If I Can’t See It Would Be Worse
50 Cent
Green Light Gang World Tour presented by Streetlife International, Wiener Stadthalle D, Austria 20220928
It’s been a long time since a real Rap legend found the way overseas. Snoop Dogg, M.O.P, Onyx, Afu-Ra and The Beatnuts did it. Coming from New York, home of the Apollo and artists like Nas, Mobb Deep, Public Enemy, Ja Rule, DMX, Cam’ron, Kurtis Blow, Slick Rick, LL Cool J and Mos Def, a hero of the early 2000s set out for the „Green Light Gang Tour“.
The story of 50 Cent was told in the movie „Get Rich Or Die Tryin’“, named after his major success album from 2003. Companions on his way from the Eastcoast to a worldwide star playing at the Super Bowl are Jam Master Jay of Run DMC and later mainly Dr. Dre and Eminem and Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Young Buck and The Game from his crew G-Unit.
Some of his stations are shown in the intro video, that starts the show at the Wiener Stadthalle, after a DJ played songs from 2Pac and others. His place is upstairs like the one of the live drummer, as 50 has a band with him as well as dancers. On the middle video wall, the music videos are screened, while on the two walls on the side, the live feed shows 50’s face 20 years later.
The setlist functions similar to the one of Beck, as the songs are just played shortly, to get around thirty of them into the time. Early highlights are „Hate It or Love It“, „P.I.M.P.“ and „Candy Shop“. From „The Massacre“ also comes „Just a Lil Bit“, followed by „21 Questions“ and „Window Shopper“.
Covers include „How We Do“, „Is This Love“ and „The Next Episode“ besides more highlights like „Many Men“, „Big Rich Town“, „In da Club“, „Patiently Waiting“ and „Wanksta“. Of course one can discuss, if about eighty-ninety minutes are not long enough and that the songs should be played in full and that it is pretty expensive overall. But for probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this 50 Cent show was big fun.