“In Da Club” by 50 Cent is unequivocally one of the most impactful songs released in this millennium. As the lead single for 50 Cent’s 2003 debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, the track is on its way to diamond certification at 9x platinum status, lasted 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its music video eclipsed 1 billion views in 2020.
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Aside from its overwhelming popularity, though, “In Da Club” was the career-defining moment for 50 Cent, while also being his first official release ever. With his unorthodox flow on the beat and infectious You can find me in the club, bottle full of bub’ hook, 50 Cent blazed himself a trail that he still rides successfully 20 years later.
Why Birthdays?
The first couple of seconds of “In Da Club” have been making folks drop everything and rush to the dance floor for decades. With its Go, shawty, it’s your birthday opening line, 50 Cent was able to connect with listeners continuously, as he was well aware of the fact that somebody is always celebrating a birthday somewhere in the world.
During an interview with Big Boy of the Real 92.3 LA radio station in January, 50 explained how he arrived at the song’s intro.
“That’s just the first thing that came to mind,” he said. “When you think of the night club, even the ladies, when y’all go to night clubs, when you go with your girlfriend and it’s her birthday, you go with intentions to have a good time regardless to who’s there.”
Additionally, when speaking on “In Da Club” with famed British DJ Tim Westwood in 2007, as he was promoting his third album Curtis, he insisted that the song’s core goal was to have people blissfully celebrate whenever it’s played.
“Favorite song? Man, probably ‘In Da Club,’” he said. “That one was timeless. It’s a celebration of life. Everyday it’s someone’s birthday. The song’s relevant all over every day.”
His First Impression
“In Da Club” came together in 2002 when 50 Cent paid his first visit to Dr. Dre. Introduced to each other by mutual friend Eminem, Dre and 50 crafted seven songs in their first-ever studio session, with “In Da Club” obviously being the most important of the seven.
In an excerpt from the 2007 book Dr. Dre in the Studio written by Jake Brown, 50 Cent recalled the creation of “In Da Club,” and how his songwriting approach caught Dre off guard.
“(He’ll say), ‘These are the hits, 50. So pick one of these and make a couple of singles or something.’ The very first time he heard (me rap on) ‘In Da Club’ he said, ‘Yo, I didn’t think you was going to go there with it, but, you know, it works.’ He was probably thinking of going in a different direction with that song. Then he expanded it into a hit record.”
Later in a conversation with Complex in 2013, 50 discussed a quote from Arctic Monkeys, where the British band said they were inspired by 50 Cent. Wanting to make impactful, radio-friendly hits like “In Da Club,” the band hoped to make music that you never want to turn off. 50 responded to that by saying he never meant for “In Da Club” to be the first thing people’s minds went to when thinking about him, but that most of the time, first impressions are unintended.
“You know what? That record—I don’t know. (It’s) chasing me. (I keep) running from it,” he said. “I made a lot of music in 2003—it’s been 10 years and that record just stands out. I guess you never get a second chance at a first impression having it be the first single off the album.”
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
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