Many Men (Wish Death)
{{short description|2003 single by 50 Cent}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Many Men (Wish Death)
| cover = 50 Cent- Many Men.jpg
| alt =
| type = promo
| artist = 50 Cent
| album = Get Rich or Die Tryin'
| released = May 6, 2003
| format =
| A-side = "21 Questions"
| recorded = 2002
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Gangsta rap
| length = 4:16
| label = * Shady
| writer = {{blist
|Darrell Branch
|Freddie Perren
|Keni St. Lewis}}
| producer = {{blist
| Six Figga Digga
|Luis Resto (add.){{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/get-rich-or-die-tryin-mw0000592838/credits|title=Get Rich or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent | Credits | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}}}
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|5D3crqpClPY|"Many Men (Wish Death)"}}|type=song}}
}}
"Many Men (Wish Death)" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003). The song was produced by Darrell "Digga" Branch, Eminem and Luis Resto.{{cite web |last=Birchmeier |first=Jason |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/get-rich-or-die-tryin-mw0000592838 |title=Get Rich or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=June 18, 2014}} Despite the song charting and having a music video, it was only released as a promotional single.
Background and recording
Darrell "Digga" Branch began working on the instrumental that eventually became "Many Men (Wish Death)" around "two or three years" prior to its official release. He developed it whilst working with The Diplomats on early material for their debut album Diplomatic Immunity (2003); however, the group never completed this song.{{Cite web |last=Koi |first=Ricerca |date=February 6, 2023 |title=The Secret History Of 50 Cent's 'Get Rich or Die Tryin{{'}}' |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/50-cent-get-rich-or-die-tryin-album.html |access-date=April 11, 2025 |website=Okayplayer}} The instrumental was then offered to Nas during the recording of his 2002 album God's Son by his A&R Lenny "Linen" Nicholson; Nas recorded vocals over the instrumental (along with his cousin and Bravehearts member Nashawn), but also never finished the song as according to Nicholson it "was a track that he just fell out of love with".{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=John |date=September 27, 2017 |title=The Beat For 50 Cent's "Many Men" Was Originally A Nas Track |url=https://www.massappeal.com/50-cent-many-men-meant-for-nas/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003194342/https://www.massappeal.com/50-cent-many-men-meant-for-nas/ |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |access-date=April 11, 2025 |website=Mass Appeal}}
50 Cent first became aware of the instrumental when hearing it during a Nas session where he was present; he liked it and asked Nicholson to send him a copy to record to. With Nas' permission, Nicholson agreed, since he knew that "50 was looking for something just to stay busy and to keep writing". Once 50 Cent had finished his recording in Sha Money XL's basement studio, Sha Money XL travelled to Detroit and gave the recording to Eminem, where the pair "spent about a week or two" mixing the track and adding additional sound effects; co-producer Luis Resto also provided a guitar section. Sha Money XL finally played the completed song to Digga via telephone, and after hearing it again in his lawyer's office he was satisfied that it sounded "exactly what I wanted it to be, as far as having that gritty, dirty type feeling".
Music video
The video was directed by Jessy Tererro and produced by Jill Hardin and Darrell "Digga" Branch.{{cite web |url=http://www.vevo.com/watch/50-cent/many-men-(wish-death)/USIV20300072 |title=50 Cent - Many Men (Wish Death) |via=Vevo |access-date=March 19, 2015}} The song's music video is about 50 Cent's shooting from May 24, 2000, when he was shot nine times in Queens, New York. Mekhi Phifer appears in the video as 50's hitman. Adam Rodriguez and Rory Cochrane, both stars of CSI: Miami at the time of production, appear as detectives. Gabriel Casseus appears as a person who is allied with the person that shoots 50 Cent. Tommy Lister appears as one of 50 Cent's associates. G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Young Buck make cameo appearances.{{cite web |title=50 Cent: Many Men (Wish Death) (2003 Music Video): Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13279706/fullcredits |publisher=IMDb |access-date=August 1, 2024}}
The music video on YouTube has received nearly 600 million views as of March 2025. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D3crqpClPY 50 Cent - Many Men (Official Video)].YouTube
Commercial performance
The song peaked at number 11 on the US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles in 2003.{{cite web |title=50 cent Top Songs |url=http://www.musicvf.com/50+Cent.art |access-date=March 19, 2015 |publisher=musicvf.com}}{{Unreliable source?|date=August 2024}} On June 14, 2006, "Many Men" was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for selling 500,000 copies in the United States of America.{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=50+CENT#search_section |title=American single certifications – 50 Cent |publisher=Recording Industry Association of America |access-date=June 18, 2014}} On January 19, 2023, it was certified three times platinum by the RIAA, indicating 3 million copies sold.{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=50+Cent&ti=Many+Men+%28Wish+Death%29&format=Single&type=#search_section |title=Gold & Platinum |publisher=Recording Industry Association of America}} While the song was a commercial success, 50 Cent commented in an interview years later the song was his least favorite in Get Rich or Die Tryin{{'}}, largely in part to it being the slowest song of the album.
Legacy
American rapper Pop Smoke interpolated the song on his 2020 track, "Got It on Me",{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/pop-smokespop-smokes-shoot-for-the-stars-aim-for-the-moon-1024461/ |title=Pop Smoke's Endless Summer Continues on 'Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon' |magazine=Rolling Stone |last=Schwartz |first=Danny |date=July 6, 2020 |access-date=February 23, 2021}} and producer Metro Boomin sampled the song on his and 21 Savage's 2020 track "Many Men".{{Cite web |title=21 Savage & Metro Boomin Sample A 50 Cent Classic On "Many Men" |url=https://genius.com/a/21-savage-metro-boomin-sample-a-50-cent-classic-on-many-men |access-date=2021-04-03 |website=Genius}}
Vietnamese-American writer Ocean Vuong repeatedly references the song in his novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. As Vuong explained in an interview, "50 Cent's song was ubiquitous in the early aughts, where so much of this book takes place. It also marked the last era of gangsta rap, whose cultural framework provided men and boys a means of performing masculinity while also reducing it to erroneous tropes of misogyny and violence."{{cite web |last1=Quong |first1=Spencer |title=Survival as a Creative Force: An Interview with Ocean Vuong |url=https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/06/05/survival-as-a-creative-force-an-interview-with-ocean-vuong/ |website=The Paris Review |date=5 June 2019}}
Following the 2024 attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the track resurged in popularity, placing in the top 10 on the US iTunes sales chart,{{Cite tweet |number=1812878691724398865 |user=Rap |title=50 Cent's "Many Men (Wish Death)" entered the US iTunes top 10 following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. |author=RapTV |date=July 15, 2024 |access-date=July 15, 2024}} and rising in sales by 250% on other streaming platforms.{{cite magazine |last1=Denis |first1=Kyle |last2=Lipshutz |first2=Jason |last3=Robinson |first3=Kristin |last4=Unterberger |first4=Andrew |title=50 Cent's 'Many Men' Up 250% in Streams Following Donald Trump Assassination Attempt |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/50-cent-many-men-donald-trump-assassination-attempt-trending-up-1235733523/ |magazine=Billboard |date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=August 1, 2024}} 50 Cent responded to the rise popularity by posting on social media "Trump gets shot and now I'm trending 🤷🏽♂️", alongside an edited version of the album cover for Get Rich or Die Tryin{{'}} with Trump's face placed over his own.{{cite magazine |last1=Iasimone |first1=Ashley |title=50 Cent Posts Get Rich or Die Tryin Album Cover With Trump's Face Following Shooting at the Former President's Rally |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/50-cent-donald-trump-shot-many-men-get-rich-die-tryin-1235730624/ |magazine=Billboard |date=July 13, 2024 |access-date=August 1, 2024}} 50 Cent further performed "Many Men" with the edited cover photo the night of the attempted assassination during a concert in Boston.{{cite web |last1=Whitman |first1=Sara |title=50 Cent puts Donald Trump's face on album cover while performing 'Many Men' after assassination attempt |url=https://pagesix.com/2024/07/14/entertainment/50-cent-puts-donald-trumps-face-on-album-cover-after-assassination-attempt/ |work=Page Six |date=July 14, 2024 |access-date=August 1, 2024}} The edited album cover consequently made the song more popular, spreading on the internet through memes, including an AI cover of "Many Men" performed by Trump.{{cite news |last1=Ardrey |first1=Taylor |title=Internet explodes with 50 Cent 'Many Men (Wish Death)' memes following Donald Trump attack |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/07/15/many-men-50-cent-meme-trump-assassination-attempt/74409035007/ |publisher=USA Today |date=July 15, 2024 |access-date=July 15, 2024}} However, Digga told TMZ that whilst happy about the song's renewed popularity, he did not want Trump using it on the campaign trail.{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2024 |title=50 Cent's 'Many Men' Producer Distances Song From Trump Shooting, Campaign |url=https://www.tmz.com/2024/07/21/50-cent-many-men-producer-darrell-digga-branch-distance-trump-campaign/ |access-date=April 11, 2025 |website=TMZ}}
Charts
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|title=Many Men (Wish Death)|artist=50 Cent|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=2003|certyear=2023|access-date=December 10, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|title=Many Men (Wish Death)|artist=50 Cent|type=single|award=Gold|id=11822|relyear=2003|certyear=2022|access-date=November 10, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=50 Cent|title=Many Men (Wish Death)|award=Gold|relyear=2003|certyear=2024|id=12448|access-date=30 April 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Many Men (Wish Death)|artist=50 Cent|type=single|award=Platinum|id=15897-567-1|relyear=2003|certyear=2023|access-date=February 17, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Many Men (Wish Death)|artist=50 Cent|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2003|number=3|certyear=2023|access-date=January 20, 2023|refname=RIAA}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Many Men (Wish Death)|artist=50 Cent|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=2004|note=Mastertone|digital=true|certyear=2006|access-date=March 6, 2023|refname=RIAA1}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{50 Cent singles}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Song recordings produced by Eminem
Category:Songs written by 50 Cent
Category:Songs written by Luis Resto (musician)
Category:Shady Records singles
Category:Aftermath Entertainment singles
Category:Interscope Records singles