"Before I Self Destruct" is the fourth studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released on November 16, 2009, on Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, Interscope Records, and Universal Music Group. This album marked 50 Cent's final solo release with Shady, Aftermath, and Interscope, excluding his 2017 greatest hits compilation, Best Of. An accompanying feature film with the same name was also released alongside the album, included in the album's packaging. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, earning 50 Cent his fourth consecutive top-five album in the United States. The lead single, "Baby By Me," featuring Ne-Yo, reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 28.
Initially, Before I Self Destruct was intended to be 50 Cent's 2007 album, and he had completed 12 tracks for it. However, the release date was pushed back when he decided to release Curtis instead. As a result, the album's release was delayed several times. The release was first planned for February 2008, then moved to March and later December 2008. 50 Cent confirmed in interviews that he had reworked the album and planned for its release in 2009. The album's digital version was made available on iTunes on November 9, 2009, a week before the physical release, which hit stores on November 16. Due to an early leak of the album, Interscope requested that Nielsen SoundScan delay the charting of the album's sales until the physical release to account for the early digital sales.
50 Cent described the album as "darker" and more "aggressive" than his previous work, reflecting a more intense mood. He explained that the title, Before I Self Destruct, represented his state of mind at the time, hinting that it could be a potential reality. For the album’s production, 50 Cent worked with several producers, including Rich Harrison, Kanye West, Sha Money XL, Ty-Fyffe, Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, and Dawaun Parker. However, unlike his previous albums, 50 Cent noted that Before I Self Destruct would not feature many guest appearances and would be an entirely different concept. In addition to the mentioned producers, Timbaland also worked with 50 Cent, though their collaboration did not result in a track on the final album.
The album's intended lead single, "Get Up," was released in 2008 but did not make it onto the album. Instead, the first promotional single, "OK, You're Right," was released in May 2009, but it performed poorly commercially. The official lead single from the album, "Baby by Me," featuring Ne-Yo, was released in September 2009 and became a moderate commercial success. The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in several other countries. The second single, "Do You Think About Me," was released in January 2010 but did not perform as well, reaching only number 7 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. 50 Cent also announced that a third single, "Get It Hot," would be released, but the plans for a music video for another song, "So Disrespectful," were not carried out.
The album sold 160,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200. However, the album experienced a drop in sales after its initial release, and by its 21st week, it sold only 2,500 copies, falling off the Billboard Top 200. Despite this, the album was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 units. The album also charted at number 67 on the Billboard Year-End chart for 2010.
