On Tuesday, August 8th, 50 Cent, a successful hip-hop businessman, returned to his performing roots with his Final Lap Tour. He stopped at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia, where he had previously performed twenty years ago with co-headliner Jay-Z on the "Roc The Mic" tour. It's hard to believe that his major label debut album, Get Rich or Die Trying, which went nine times platinum, was released twenty years ago.
Nowadays, 50 seems more focused on television and movies than music. While 50 did appear on Nas's most recent album, his verse was lackluster, and he hasn't released an album since 2014's Animal Ambition. I missed the 2003 Roc The Mic tour, and 50 dropped out of Chris Brown's 2017 "The Party Tour," I wasn't about to pass up the chance to see him again in what just may be his swan song as a recording artist.
Supporting 50 on the tour were R&B crooner Jeremih and recent BET Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Busta Rhymes. Jeremih opened the show in what some may see as his comeback. Fans of the Windy City crooner know that he almost went to glory after battling COVID-19 during the pandemic's early days. I haven't seen Jeremih live in over a decade, and if memory serves, I wasn't that impressed the first I saw him. Sadly due to some traffic, I was late getting into the venue, so I missed Jeremih's set.
Although 50 Cent was the tour's main attraction, I was most excited to see Busta Rhymes perform. When he took the stage, he immediately delivered his verse from MOP's "Ante Up remix" with the energy and enthusiasm of someone half his age. His hype man, Spliff Star, matched Busta's energy throughout the night, hyping up the crowd during hits like "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See," "What It Is," "Make It Clap," "I Know What You Want," and "Pass The Courvoisier." The highlight of the entire event was Busta's masterful performance of his verse from Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now," which had everyone in the audience reaching for their phones to capture the epic moment.t.
At approximately 9:00 pm, 50 Cent finally appeared on stage with his hype men, Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda. I must credit 50 for having a DJ, a full band, and a group of dancers. Although he has enough hits to perform with just a DJ like KRS-One, Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane, 50 is all about the spectacle, so it's no surprise that he invested in a show that reflected his style.
The show started with a one-two punch of "I'm On Some Shit" and "What's Up Gangsta." Over the next 65 minutes, 50 Cent played all his popular songs from his first three successful albums. The crowd sang along to hits such as "21 Questions", "Just A Lil Bit," "Best Friend," and "Ayo Technology." A memorable moment was when Jeremih joined 50 on stage for an energetic rendition of "Down On Me."
The show ended with 50 performing "In Da Club" and showering the audience with confetti and streamers. Despite hearing mediocre reviews of the 50s stage show, I was pleasantly surprised by his impressive performance. I must commend Mr. Jackson for exceeding expectations and delivering a fantastic show.
Final Grade: A-