It's a perfect, balmy night at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, where the line is around the arena waiting to get in.
The crowd is a diverse mix of ages, showing 50 Cent's ability to stay relevant 20 years after his debut album 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'' hit shelves. The anniversary tour promises to hit hard, as anticipation builds across the packed arena (10 December).Jeremih enters with confidence to kick off the show. "We just landed an hour ago," he says, before pitting the crowd against each other. "Which side can go harder?" The left side wins.
He entices the crowd to light up the sky with their flashlights and drops 'Don't Tell 'Em'. The crowd is here to party.
Jeremih's shiny black pants glistens like stars in the night sky, before he leaves what was a flurry of an opening set.
Jeremih - image © Simone Gorman-Clark
The main act commences with the sound of helicopters and police sirens, as giant black rectangles on the stage light up with pictures of the man. A glass case in the centre of the stage fills with smoke before 50 Cent appears inside it. The crowd explodes.
The show is hitting warp speed straight off the bat with 'What Up Gangsta', as the rectangles become typical New York storefronts, such as pawn shops. For 'I Get Money', they transform into thick steel bridge beams. "I run New York," 50 declares.
He covers his collab with The Game, 'Hate It Or Love It', and the whole crowd is grooving. The feel is electric. The top half of the rectangles lift and it exposing that the band has been inside them the entire time. They take a mini instrumental as 50 exits.
50 Cent - image © Simone Gorman-Clark
He returns in a new, light blue tracksuit sporting a diamond 50 necklace. A dance battle ensues between the ten dancers onstage, who sport flowing black pants and red sports bras. They are more than impressive.
A huge cube appears in the front of the stage, flashing with blue electricity. It begins building a human, as 50 appears suspended in mid air. 'P.I.M.P.' sends the crowd into overdrive, following straight into 'Candy Shop' and the seated patrons immediately rise to their feet.
'21 Questions' is quite touching lyrically for an upbeat rap song, while 'Just A Lil Bit' features an instantaneous costume change as 50 steps into a cloud of smoke. For 'Big Rich Town', the stage transforms into golden, Gatsby-esque buildings in a glittering display, as fireworks rain down to finish the song.
50 Cent - image © Simone Gorman-Clark
50 performed 'The Woo' as an RIP tribute to Pop Smoke, before the dancers sport some jellyfish-looking hats with lights entwined in the dangling braids for 'Ayo Technology'. The song ends with a searing guitar solo.
50 brings Jeremih back to cover 'Down On Me', as a black grand piano emerges. Jeremih takes it to play 'Birthday Sex' solo, as 50 leaves.
'I'm The Man' features dancers in neon suits, as white confetti rains down. Surprisingly, 'In Da Club' follows middish-set, sparking a premature exit of fans, although the arena still appears full at the end of the show.
'I'll Whip Ya Head Boy' closes the set, as flames shoot up, sparking heat in the air, while the band finishes with a flurry. No encore ensues.
50 Cent - image © Simone Gorman-Clark
Something must be said of 50 Cent's stamina; the man sang and rapped almost the entire show, quite impressive through 36 songs. A little vocal huskiness showed the rigours of touring, but he was energetic and engaged throughout.
The crowd certainly left feeling high, as some donned the lengthy golden streamers from the floor, holding on to any piece of 50 Cent they could get.
More photos from the show.
