50 Cent Is 'One Of The Most Incredible Hook Writers,' Says Young Guru

50 Cent is often mentioned among the greatest hook writers of all time, and Young Guru has said he agrees with this opinion in a new interview.

During a visit to Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast, JAY-Z‘s longtime engineer reflected on the time he was working on The Blueprint 2, and the Brooklyn native warned everyone that 50 Cent was coming in hot to the music industry.

“Jay walked in the studio, he said it before, but I’m telling you how impactful it was,” Guru said. “He walked in the studio, and he was like, ‘Yo, this dude 50, y’all going to have to deal with him in the next couple of months.’ He said it to the whole crew, ‘You going to have to deal with him.’”

According to Guru, Jigga was warning his team that “another power” was on the way, and they would need to figure out how to maneuver through what was about to hit the rap game.

“For me, 50 is like one of the most incredible hook writers, and hooks will get you…,” Guru said as the My Expert Opinion crew finished his sentence by saying: “Everywhere.”

Young Guru then spoke on a time he heard 50’s hook on Tony Yayo‘s 2005 song “I Know You Don’t Love Me” off his debut album Thoughts Of A Predicate Felon. Guru was in the studio with Roc-A-Fella Records rapper Memphis Bleek when he recalled losing his mind hearing the infectious chorus.

“This dude said, ‘I know you don’t love me ’cause you ain’t the same when JAY-Z’s around,’ I said, ‘Bleek! That’s our hook! How did we not say that?’ That is a Bleek hook. How did we not say that? I’m looking like, ‘Yo, this dude is too good. I love Fif, but Jay acknowledged it earlier, he was like, ‘Y’all gonna have to deal with this dude. He’s coming.’”

50 Cent burst through the doors with his G-Unit cohorts like a bat out of hell with a brand of rap that changed Hip Hop forever. The Queens native’s debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ was one of the most hyped-up Hip Hop releases of all time, and it lived up to the expectations.

The 16-track album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 872,000 copies in its first week of sales. Several singles off the album found worldwide success, such as “In Da Club” and “21 Questions” both going No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was also the best-selling album in the country in 2003 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2004 Grammy Awards. In 2020, the album was certified nine-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.