Described by Billboard magazine as a classic,[7]No Mercy, No Fear was released during 50 Cent's and G-Unit's 2002 mixtape run,[8] in anticipation of his debut album.[9] According to Billboard, the mixtapes caused "tremendous buzz amongst hip-hop fans and artists".[10]Vancouver Sun wrote that the mixtapes "widely circulated" for several years after the release.[11] By rapping over instrumentals from other artists and then releasing it for free, with No Mercy, No Fear and the other contemporary releases 50 Cent revolutionized hip hop mixtapes,[12] creating a blueprint for later artists, such as
Lil Wayne,
Young Jeezy, and
Drake.[13] The mixtape was ranked No. 5 on XXL's Top 20 Mixtapes list.[citation needed]
Described by Billboard magazine as a classic,[7]No Mercy, No Fear was released during 50 Cent's and G-Unit's 2002 mixtape run,[8] in anticipation of his debut album.[9] According to Billboard, the mixtapes caused "tremendous buzz amongst hip-hop fans and artists".[10]Vancouver Sun wrote that the mixtapes "widely circulated" for several years after the release.[11] By rapping over instrumentals from other artists and then releasing it for free, with No Mercy, No Fear and the other contemporary releases 50 Cent revolutionized hip hop mixtapes,[12] creating a blueprint for later artists, such as
Lil Wayne,
Young Jeezy, and
Drake.[13] The mixtape was ranked No. 5 on XXL's Top 20 Mixtapes list.[citation needed]