50 Cent thinks his new album could “impact as hard” as his debut LP.

The “Candy Shop” rapper - real name Curtis Jackson - says he is glad he has taken his time working on Before I Self Destruct because he now believes it is as good as his first record, Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

“I had more time to work on this record. I usually put an album out every two years, so this is almost an additional year,” he said. “This record could potentially be the one to top Get Rich or Die Tryin. I think it could impact as hard, but not necessarily sell as much.”

50 - who grew up in a tough New York neighourhood - also spoke about gangsta rap, insisting it is still relevant to modern society. “People are still living under these circumstances. They identify with it because they have similar struggles or have experienced something similar. They enjoy gangsta rap with a different intensity,” he added to BBC Newsbeat.

The singer insists he isn’t prepared to alter his style to make it less intense. “If we just follow trends then we’re all doing the same thing,” he said. “If Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Boom Boom Pow’ is hot, do we all go and make a ‘Boom Boom Pow’?”