“In da Club” by 50 Cent

The term “in da club” refers to being in a nightclub. And this alludes to the fact that this track was intended to be a party song. But it is also meant to be a “celebration of life”, a contrast to the type of content 50 Cent usually puts out. That is why one of the central themes is celebrating a person’s birthday, even if today is not actually their birthday.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for 50 Cent's In da Club at Lyrics.org.

In terms of the actual lyrical content, the track focuses on 50’s aspirations as an artist, his lifestyle and at times does become violent and illicit. However, for the most part what he is truly saying takes a backseat to the overall up-tempo, bop-inducing vibe of the song.

Lyrics of "In da Club"

Facts about “In da Club”

  • “In da Club” was co-written by Dr. Dre, together with 50 Cent and Mike Elizondo.
  • Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo, and H Cube handled the production of this track.
  • It was released on the 7th of January 2003. This was the maiden single of 50 Cent’s very successful rap career. Owing to this, the track was included in his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
  • This track was initially created for Eminem’s D-12. It was also intended to be used as the soundtrack of the 2002 movie 8 Mile, starring Eminem. It ended up not being used by D12 nor in 8 Mile.
  • “In da Club” received lots of praises from every corner of the globe. For example, it was labeled as a “guaranteed party starter” by The Source magazine.
  • Music video director Philip Atwell directed the official music video of “In da Club”. It featured brief appearances from several distinguished rappers. They include the likes of Dr. Dre, The Game, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, Eminem, Tony Yayo, and Xzibit.
  • In 2008, VH1 ranked this song as the 18th track on their list of 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs
  • This song’s official video grabbed an award for the Best New Artist and Best Rap Video at the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards.

Chart Performance

The track really performed well on the charts of many countries across the globe. In the United States, it reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.

In Europe, this song also made it to No.1 on the charts of several countries, including the following:

  • Ireland
  • The Netherlands
  • Finland
  • Greece
  • Germany
  • Norway
  • Denmark
  • UK
  • Belgium
  • Sweden
  • Austria
  • Switzerland.

Furthermore, it also topped the charts in Australia in 2003.

The track was eventually certified Platinum in the UK, US, Italy, and Denmark. It received a Double-Platinum certification in Australia and in New Zealand. It was certified Gold in Sweden, Switzerland, and Belgium.

Songs that have sampled “In da Club”

“In Da Club” has been sampled in several songs. Among them include the following:

  • “Death Day” by Royce da 5’9”
  • “I Don’t Mind” by Usher (Feat. Juicy J)
  • “Hold Up” by Girl Talk
  • “Get It Done” by K21
  • “Watch How I Move” by Inno Thakid
  • “Genesis” by Justice
  • “The Re-Up” by Eminem (Feat. 50 Cent)
  • “Sexy Lil Thug” by Beyonce (Feat. 50 Cent)
  • “300 Bars & Runnin’” by The Game.

Furthermore, several artists have also released remixes of this track. They include Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, 360, D12, Bello Figo and P. Diddy.

Court case

In 2006, a lawsuit was filed against 50 Cent by the copyright owner (Joseph Weinberger) of Luther Campbell’s 1994 song “It’s Your Birthday”. In the suit, Weinberger accused 50 of illegally plagiarizing the line “it’s your birthday”, which appears in Campbell’s track. However, the case was dismissed by the court.

Did “In da Club” win a Grammy?

At the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004, this song received two Grammy nominations. The first was for Best Rap Song and the second for the Best Male Rap Solo Performance. However, it lost both awards to Eminem’s hit track “Lose Yourself”.

Does “In da Club” contain samples?

Not per se. However, it interpolates Snoop Dogg’s 1993 song “Gz Up, Hoes Down” and Luke’s 1994 song “It’s Your Birthday”.

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