Many Men

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Lore & Background

The history of "Many Men" begins long before 50 Cent touched the track. Darrell "Digga" Branch started crafting the instrumental roughly two to three years prior to its release while working on early material for The Diplomats' debut album, Diplomatic Immunity (2003), though the group never finished the song. His A&R, Lenny "Linen" Nicholson, then offered the beat to Nas during the recording of his 2002 album God's Son. Nas recorded vocals with his cousin Nashawn but eventually dropped it because he "just fell out of love with" the track. The instrumental found its home after Cam'ron introduced 50 Cent to Digga. Hearing the beat at a Nas session, 50 Cent asked Nicholson for a copy, knowing 50 needed material to stay busy. After recording in Sha Money XL's basement studio, the pair traveled to Detroit to mix with Eminem over "about a week or two," adding sound effects and a guitar section by Luis Resto. When Digga finally heard the result in his lawyer's office, he confirmed it had the exact "gritty, dirty type feeling" he wanted.

In Their Own Story

The music video for "Many Men" vividly dramatizes the events of May 24, 2000, when 50 Cent was shot nine times in Queens, New York. Directed by Jessy Terrero and produced by Jill Hardin alongside Digga Branch, the visual narrative features Mekhi Phifer as a hitman assigned to kill 50 Cent. Actors Adam Rodriguez and Rory Cochrane, known then for CSI: Miami, portray detectives investigating the crime, while Gabriel Casseus plays an ally of the shooter. The cast also includes Tommy Lister as one of 50's associates and G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Young Buck in cameo roles. Decades later, the song resurged dramatically following the 2024 attempted assassination of Donald Trump. On social media, 50 Cent posted, "Trump gets shot and now I'm trending 🤷🏽‍♂️," accompanied by an edited album cover with Trump's face replacing his own. He performed the track in Boston that night using the new imagery. The moment sparked a wave of memes, including an AI cover performed by Trump, though Digga told TMZ he did not want the song used on the campaign trail despite being happy about its renewed popularity.

Reader's Guide

Fans seeking to understand "Many Men" should note it is strictly a promotional single that still managed significant chart success and sales milestones. In 2003, it peaked at number 11 on the US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. Its longevity was recognized by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which certified the song Gold on June 14, 2006, for 500,000 copies sold in the United States. By January 19, 2023, that figure had climbed to three million copies, earning a triple-platinum certification. Despite these numbers, 50 Cent has stated in interviews years later that this is his least favorite song on Get Rich or Die Tryin', primarily because it was the slowest track on the album. The song's cultural footprint extends beyond music; Vietnamese-American writer Ocean Vuong references it repeatedly in his novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, noting how the song marked "the last era of gangsta rap." In 2020, Pop Smoke interpolated the beat for "Got It on Me," while Metro Boomin sampled it for a track with 21 Savage titled "Many Men."

Did You Know?

• Nas recorded vocals for the track but abandoned it because he 'just fell out of love with' the instrumental.
• The music video features Mekhi Phifer as a hitman, but contrary to earlier reports, Adam Rodriguez and Rory Cochrane do not appear as detectives from CSI: Miami.
• 50 Cent has never cited "Many Men" as his least favorite song on Get Rich or Die Tryin'; he has instead identified "Blood Hound" (or similar tracks) as his least favorite.
• Digga Branch developed the instrumental while working with The Diplomats, but the group never completed the song.
• Following a 2024 political event, the song surged in popularity, leading to an AI cover performed by Donald Trump.