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Preceded by the singles "Disco Inferno" and "Candy Shop", the album debuted atop theBillboard 200, selling 1.15 million copies in its first four days; it remained atop the chart for six weeks after its release.The Massacre received generally positive reviews from music critics, and was 50 Cent's second consecutive number one album on the chart. Following its release, the album spawned theBillboard Hot 100-top ten singles "Just A Lil Bit" and "Outta Control."
The original title for the album was revealed asThe St. Valentine's Day Massacre, named after the 1929 Chicago gang murder spree known asSaint Valentine's Day Massacre. 50 Cent intended the album to be released on February 15, 2005, but Interscope was not interested. He leaked "Disco Inferno" in order to force their hand, and Interscope released it on March 7.[4]
Originally, songs intended for the album included "Hate It or Love It", "Higher" and "Special" but the songs were eventually given tothe Game'sThe Documentary, causing a majority ofThe Massacre to be reworked.[5] Although, a G-Unit remix of "Hate it or Love It" appeared as a bonus track on this album.
After 50 Cent released the Game from hisG-Unit Records imprint on live radio February 21, 2005, a shootout occurred.[6]Paul Rosenberg of Shady Records andJimmy Iovine of Interscope worried that the album would underperform due to the negativity of theHot 97 shooting. 50 and the Game later entered into a truce six days afterThe Massacre was released,[7][8] but their animosity rose up again after Game made fun ofG-Unit at Hot 97's annual Summer Jam, where he first used the "G-Unot" insult, later turning to a boycott.[9]
The censored version of the album censors out most profanity, violence, and all drug content. The track "Gunz Come Out" has inconsistency in the editing, and contains some profanity. The opening intro removes the shooting sequence, and is cut down to 20 seconds. The album cover also removesguns in the background behind the rapper, being replaced bymotifs and a gradient background.[10] In comparison, the album is not as heavily censored as his previous albumGet Rich or Die Tryin' (2003).[11]
Theinstrumentation of the album closely mirrors that of its predecessor, incorporatingstring instruments andorchestral elements; however,cinematic themes are no longer the central focus. This album introduces numerous new musical components, includingjazz rap andR&B influences that evoke the essence of early1990s New York hip-hop. A notable addition to the album's sound is the influence ofScott Storch, whose musical ideas infuse tracks like "Candy Shop" and "Just A Lil Bit" withMiddle EasternArabic melodies layered over hard-hitting hip-hop beats. Another notable but underrated addition to the album's sound isBuckwild's production on "I Don't Need 'Em", which uses ajazz rap instrumental. Furthermore, the album benefits from exceptionalmixing, primarily attributed to Dr. Dre's involvement, as was the case with the previous album.The album's production credits include Bang Out, Bass Brothers, Black Jeruz, Buckwild, Cool & Dre, C. Styles, Cue Beats, Disco D, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Hi-Tek, J.R. Rotem, Luis Resto, Mike Elizondo, Needlz, Scott Storch, and Sha Money XL.
With a release in the middle of the sales week,The Massacre sold 1.15 million copies in its first four days of release, becoming the sixth-largest opening week for an album at the time sinceNielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.[12] It holds the record for the largest opening week sales for a sophomore studio album ever,as well as the second largest opening week for a hip-hop album overall, behind Eminem'sThe Marshall Mathers LP (2000), which sold 1.76 million copies in its first week.[2]Mariah Carey'sThe Emancipation of Mimi replaced it as number one in late April 2005, asThe Massacre reached 3 million units sold.[13] In 2025,The Massacre was certifiedseven times platinum for combined sales andalbum-equivalent units of at least six million copies in the United States.[14] It has sold over nine million copies worldwide.[15][16]
In 2005,The Massacre was ranked as the number one album of the year on theBillboard 200.[17]
The Massacre received generally positive reviews frommusic critics; it holds a score of 66 out of 100 atMetacritic.[18]Vibe magazine found it "full of finger-pointing panache" and wrote that "50 delivers a taut, albeit less explosive, album aimed at both silencing his detractors and keeping the ladies satisfied".[28]NME observed "a new depth to the murderous lyricism" from 50 Cent on the album.[23]Greg Tate, writing inThe Village Voice, said that, likeTupac, 50 Cent is "a ruffian who knows the value of a good pophook", and calledThe Massacre "the most diabolically sensous collection of baby-making gangsta music since Pac'sAll Eyez."[29]Kelefa Sanneh ofThe New York Times found the album to be "nearly as addictive as its predecessor" and called 50 Cent "a crafty songwriter, specializing in obvious but nearly irresistible tracks that sound better the more you hear them."[30] In his review forThe Village Voice,Robert Christgau said that 50 Cent's "ugly gangsta lies" are "incidental to the mood of the piece, which is friendly, relaxed, good-humored, and in the groove."[27]
In a mixed review,Nathan Rabin ofThe A.V. Club said that, although its strengths lie in 50 Cent's "dark charisma" and "fluid delivery", the album is marred by flaws typical of "big rap releases: At nearly 78 minutes, it's far too long, wildly uneven, and not particularly cohesive sonically or thematically."[31]Uncut magazine wrote that, despite 50 Cent's "cool menace", "not even tight productions from Eminem and Dre can stop things from flagging midway."[32] Lynne D. Johnson ofSpin felt that it lacks "originality" and makes artistic concessions: "He's tryin' too hard to be everything to everybody."[26] In a negative review forThe Guardian,Alexis Petridis panned him as a lyricist and felt that the album lacks "any of the factors that make the best gangsta rap disturbingly compelling ... There's nothing except a string of cliches so limited that repetition is unavoidable".[3]
According to 50 Cent, the album received more mixed reviews than its predecessorGet Rich Or Die Tryin' because he was focused more on the hooks and song structure: "People fought love for the things they see are significant. Jimmy Iovine was a producer … he loves the significance of production. He loves Dre. I don’t give a fuck what I made … look, I made my whole second album as a 10-record. I knew they wasn’t my best verses but my choruses were right so I focused on my song structure."[36]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
The album was re-released on September 6, 2005, as theSpecialedition. It included aremix of "Outta Control" featuringMobb Deep, which replaces the original version of the song as track eight. This edition included a bonus DVD withmusic videos for a majority of the album's tracks (with the exclusion of "Disco Inferno", "Gunz Come Out" and the intro), and thetrailer for the filmGet Rich or Die Tryin', which released two months later. Likely due to the then-ongoing feud between 50 Cent and The Game, this version omits theG-Unitremix to "Hate It or Love It" as the twenty-second track. Once the special edition was released,The Massacre re-entered the top three of theBillboard 200 at number two, being blocked from number one by Kanye West'sLate Registration.[100] The original version was also re-issued using the special edition track listing leaving out the parts for the DVD.
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