In Kelefa Sanneh's essay on the death of Luther Vandross, he observed that the singer's style was that of the disembodied voice, for whom love is always unconsummated. Says Sanneh, "you can bring him into your bedroom without worrying that he'll steal the show." 50 Cent’s approach here has a similar appeal. There's nothing about his performance that suggests 50, the real person or the onstage character, is remotely interested in the sex he raps about. Instead he's interested in making the catchiest, most evocative pop song about sex the listener can envision. His devotion is to his craft and to the joy of encapsulating the male ego in under three minutes. No one hears 50 Cent in this song, we just hear ourselves (or, at the least, our cocky internal monologue). With its Bobby Womack sample courtesy Scoop Deville, "Wait Til Tonight" is the best track from 50's unexpectedly solid The Big Ten mixtape.
Download: 50 Cent, "Wait Til Tonight"
