Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Martin Wood Kanye West and 50 Cent fight for the number one spot. [Click to enlarge]

So what's the big deal? Two albums dropping on the same day is nothing new, right? Yes, but we're not talking about just any two records.

Kanye West's "Graduation" and 50 Cent's "Curtis" are the two most anticipated hip-hop albums of the year, plus either one can easily end up gaining the crown as the best hip-hop album of 2007.

Known to be very vocal on controversial topics, 50 went as far as insisting that he will outsell Kanye and that he would retire if Kanye surpasses him.

Sacramento rapper and senior business major, Jermaine Gibson, also known as J.Gib, labels the whole situation as "good marketing for G-Unit and Def Jam to get more money." He predicts that "both sides will win because they will sell more units than they ever would have" without all the commotion.

The first two singles "Straight to the Bank" and "Amusement Park" didn't make the splash that "In Da Club" or "Candy Shop" made in 50's prior albums. So, 50 felt compelled to rebound with the sure-fire hits "I Get Money" and "Ayo Technology" which features a chorus from the ever-so-popular Justin Timberlake.

The catchiest track on the album, "I Get Money", gave 50 the next street anthem he was looking for. Produced by Apex, the track reflects the same vibe as Cassidy's hit from 2005 "I'm A Hustla" with its hard percussion and gritty lyrics.

Featuring Robin Thicke, 50's latest single, "Follow My Lead" was also prematurely released due to a camera phone recording the track and leaking it to the net, according to MTV.com. 50 was outraged after receiving the news of the concert footage and reportedly thrashed G-Unit offices, tearing a flat-screen TV off the wall and tossing a cell phone out the window.

Kanye on the other hand took a more conservative route by releasing a pair of singles, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and "Stronger" which lean over to the side of genuine hip-hop, while 50 specializes in mainstream gangsta rap.

On, "Graduation" Kanye ditches the old style of aged soul samples and brought more of an 80's electronic vibe to the table. Daft Punk is sampled in Kanye's latest single "Stronger" which is a pulsating club hit that has become intensely popular over a more broad audience with its techno sound.

Kanye's next single "Good Life" which features the chorus king, T-Pain, is an inspirational anthem that reminds me of "Touch the Sky" from his last album. On the track, Kanye borrows a line from 50 with "50 told me, go ahead switch your style up/And if they hate, and then let 'em hate/And watch the money pile up."

"Kanye is more versatile than 50," according to senior psychology major Ryan Lee.

Kanye's ability to reach a more diverse audience is what Lee feels will give him the edge over 50 this time around.

In addition, Lee labels 50 a hypocrite by saying, "50 got on Ja Rule for singing on songs, then turns around and does it himself."

"Over the course of his 5-year career, his music no longer has an identity. He's going too commercial," criticized Sacramento rapper Wally Weston, also known as Young Saint, on 50's quality of music.

Perhaps all the criticism towards 50 is simply attached to the current state of success he is in.

Second to Jay-Z on the Forbes list of richest rappers, 50 knows he's on top of the game and you can sense it by every word out his mouth either on or off the record. "Curtis" is a solid album by hip-hop/rap standards, but besides the tracks that have already been leaked, there aren't any gems like "Many Men" or "Ryder Music" which created a balance with the gangsta/radio bravado in 50's previous albums.

In five years from now, if I was to pick which album to pop in my CD deck, I would have to go with Graduation. The average listener may not be instantly impressed by the album, but it is the type of album that grows on you the more you listen to it.

I feel both albums fall short of being the artists' best work to date, but I do like the style change Kanye brought on "Graduation". Money and women, 50's topics of guns, are far too predictable while Kanye switches it up giving us that feel good music we have grown to love from the Chicagoan.

The different style that Kanye brought to the table was a breath of fresh air for hip-hop and it worked for me. By all means, "Curtis" is a solid album, but it didn't live up to all the hype. "Get Rich or Die Tryin'", 50's first album, is still by far his best performance to date and I feel that even the soundtrack for the movie was better than "Curtis".

It was a close one, but I tip my hat off to Kanye for giving us something new to listen to; I'm rooting for the underdog. I expect 50's character issues and Kanye's outstanding performance at the MTV VMA's to be the deciding factors in the record showdown.

Martin Wood can be reached at mwood@statehornet.com