthSide
King" and "Shoot, Stab, Kill". 50 Cent stated that the album was inspired by his life before his commercial debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin'
. He also stated that he chose the album's title because he was known as "Curtis" before he became famous. In January 2007, DJ Whoo Kid
predicted the album to be a double disc LP, with one CD having a "crazy club-bangin' ridiculous" theme and the other having a "hard-core killer sh--," theme. However this did not materialize.
the first record to hit the Internet was Smile I'm Leaving produced by Klasic from the bulletsproductionteam.com, he also flew to Florida
to work on "Ayo Technology
" with Justin Timberlake
, and finished the song in Houston. 50 Cent wrote a significant amount of the guests' lyrics.
In an interview with XXL
magazine, 50 Cent stated,
":
Stylus Magazine
writes that 50 Cent is trying to "revisit the raw fatalism that defined the best tracks on Get Rich or Die Tryin'
", quoting lyrics from "My Gun Go Off" as an example:
record". Stylus Magazine added that "each no-name producer (Veto and Roomio? Jake One?) provides the comfort food they know he'll lap up". Pitchfork Media
shares Stylus Magazines view, saying that 50 Cent "should be able to work with producers who could conjure his hit-making abilities, but instead the MC mostly sticks with tried-and-failed G-Unit
stalwarts and Dre
-aping up-and-comers that do him few favors". Sputnikmusic praised the production on "Ayo Technology
", writing: "Timbaland
's shred-guitar-goes-keyboard melody is just mesmerising enough to work".
and The Massacre
featured mostly G-Unit and G-Unit Records
artists respectively, Curtis features artists that 50 Cent has never worked with before, such as Akon
, Justin Timberlake
, Mary J. Blige
, Robin Thicke
, Timbaland
and Nicole Scherzinger
from Pussycat Dolls
. When asked about his choice of working with artists outside of his company, 50 Cent stated, "The album, for me, was finding a space where I am content and comfortable with my career, where I can go off and create with other artists and experiment a little bit".
chart, selling 691,000 copies in its first week. It had the fourth highest sales week for an album in 2007 (originally topping Linkin Park
's Minutes to Midnight
which sold 625,000, but later being outsold by the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden
, which moved 711,000 units and later Alicia Keys
' As I Am
bringing in 742,000 copies.) It also had the highest sales week for an East Coast
album since Jay-Z
's Kingdom Come
debuted with 680,000 copies sold several months earlier. However, Curtis brought in the second lowest first week sales of 50 Cent's career, with Get Rich or Die Tryin'
selling 872,000 and The Massacre
moving 1.55 million copies.
Curtis sold 143,000 copies in its second week of release in America, 71,000 copies in its third week, 50,000 copies in its fourth week, 38,000 copies in its fifth week on the chart and 30,000 copies sold in its sixth week, bringing the total to 1,000,025 and reaching platinum status. 24,000 copies were sold in week 7, 20,000 copies sold in week 8, 17,000 copies sold in week 9, another 17,000 copies sold in week 10, 21,000 copies sold in week 11, 15,000 sold in week 12, 17,000 copies sold in week 13 19,000 copies sold in week 14, and 25,000 copies sold in week 15. The album finished of 2007 with 1,225,000 sold in the USA.
In September 2008, exactly one year after both albums were released, Billboard released the one-year sales figures for both albums. Curtis finished off with sales of 1,336,000, and Graduation finished off with sales of 2,116,000.
changed the release date of Graduation
, his third studio album, from September 18, 2007, to the same release date as Curtis, September 11, 2007. This forced the albums to go head-to-head and compete for higher sales against each other. 50 Cent claimed that if Graduation sold more records than Curtis, he would stop releasing solo albums. However, he later dispelled his comments. When asked again about his threat to retire, 50 Cent stated that, if he were to lose, he will release an album every time a major Def Jam
artist releases an album.
Curtis debuted at number one on the Irish
and Swiss album charts, claiming the top spot on the European Top 100 Albums
chart. Curtis also topped the Australian and New Zealand
album charts.
Graduations first week sales of 957,000 and Curtis' first week sales of 691,000 meant that the competition resulted in only the second time ever (since Nielsen SoundScan
began collecting data in 1991) that two albums sold more than 600,000 in a week in the United States. The first occurrence of such an event was in 1991, when Guns N' Roses
released Use Your Illusion I
and Use Your Illusion II
, selling 685,000 and 770,000 copies, respectively. The first week sales totals of Graduation and Curtis have outsold the first week sales totals of Guns N' Roses' two albums.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 58, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Stylus Magazine
gave Curtis a D+ rating and wrote "There isn’t an ounce of life in Curtis". Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
gave it a C rating and wrote that 50 Cent "has yet to master the art of making a satisfying album rather than delivering a random assortment of demographic-pandering tracks". Allmusic's David Jeffries wrote that Curtis "is entertaining but only impressive in that 50 can run in place and still be on top". AllHipHop.com called it "a step backwards" and "while the album is not a total brick, it lacks a true consistency where his previous work flowed seamlessly and almost every record worked". The Boston Globe
stated that, "artistically, [Kanye] West is always moving, while 50 is at a standstill". In a review of the album, Chicago Tribune
critic Greg Kot
wrote that "at a time when consumers are expressing their dissatisfaction with music-industry product", Curtis provides "exactly what they say they don't want: More of the same". Slant Magazine
called 50 Cent "one of the worst lyricists alive", criticizing "Amusement Park
"'s lyrics and the execution of his metaphors which he "mumbles without a hint of irony or conviction". The Washington Post
s Dan Chamas perceived a lack of inspiration in 50 Cent's performance on the album, writing "Wealth can free artists, or make them soft ... With Curtis, 50 still does what he does best: write tight pop songs about guns, girls and green over the best beats money can buy. But the charm is gone".
In his consumer guide for MSN Music
, critic Robert Christgau
named it "dud of the month", giving it a B rating and wrote that 50 Cent, "a parvenu
mastering pop music for money", has "turned into a made man running on vanity". However, USA Today
s Steve Jones gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and wrote favorably of the album's production and 50 Cent's performance. While writing that its themes of "chip-stacking and sexual prowess ... aren’t new", Jones stated that 50 Cent "delivers them with unmatched swagger and flair". Rolling Stone
writer Rob Sheffield gave Curtis 3½ out of 5 stars and noted that 50 Cent is "out to prove he's everything he used to claim", and similar to The Massacre, he "divides between hard songs ('Man Down', 'Fire', 'I'll Still Kill') and soft songs ('Follow My Lead
')". Sheffield also noted that 50 Cent is for the first time "letting guests sing most of the hooks
". The New York Times
s Kelefa Sanneh gave it a generally favorable review and commended 50 Cent for his rapping, writing "his mush-mouthed delivery is still charming, and so are his endless provocations". PopMatters
writer Josh Timmermann gave Curtis a 7/10 rating and cited "I Get Money
" as "the collection's clear MVP, an iron-fisted ode to living large". Time
magazine ranked the single "I Get Money" number 6 on its list of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, and the magazine's critic Josh Tyrangiel
praised the song as "hypnotic", observing that its appeal is owed to the "Top Billin" sample, and that 50 Cent's bemusement at his own survival and success "makes the song as wry as it is scary". The album helped him win Best-Selling Hip-Hop Artist at the 2007 World Music Awards
. Entertainment Weekly placed the album at third place in their list of Worst Albums of 2007.
Sample credits
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rapper 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, released September 11, 2007, on Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
and Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. The album features production from Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, and Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, among others. Music writers have noted that 50 Cent divides between "hard" songs and "soft" songs on the album.
Upon its release, Curtis was met with significant commercial success. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 691,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, the album received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. After years of slumping sales, the album's competition with Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
and the resulting record breaking performances both albums displayed was considered to be a "great day for hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
."
Background
Initially, 50 Cent's 2007 album was planned to be Before I Self DestructBefore I Self Destruct
Before I Self Destruct is the fourth studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released November 9, 2009 on Interscope Records in the United States. It is his final solo release for his current contract with Interscope Records, excluding a "greatest hits" album. A feature film, also titled Before I...
, however, he decided to push back its release date to 2008, and to release Curtis in 2007 instead. The album's title was changed twice. The first time, it was changed from "Curtis" to "Curtis S.S.K.". The second time, it was changed back to "Curtis". The "S.S.K.", which stood for "SoundScan Killer", was intended to show the pressure 50 Cent felt to succeed. The "S.S.K." also stands for "SouthSide
South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica, known colloquially as Southside & Southside Jamaica Queens, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica, the Long Island Rail Road tracks Jamaica Avenue and Liberty Avenue. The western border is the Van Wyck Expressway, and it...
King" and "Shoot, Stab, Kill". 50 Cent stated that the album was inspired by his life before his commercial debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)
Get Rich or Die Tryin is the debut studio album of American rapper 50 Cent, released February 4, 2003, on Aftermath Entertainment under a joint venture with Shady Records and distribution by Interscope Records. Its initially planned release was pushed seven days ahead due to heavy bootlegging and...
. He also stated that he chose the album's title because he was known as "Curtis" before he became famous. In January 2007, DJ Whoo Kid
DJ Whoo Kid
DJ Whoo Kid is a hip hop DJ and of Haitian descent raised in Queens Village, New York but with strong roots to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. He is currently signed to G-Unit Records and its subsidiary label, Shady Ville Entertainment...
predicted the album to be a double disc LP, with one CD having a "crazy club-bangin' ridiculous" theme and the other having a "hard-core killer sh--," theme. However this did not materialize.
Recording
50 Cent wrote parts of the album in his grandmother's old house in South Jamaica, QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
the first record to hit the Internet was Smile I'm Leaving produced by Klasic from the bulletsproductionteam.com, he also flew to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to work on "Ayo Technology
Ayo Technology
"Ayo Technology" is the fourth single from 50 Cent's third album, Curtis. The song, featuring Justin Timberlake and uncredited vocals from Timbaland, who also produced the song, was a hit in the United States and United Kingdom, where it charted at #5 and #2 respectively, amongst other national...
" with Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, and finished the song in Houston. 50 Cent wrote a significant amount of the guests' lyrics.
In an interview with XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
magazine, 50 Cent stated,
Lyrical content
RapReviews.com stated that "There is no dip in quality lyrically; 50 is often criticized for not being a good lyricist, but he's exceptionally witty in his writtens". RapReviews.com also stated that 50 Cent "manages to cover different themes very well", praising his "seduction" on "Follow My LeadFollow My Lead
"Follow My Lead" was the originally planned fifth single from 50 Cent's third album, Curtis, but was later replaced by "I'll Still Kill". However, it was released as the 6th single on November 11, 2009 for the Before I Self Destruct countdown....
":
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
writes that 50 Cent is trying to "revisit the raw fatalism that defined the best tracks on Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)
Get Rich or Die Tryin is the debut studio album of American rapper 50 Cent, released February 4, 2003, on Aftermath Entertainment under a joint venture with Shady Records and distribution by Interscope Records. Its initially planned release was pushed seven days ahead due to heavy bootlegging and...
", quoting lyrics from "My Gun Go Off" as an example:
Production
Stylus Magazine stated that "the beats on Curtis sound about as dated and cheap as any KochKoch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
record". Stylus Magazine added that "each no-name producer (Veto and Roomio? Jake One?) provides the comfort food they know he'll lap up". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
shares Stylus Magazines view, saying that 50 Cent "should be able to work with producers who could conjure his hit-making abilities, but instead the MC mostly sticks with tried-and-failed G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...
stalwarts and Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
-aping up-and-comers that do him few favors". Sputnikmusic praised the production on "Ayo Technology
Ayo Technology
"Ayo Technology" is the fourth single from 50 Cent's third album, Curtis. The song, featuring Justin Timberlake and uncredited vocals from Timbaland, who also produced the song, was a hit in the United States and United Kingdom, where it charted at #5 and #2 respectively, amongst other national...
", writing: "Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
's shred-guitar-goes-keyboard melody is just mesmerising enough to work".
Guests
While Get Rich or Die Tryin'Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)
Get Rich or Die Tryin is the debut studio album of American rapper 50 Cent, released February 4, 2003, on Aftermath Entertainment under a joint venture with Shady Records and distribution by Interscope Records. Its initially planned release was pushed seven days ahead due to heavy bootlegging and...
and The Massacre
The Massacre
The Massacre is the second studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released March 3, 2005 on Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records in the United States. Its initially planned release was pushed five days ahead to avoid Internet leakage. The album debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard...
featured mostly G-Unit and G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records
G-Unit Records is an American record label, specializing in hip hop music, founded in 2003 by rapper 50 Cent and his manager Sha Money XL. Upon its inception, it operated as a subsidiary of, and was distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records...
artists respectively, Curtis features artists that 50 Cent has never worked with before, such as Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke
Robin Charles Thicke is an Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. Thicke's albums, which he previously released under the moniker Thicke, are noted for their feature of a predominantly R&B sound. Robin Thicke has penned hits for popular artists such as...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
and Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
from Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
. When asked about his choice of working with artists outside of his company, 50 Cent stated, "The album, for me, was finding a space where I am content and comfortable with my career, where I can go off and create with other artists and experiment a little bit".
Commercial performance
Curtis debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 691,000 copies in its first week. It had the fourth highest sales week for an album in 2007 (originally topping Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
's Minutes to Midnight
Minutes to Midnight (album)
Minutes to Midnight is the third studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. Released on May 14, 2007, through Warner Bros. Records, the album debuted at number one in the United States and in 15 other countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. The album was produced by Mike Shinoda...
which sold 625,000, but later being outsold by the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden
Long Road Out of Eden
Long Road Out of Eden is the seventh studio album by American rock band Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records. Nearly six years in production, Long Road Out of Eden is the first studio album from the Eagles since 1979's The Long Run, and along with the four original tracks on 1994 Hell...
, which moved 711,000 units and later Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
' As I Am
As I Am
As I Am is the third studio album by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released in the United States on November 13, 2007 by J Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording studios during 2005 to 2007...
bringing in 742,000 copies.) It also had the highest sales week for an East Coast
East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the East Coast...
album since Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Jay-Z album)
Kingdom Come is the ninth studio album by American rap artist Jay-Z. It was released on November 21, 2006. It was considered a "comeback album" for the established rapper, as 2003's The Black Album was slated to be his final release...
debuted with 680,000 copies sold several months earlier. However, Curtis brought in the second lowest first week sales of 50 Cent's career, with Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)
Get Rich or Die Tryin is the debut studio album of American rapper 50 Cent, released February 4, 2003, on Aftermath Entertainment under a joint venture with Shady Records and distribution by Interscope Records. Its initially planned release was pushed seven days ahead due to heavy bootlegging and...
selling 872,000 and The Massacre
The Massacre
The Massacre is the second studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released March 3, 2005 on Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records in the United States. Its initially planned release was pushed five days ahead to avoid Internet leakage. The album debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard...
moving 1.55 million copies.
Curtis sold 143,000 copies in its second week of release in America, 71,000 copies in its third week, 50,000 copies in its fourth week, 38,000 copies in its fifth week on the chart and 30,000 copies sold in its sixth week, bringing the total to 1,000,025 and reaching platinum status. 24,000 copies were sold in week 7, 20,000 copies sold in week 8, 17,000 copies sold in week 9, another 17,000 copies sold in week 10, 21,000 copies sold in week 11, 15,000 sold in week 12, 17,000 copies sold in week 13 19,000 copies sold in week 14, and 25,000 copies sold in week 15. The album finished of 2007 with 1,225,000 sold in the USA.
In September 2008, exactly one year after both albums were released, Billboard released the one-year sales figures for both albums. Curtis finished off with sales of 1,336,000, and Graduation finished off with sales of 2,116,000.
Competition with Graduation album
In July 2007, Kanye WestKanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
changed the release date of Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
, his third studio album, from September 18, 2007, to the same release date as Curtis, September 11, 2007. This forced the albums to go head-to-head and compete for higher sales against each other. 50 Cent claimed that if Graduation sold more records than Curtis, he would stop releasing solo albums. However, he later dispelled his comments. When asked again about his threat to retire, 50 Cent stated that, if he were to lose, he will release an album every time a major Def Jam
The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group, formerly The Island Def Jam Music Group, is an umbrella label formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, to create a label group. In 2011, Motown Records was split from the Universal...
artist releases an album.
Curtis debuted at number one on the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Swiss album charts, claiming the top spot on the European Top 100 Albums
European Top 100 Albums
The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100...
chart. Curtis also topped the Australian and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
album charts.
Graduations first week sales of 957,000 and Curtis
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
began collecting data in 1991) that two albums sold more than 600,000 in a week in the United States. The first occurrence of such an event was in 1991, when Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
released Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
and Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
, selling 685,000 and 770,000 copies, respectively. The first week sales totals of Graduation and Curtis have outsold the first week sales totals of Guns N' Roses' two albums.
Critical response
Upon its release, the album received generally mixed to positive from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 58, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
gave Curtis a D+ rating and wrote "There isn’t an ounce of life in Curtis". Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave it a C rating and wrote that 50 Cent "has yet to master the art of making a satisfying album rather than delivering a random assortment of demographic-pandering tracks". Allmusic's David Jeffries wrote that Curtis "is entertaining but only impressive in that 50 can run in place and still be on top". AllHipHop.com called it "a step backwards" and "while the album is not a total brick, it lacks a true consistency where his previous work flowed seamlessly and almost every record worked". The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
stated that, "artistically, [Kanye] West is always moving, while 50 is at a standstill". In a review of the album, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
critic Greg Kot
Greg Kot
Greg Kot is an American writer and journalist. Since 1990, Kot has been the music critic at the Chicago Tribune, where he has covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and business issues...
wrote that "at a time when consumers are expressing their dissatisfaction with music-industry product", Curtis provides "exactly what they say they don't want: More of the same". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
called 50 Cent "one of the worst lyricists alive", criticizing "Amusement Park
Amusement Park (song)
"Amusement Park" was the second single by rapper 50 Cent from the album Curtis. The music video premiered on Yahoo!'s website May 16. The single is a smooth song that uses different amusement park rides as metaphors for sex.-Background:...
"'s lyrics and the execution of his metaphors which he "mumbles without a hint of irony or conviction". The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
s Dan Chamas perceived a lack of inspiration in 50 Cent's performance on the album, writing "Wealth can free artists, or make them soft ... With Curtis, 50 still does what he does best: write tight pop songs about guns, girls and green over the best beats money can buy. But the charm is gone".
In his consumer guide for MSN Music
MSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
named it "dud of the month", giving it a B rating and wrote that 50 Cent, "a parvenu
Parvenu
A Parvenu is a person who is a relative newcomer to a socioeconomic class. The word is borrowed from the French language; it is the past participle of the verb parvenir...
mastering pop music for money", has "turned into a made man running on vanity". However, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s Steve Jones gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and wrote favorably of the album's production and 50 Cent's performance. While writing that its themes of "chip-stacking and sexual prowess ... aren’t new", Jones stated that 50 Cent "delivers them with unmatched swagger and flair". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer Rob Sheffield gave Curtis 3½ out of 5 stars and noted that 50 Cent is "out to prove he's everything he used to claim", and similar to The Massacre, he "divides between hard songs ('Man Down', 'Fire', 'I'll Still Kill') and soft songs ('Follow My Lead
Follow My Lead
"Follow My Lead" was the originally planned fifth single from 50 Cent's third album, Curtis, but was later replaced by "I'll Still Kill". However, it was released as the 6th single on November 11, 2009 for the Before I Self Destruct countdown....
')". Sheffield also noted that 50 Cent is for the first time "letting guests sing most of the hooks
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
s Kelefa Sanneh gave it a generally favorable review and commended 50 Cent for his rapping, writing "his mush-mouthed delivery is still charming, and so are his endless provocations". PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
writer Josh Timmermann gave Curtis a 7/10 rating and cited "I Get Money
I Get Money
"I Get Money" is the third single from 50 Cent's third album, Curtis. This song was #14 on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.-Production:...
" as "the collection's clear MVP, an iron-fisted ode to living large". Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine ranked the single "I Get Money" number 6 on its list of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, and the magazine's critic Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel is a journalist, and editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. He joined the magazine following its acquisition by Bloomberg L.P. in December 2009. Prior to joining Bloomberg Businessweek, Tyrangiel was deputy managing editor of TIME magazine and managing editor of TIME.com...
praised the song as "hypnotic", observing that its appeal is owed to the "Top Billin" sample, and that 50 Cent's bemusement at his own survival and success "makes the song as wry as it is scary". The album helped him win Best-Selling Hip-Hop Artist at the 2007 World Music Awards
World Music Awards 2007
The 2007 World Music Awards was held November 4, 2007 in Monaco for the first time in several years. Awards were presented based on record sales rather than any vote. All proceeds from the evening were donated to the construction of a hospital in Darfur. The show was hosted by Julian McMahon...
. Entertainment Weekly placed the album at third place in their list of Worst Albums of 2007.
Track listing
- 50 Cent co-wrote all of the songs on the album; additional writers are listed below.
Sample credits
- "Intro" contains dialogue from the motion picture "Shooters". Used courtesy of Lions Gate Films, Inc. & Geops Amsterdam, B.V., by arrangement YONAS with PFG Entertainment, Inc. Dialogue excerpts spoken by Andrew HowardAndrew Howard-Stage acting:On stage roles included Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange, Peer Gyntin Peer Gynt, Orestes in Electra at theatres, including The Royal National Theatre and TheDonmar Warehouse .-Film acting:...
and Matthew RhysMatthew RhysMatthew Rhys Evans , known professionally as Matthew Rhys, is a Welsh actor, best known as Kevin Walker on the U.S. ABC family drama Brothers & Sisters, and as Dylan Thomas in The Edge of Love.-Early life:...
. - "Man Down" contains elements from "Scooby Doo Theme" (Mook/Raleigh). Mook Bros Music (admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp) (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
)/Ben Raleigh Music (admin by Music Sales Corp) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. - "I Get Money" contains elements from "Top Billin" (Robinson) Songs of Universal, Inc./First Priority Music (BMI)/Hot Buttermilk Music, Inc. (admin ICG Alliance) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Performed by Audio TwoAudio TwoAudio Two were the Brooklyn, New York hip hop duo of emcee Kirk "Milk Dee" Robinson and DJ Nat "Gizmo" Robinson, most famous for its first hit, the classic "Top Billin'." The members of the duo are also the older brothers of female hip-hop star MC Lyte.-History:The duo’s debut single, "Make it...
. Produced under license from Atlantic Recording Corp, by arrangement with Rhino Entertainment company, A Warner Music Group company. - "Come & Go" contains replayed elements from "Just Be Good To Me" (Jam/Lewis). EMI-April Music, Inc./Flyte Tyme Tunes, Inc./Avante Guarde Music Publishing, Inc. (admin by Universal Music Corp) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved.
- "Movin On Up" contains elements from "Give Me Just Another Day" (Ware). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Almo Music Corp. Performed by The MiraclesThe MiraclesThe Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
. Used by courtesy of Motown Records, Co, LLP. By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises. "Do It Baby" (Perren/Yarian). Jobete Music Co, Inc. (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Performed by The Miracles. Used courtesy of Motown Records, Co, LLC. By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises; "Nuttin But A Drumbeat". Performed by Russell Simmons. Used courtesy of Island/Def Jam Records. By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises. - "I Get Money" (Forbes 1-2-3 Remix) contains elements from "Top Billin" (Robinson) Songs of Universal, Inc./First Priority Music (BMI)/Hot Buttermilk Music, Inc. (admin ICG Alliance) (ASCAP). Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved. Performed by Audio TwoAudio TwoAudio Two were the Brooklyn, New York hip hop duo of emcee Kirk "Milk Dee" Robinson and DJ Nat "Gizmo" Robinson, most famous for its first hit, the classic "Top Billin'." The members of the duo are also the older brothers of female hip-hop star MC Lyte.-History:The duo’s debut single, "Make it...
. Produced under license from Atlantic Recording Corp, by arrangement with Rhino Entertainment company, A Warner Music Group company.
Personnel
- Producers – 50 Cent50 CentCurtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
(exec.), Adam DeitchAdam DeitchAdam Deitch is an American producer and drummer based in New York City. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award. He has worked with artists in the Hip Hop, Funk, Electro, Pop, and Jazz music worlds including Def Jam MC Wax and Verve Records' soul and jazz singer, Ledisi. He is a founding member of...
, ApexApex (producer)William Stanberry, better known as Apex is an American record producer and DJ. He is the founder of the label Apex Productionz. He is best known for producing 50 Cent's hit "I Get Money".-Early life:...
, Tha Bizness, Dangerous LLC, Danja, Detroit Red, Don CannonDon CannonDonald Cannon is an American record producer and DJ. At the age of five, Donald Cannon began his musical career with his first a set of turntables, a mixer and a karaoke machine...
, Dr. DreDr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, Eric Krasno, Havoc, Jake One, DJ KhalilDJ KhalilKhalil Abdul-Rahman, better known by his stage name DJ Khalil, is a Los Angeles based American hip hop/soul record producer, and is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific, together with rapper Chace Infinite...
, Klasic from thebulletsproductionteam.com, TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Ty FyffeTy FyffeTyrone "Ty" Fyffe, also known as Sugarless, is a Hip hop music producer from Queens, New York and currently president of Tybu Productions.... - Mixing – Demo, Doug Sadler, Dr. Dre, Mahal, Ms. Lago, Shameless, Steve Baughman
- Assistant mixer – Shameless, Veto
- Keyboard – Adam Deitch, Dawaun ParkerDawaun ParkerDawaun Parker is a Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum musician, record producer and rap artist.Dawaun Parker is a staff songwriter and producer for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label...
, Detroit Red, Eminem, Jeff Bass, Mark BatsonMark BatsonMark Batson is an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter from Bushwick, Brooklyn, now based in Los Angeles.As a co-writer and producer with Dr. Dre, he is responsible for Jay-Z's 2006 single "Lost One", as well as tracks for Eminem, 50 Cent, Game and Snoop Dogg. As a co-writer and...
, Mike Strange, Tony Campana - Guitar/bass – Eric Krasno
- Engineers – Veto, Alonzo Vargas
- Assistant engineers – Roomio
Chart positions
| Charts (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Charts | 4 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
3 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| Italian Charts | 9 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 3 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
1 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
3 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
2 |
| Charts (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
5 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
1 |
| Norwegian Charts | 4 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
2 |
| US Top Rap Albums | 2 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Gold | 100,000 |
| Hungary | Gold | 5,000 |
Chart procession and succession
External links
- Curtis at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...