written by Low Key
“Don’t believe the hype”. Those immortal words once spoken by Public Enemy in 88′ now ring true almost a decade later. The word hype is an interesting concept in Hip-Hop. On one hand it is the driving force behind an artists success. 50 Cent has almost redefined the term hype in 2002. His G-Unit mixtapes and guest appearances propelled the Queens native into super stardom even before his debut album ever dropped. Hype was certainty defined by 50 in 2002. However, on the other hand, for many artists its that same hype that ultimately leads to their downfall as they cannot live up to the standards set upon them. Back in 1998 a much hyped debut album by Canibus went onto be an utter disaster, as it was the hype or lack of reaching such status that destroyed his career. While Canibus’ and 50 Cent’s career’s are total opposites, they do run a very similar path as both emcees went the opposite route to becoming stars, doing so even before they dropped an album. After all the hype and anticipation 50 Cent’s “Get Rich Or Die Tryin” falls into that category of not living up to the hype.
