Work and family life

Composition[edit]

Built around a sample of the song "Rubber Band" by the Trammps, "Hate It or Love It" is hip hop song that is backed by a soul-orientated production, which contains a "smoothed out R&B funk vibe".^[2][3]

Critical reception[edit]

"Hate It or Love It" received general acclaim from critics. Scott McKeating of Stylus Magazine wrote that "It's a great piece of warm soul-fuelled hip-hop, in which guest star 50 Cent manages to steal the show, considerably stepping up his lyrical content to squash together some great but clichéd lines against a level of his infamous smart arsed profundity."^[2] IGN described the song as "a smoothed out R&B funk vibe underneath the tales of the hood."^[3] Pitchfork listed the song as the 93rd best song of the 2000s.^[4]
The song has earned the Game award nominations. In 2006 "Hate It or Love It" was nominated at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards for both Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, but lost in both categories to Kanye West's "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" and the Black Eyed Peas' "Don't Phunk with My Heart", respectively. "Hate It or Love It" was named number one on About.com's Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2005 and was ranked at number 43 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".

Music video[edit]

The setting of the music video alternates between Compton, California and Jamaica, Queens, New York City. The video recalls the rough childhoods of 50 Cent and the Game, showing where they come from, what it was like living in their neighborhoods, and the struggles they overcame as kids to become rappers. Tequan Richmond portrays the Game and Zachary Williams plays 50 Cent in their youth. In one scene, the two are caught spraypainting "N.W.A" on a wall, resulting in their arrest by two policemen. Big Fase 100, members of Black Wall Street, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks make cameo appearances.
This video was nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards of 2005 for Best Rap Video, but lost to the video for Ludacris' song "Number One Spot".
The music video was directed by the Saline Project.