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The Massacre

2005 studio album by 50 Cent

Manuscripts, fine bindings, an engraving plate and preserved performance ephemera
Arts and lettersInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 26, 2026
Entity authorityQ839810
Source-derived summary

The Massacre is the second studio album by the American rapper 50 Cent, released on March 3, 2005, via Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, 50 Cent's G-Unit Records, and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. With production from Dr. Dre, Eminem, Scott Storch, Sha Money XL and others, the album features guest appearances from G-Unit affiliates Tony Yayo, Olivia, Eminem and Jamie Foxx.

Preceded by the singles "Disco Inferno" and "Candy Shop", the album debuted atop the Billboard 200, selling 1.14 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 the Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "Just A Lil Bit" and "Outta Control."

Background

The original title for the album was revealed as The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, named after the 1929 Chicago gang murder spree known as Saint 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.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “The Massacre” as 2005 studio album by 50 Cent. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Massacre, studio and album.

Editorial reviewA productive route into publication, performance and collection histories when the underlying object or edition remains clearly identified. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2005, 1929—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 2005-03-03. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Massacre, studio and album providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “The Massacre”, the useful work is to connect “2005 studio album by 50 Cent” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q839810. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2005 and 1929.

Critical limits

Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.

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  • Identifying works and editions
  • Tracing reception history
  • Finding collection records
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “The Massacre”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow The Massacre primary sources, The Massacre archive and Massacre research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

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  2. How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
  3. Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from The Massacre” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.