It started well.
One of the security guards at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena ID’ed me as we headed into an area restricted to those aged 21 and over. It was dark, admittedly, and he was possibly shortsighted and had probably been warned to be over-cautious, but at the age of 41, that’s more than enough to make your night, if not your year.
In spite of Friday evening traffic and seemingly unending queues of actual 21-year-olds, we also made it into the arena just as 50 Cent came on stage. Another win. The drink vendors were overwhelmed and had run out of most options by the time we got to the counter, but even that was not enough to put a dampener on the evening.
I’m a lifelong hip-hop fan who remembers, remarkably clearly, the first time I saw the music video for 50 Cent’s breakout hit, In Da Club. It was 2003 and I was a young, fresh-faced graduate watching MTV at my best friend’s house in central London. I remember immediately being drawn in by the song’s distinct, unrelenting bass line, Fiddy’s thuggish charisma and pared-back delivery, and the cameos by old favourites Doctor Dre and Eminem.
I cannot begin to imagine how many times I have heard that song since then, not least every time anyone, anywhere, is celebrating a birthday ― go shorty! And it always brings back the best of memories. Such is the power of music; it cements moments of your life into teeny three-minute chunks, allowing you to access far-gone feelings in the flash of a well-delivered rhyme.
So, needless to say, I was excited about seeing the man in concert for the first time, almost 20 years after I first started listening to his music. In my mind, the Dh395 was a worthy investment. His greatest hits had formed the soundtrack to my twenties and his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, is still on regular rotation in the Denman household. A large chunk of my brain is devoted to storing old 1990s rap lyrics (just don’t ask me what I had for breakfast yesterday), so I was all set for a good old rap-along.
I will admit that there is, perhaps, something ever-so-slightly unseemly about a 50-year-old jumping around on stage singing about his Candyshop. But Fiddy was clearly having such a blast ― his beaming smile was eclipsed only by the enormous diamond-encrusted chain he wore around his neck ― that it would be churlish to begrudge him his moment.
However, I feel like he begrudged me mine. He delivered all his greatest hits, but at warp speed, often only getting halfway through before switching to the next. The soundtrack to my youth sped by in record time, with barely a chance to put my own (perceived) rhyme-spitting prowess into practice. All his best verses were left unsung as he trampled through his ill-conceived medley.
As soon as the crowd started to settle into a song, it was gone. When he did choose to linger, it was on the tracks that nobody seemed to have ever heard before. I understand, two decades on, that he may be tired of playing the same songs over and over again, but he displayed a remarkable lack of understanding of what his audience was actually there for.
They say you should never meet your heroes. You should also probably never go see antiquated rap stars with the hope of reliving your youth. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, but also a potential catalyst for extreme disappointment.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
