June 17, 2009 1:17 PM ET
As promised, 50 Cent dropped his new mixtape War Angel as a free download last night on his ThisIs50 Website. The mixtape is the first of three that 50 is plotting to release before his oft-delayed Before I Self Destruct comes out in September. War Angel includes the gritty "Redrum" and a sequel of sorts to Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M," fittingly called "C.R.E.A.M. 2," with 50 rapping, "Cash rules I keep a shooter 'round me, Queens get the money, I'll have a nigga kill y'all." Taking a page from the Jay-Z playbook, 50 declares "Goons don't use Auto-Tune" in the opening track "I Line Niggas"
Given the mixtape's name and subtitle ("Prepare For Total Destruction"), it's not surprising that the majority of War Angel's tracks are heavy on violent lyrics, especially cuts like "Better Come On Your a Game" and "Get The Message." However, 50 does take a brief two-song break from the gunfire with the soulful "I'll Do Anything" ("This one's for the bitches," he says) and "London Girl," which seems like 50's response to Estelle and Kanye West's "American Boy." Other highlights include perhaps the funkiest song ever about drug trafficking, "Cocaine," featuring Robin Thicke hitting the Prince falsetto as 50 raps about re-upping and claiming corners.
50 himself boasted that War Angel is "the best body of work I put out in the mixtape circuit, period," and even if you're not a fan of the Queens MC, you have to admit that the rapper brought his best to an album that's being given away for free (65,761 people have downloaded the album through ThisIs50 at press time). 50 Cent also has his '90s-music-based Sincerely Southside Part 2 due out on the Fourth of July, plus a G-Unit mixtape in the works.
Related Stories:
• 50 Cent Dropping New "War Angel LP" Tuesday, Plots More Mixtapes
• 50 Cent Plots Two 2009 Albums, Signs On For Fall Out Boy Tour
• 50 Cent Disses Kanye West and Lil Wayne as "Before I Self Destruct" Release Date Approaches
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