Many Houstonians like myself have been âpatiently waitingâ for a tour to explode on from 50 Cent. He hadnât performed in a Houston venue for over 7 years! So when it was announced that he would celebrate the 20th anniversary of Get Rich or Die Tryinâ with a farewell tour stop at the Toyota Center, I knew I had to be there.
Opening up for someone with as many hits as 50 has is no easy task. Instead of pinning one rapper to get the crowd hyped, 50 and his production team had a vast array of artists to kick the night off. R&B singer Jeremihâs stunningly smooth voice took the crowd back to the early 2010s, performing forever classics such as âOui,â âDonât Tell âEm,â and âPlanez.â
After him was Busta Rhymes. Busta is the type of artist who loves to switch up the energy with every song. His first song, âMake It Clap,â is an upbeat collab with Jamaican reggae artist Sean Paul. He immediately transitioned the chaotic energy into âI Know What You Want,â a legendary smooth R&B joint with Mariah Carey. The song has recently gained some clout due to a TikTok mashup with âHONEY, I SEE YOUâ by Mashonda. Anyone who has watched a Jordan Poole video has heard this song. Other songs performed included his âBEACH BALLâ collab with BIA, club classic âLook At Me Now,â and hyper-aggressive headbanger âBreak Ya Neck.â Busta brought out not one, not two, but THREE rappers representing Houston. Paul Wall, wearing a Pimp C graphic tee, performed his verse off Nellyâs âGrillzâ to kick things off. The crowd loved it, but nothing compared to the roars of the Toyota Center when they heard the first second of the legendary âStill Tippinâ and saw Slim Thug walking out for one of the most iconic intro verses of all time.
Slim stayed to perform his solo anthem âThug,â interpolating a legendary Eazy-E track. Iâve seen Slim and Paul in concert plenty, but Iâve never seen the legendary Scarface before â that is, not until Busta brought him out and gave him his flowers at least five times. Scarface performed his solo hit âSmileâ and the Geto Boys classic âMind Playing Tricks on Me,â a paranoia anthem for the ages. Needless to say, I would have been content with leaving the show right then and there.
Why do that when the showâs just getting started? 50 performs a few songs, and then I can go home, right? Not exactly â a 30-song setlist conveyed the message that 50 Cent wanted to make this tour one his fans would never forget. Looking to make a solid first impression, he âmagicallyâ came out of a big cube hovering over the stage where he performed âWhat Up Gangsta,â âI Get Money,â and âHate it or Love It.â Something I was very impressed by was how 50 managed to weave in at least 10 wardrobe changes throughout the night. He rocked Yankees hats in any color you could think of !
Backed by Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda (and a very talented squad of ladies), the concert itself was just hit after hit after hit. âHustlerâs Ambition,â âP.I.M.P.,â âCandy Shop,â â21 Questions,â âMany Men,â âJust a Lil Bit,â âIf I Canât,â and so many more. Itâs crazy how I knew just about every song, despite being an average fan to start. 50âs story is admirable, motivational, and applicable. I am grateful I was able to catch him perform at least once before he enjoys the generational wealth that he has made â letâs say he wonât have to Die Tryinâ.
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