Before I Self Destruct

Originally planned for 2007, the album slid through a string of announced release dates in 2008 and 2009. It reached iTunes on 9 November 2009 and stores a week later, after it leaked, and a feature film of the same name came in the packaging. 50 Cent told MTV that he called it Before I Self Destruct because it could potentially happen, and that it was darker and more aggressive than the one before. The lead single, Baby by Me with Ne-Yo, reached number 28 on the Hot 100.

It debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 with 160,000 copies, his fourth top-five album in a row, and was certified gold. Metacritic gives it 62 out of 100. PopMatters wrote that it was easily his best album since Get Rich or Die Trying, while Pitchfork felt he lacked the ability to hold the listener's interest over the long run.