By Carter Maness
50 Cent will drop The Lost Tape, his Gangsta Grillz collaboration with DJ Drama, on May 15, and it appears the rapper is in rare form. Last night (April 27), Dram posted the first track from the collaboration – a new one called "Remain Calm (Al Qaeda Bomb)" that also includes Snoop Dogg and a verse from 50's quick-spitting female protege Precious Paris.
The Queens MC sounds rejuvenated on the menacing, street-oriented track, continuing the throwback hot streak he started on his last effort The Big 10. He released that mixtape last December to positive reviews as fans praised a return to his early sound and brash attitude.
Of course, The Lost Tape is a final free effort before 50 takes the best of his recent material and drops his fifth studio album. He recently said that July 2 was the tentative release date for the follow-up to 2009's Before I Self Destruct, which comes after a rocky back-and-forth between the rapper and his longtime label Interscope Records.
"My album is coming out july 2," he recently tweeted after accusing Interscope of trying to hold him back. "I got some heat trust me I'm ready."
50 later apologized, saying he overreacted and that his label relationship was back on good terms.