5 (Murder by Numbers) is the eleventh mixtape by American rapper50 Cent, released digitally in 2012. It was originally meant to be his fifth studio album, a follow-up to 2009's Before I Self Destruct. Due to tensions with Interscope Records, the album was released as a mixtape.[1]
Background
While recording 5 (Murder by Numbers), 50 Cent listened to a mix of music performed by his favorite artists, including rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, 50 Cent explained, "I listen to those records to create expectations... It creates a level to me, within myself, of how good the record has to be before I'm ready to launch it." In the same interview, he described the album as a "whole new sound" for him and felt that it was "more soulful" and "more mature" than his previous work.[2] 50 Cent confirmed the album's title, 5 (Murder by Numbers), in an interview with the radio station Hot 107.9 Philly on June 13, 2012.
