Get Rich or Die Tryin'

Rapper 50 Cent takes a final lap on upcoming tour with stop in Dallas

50 Cent will perform at Dos Equis Pavilion on August 25.

Photo courtesy of 50 Cent

Rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will celebrate of the 20th Anniversary of his 2003 debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', with the worldwide "The Final Lap Tour," which includes a stop at Dos Equis Pavilion on Friday, August 25.

The massive tour, which starts on July 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah, will go to 39 cities across North America over the course of two months, including Houston on August 24. After a short break, 50 Cent will play 25 more dates across Europe during the fall.

"The Final Lap Tour" will feature the rap icon performing dozens of fan-favorite and chart-topping hits, along with select tracks that he has not performed live in many years. The tour will also feature support from special guest Busta Rhymes on all dates and Jeremih supporting on all North American dates. Other special guests will be announced.

50 Cent has only released five albums in his career - most recently 2014's Animal Ambition - but each has made at least the top 5 on the Billboard 200 charts, selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. Jackson has also expanded way beyond music, finding success as an entrepreneur with his Sire Spirits brands, as well as an actor, director, and executive producer.

Verified Fan will be used for The Final Lap Tour to ensure more tickets get into the hands of fans. Fans in North America can register now through Sunday, May 7 at 10:59 pm for the Verified Fan presale. Fans who are selected to receive an access code will be able to participate in the Verified Fan presale starting on Wednesday, May 10.

Limited tickets will be sold during a general on sale starting Friday, May 12 at 10 am at Ticketmaster.com while supplies last.

Fans can also access VIP Packages which may include premium tickets, VIP parking and exclusive access to a pre-show lounge, special entry, Sire Spirits bottle signings, access to afterparty events, and more.

THE FINAL LAP TOUR 2023 – NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

Fri Jul 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
Sun Jul 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Tue Jul 25 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - STL
Thu Jul 27 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Fri Jul 28 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sat Jul 29 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Mon Jul 31 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Wed Aug 02 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Thu Aug 03 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Sat Aug 05 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sun Aug 06 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Tue Aug 08 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Wed Aug 09 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Fri Aug 11 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
Sat Aug 12 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Sun Aug 13 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Tue Aug 15 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wed Aug 16 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Thu Aug 17 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 19 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 20 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 22 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
Thu Aug 24 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Fri Aug 25 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sun Aug 27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Tue Aug 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Wed Aug 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Thu Aug 31 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 02 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Mon Sep 04 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Wed Sep 06 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Thu Sep 07 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Fri Sep 08 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sun Sep 10 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Mon Sep 11 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Wed Sep 13 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
Fri Sep 15 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Sat Sep 16 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sun Sep 17 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

concerts music

Movie Review

Legendary filmmaker makes tepid return with meandering film Ella McCay

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Emma Mackey in Ella McCay.

The impact that writer/director/producer James L. Brooks has made on Hollywood cannot be understated. The 85-year-old created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personally won three Oscars for Terms of Endearment, and was one of the driving forces behind The Simpsons, among many other credits. Now, 15 years after his last movie, he’s back in the directing chair with Ella McCay.

The similarly-named Emma Mackey plays Ella, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor of an unnamed state in 2008 who’s on the verge of becoming governor when Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) gets picked to be a member of the president’s Cabinet. What should be a happy time is sullied by her needy husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), her agoraphobic brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), and her perpetually-cheating father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson).

Despite the trio of men competing to bring her down, Ella remains an unapologetic optimist, an attitude bolstered by her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her assistant Estelle (Julie Kavner), and her police escort, Trooper Nash (Kumail Nanjiani). The film follows her over a few days as she navigates the perils of governing, the distractions her family brings, and the expectations being thrust upon her by many different people.

Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, is all over the place with his storytelling. What at first seems to be a straightforward story about Ella and her various issues soon starts meandering into areas that, while related to Ella, don’t make the film better. Prime among them are her brother and father, who are given a relatively small amount of screentime in comparison to the importance they have in her life. This is compounded by a confounding subplot in which Casey tries to win back his girlfriend, Susan (Ayo Edebiri).

Then there’s the whole political side of the story, which never finds its focus and is stuck in the past. Though it’s never stated explicitly, Ella and Governor Bill appear to be Democrats, especially given a signature program Ella pushes to help mothers in need. But if Brooks was trying to provide an antidote to the current real world politics, he doesn’t succeed, as Ella’s full goals are never clear. He also inexplicably shows her boring her fellow lawmakers to tears, a strange trait to give the person for whom the audience is supposed to be rooting.

What saves the movie from being an all-out train wreck is the performances of Mackey and Curtis. Mackey, best known for the Netflix show Sex Education, has an assured confidence to her that keeps the character interesting and likable even when the story goes downhill. Curtis, who has tended to go over-the-top with her roles in recent years, tones it down, offering a warm place of comfort for Ella to turn to when she needs it. The two complement each other very well and are the best parts of the movie by far.

Brooks puts much more effort into his female actors, including Kavner, who, even though she serves as an unnecessary narrator, gets most of the best laugh lines in the film. Harrelson is capable of playing a great cad, but his character here isn’t fleshed out enough. Fearn is super annoying in his role, and Lowden isn’t much better, although that could be mostly due to what his character is called to do. Were it not for the always-great Brooks and Nanjiani, the movie might be devoid of good male performances.

Brooks has made many great TV shows and movies in his 60+ year career, but Ella McCay is a far cry from his best. The only positive that comes out of it is the boosting of Mackey, who proves herself capable of not only leading a film, but also elevating one that would otherwise be a slog to get through.

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Ella McCay opens in theaters on December 12.

movies film