fifty cent

Bullet holes aside, 50 Cent walks around with a mighty-big chip on his shoulder.

Though his last album, The Massacre, sold over 5 million copies and his first album more than that, he still seems bent on asserting his gangster-rap credibility. Curtis sounds much like his first two successes-an in-your-face mix of fast and slow songs that explores the finer points of murder and crack-slinging.

Despite giving the listener the impression that Fiddy is just treading familiar water, Curtis displays an uncharacteristically cooperative element. Unlike on his previous albums, Fiddy has called in several guests to sing the hooks. "Follow My Lead" features a duet with soul-singer Robin Thicke, a strong step forward marred by the fact that the lyrics simply don't make much sense. Fiddy collaborates slightly better with Mary J. Blige, who, despite "feeling like a fiend on crack," delivers a commanding performance in "All of Me."

On "I'll Still Kill," the album's most musically diverse song, Akon does his best gangster impression while Fiddy once again enumerates his murderous capabilities. Already hitting the music video circuit, "AYO Technology" features the seemingly unbeatable combination of Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. But even this one-two punch falls short. In an album where guns, murder and sex are the central themes, an over-produced softie about strippers and technology comes off as awkward and misplaced.

Over a month ago, 50 Cent claimed that he would stop making solo records if Curtis did not outsell Kanye West's Graduation (also released on Sept. 11). Fiddy has since distanced himself from his brash ultimatum, a smart move considering that Curtis, the third iteration of Formula 50, mostly falls flat.