Rapper 50 Cent has initiated the promotional campaign before the release of his much anticipated and often delayed album “Before I Self Destruct.” The first step in this direction was to make the extremely violent “War Angel” mixtape available for free download on his official webpage, as Rolling Stone can also confirm.

A mixtape that 50 has often described as the best of the kind he has ever put on the mixtape circuit “period,” “War Angel” is as violent as its title suggests. It is also extremely good, says the music-oriented publication, and should make for a wonderful surprise for all the fans of the rapper, while also taking off some of the bitterness they might have felt when they learned of the album being delayed time and time again.

“The mixtape is the first of three that 50 is plotting to release before his oft-delayed ‘Before I Self Destruct’ comes out in September. War Angel includes the gritty ‘Redrum’ and a sequel of sorts to Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘C.R.E.A.M,’ fittingly called ‘C.R.E.A.M. 2,’ with 50 rapping, ‘Cash rules I keep a shooter ’round me, Queens get the money, I’ll have a nigga kill y’all.’ Taking a page from the Jay-Z playbook, 50 declares ‘Goons don’t use Auto-Tune’ in the opening track ‘I Line Niggas’.” Rolling Stone writes in a short overview of “War Angel.”

Just so that fans can get a vague idea about what they have coming by downloading the free mixtape, it’s worth mentioning that Fiddy has left hints to this all over the place. With a subtitle that is more than suggestive, “Prepare for Total Destruction,” the mixtape comes to offer fans with some of the edginess and the aggressiveness they have come to love in 50 Cent, and that they have been waiting for for far too long.

“It’s not surprising that the majority of ‘War Angel’’s tracks are heavy on violent lyrics, especially cuts like ‘Better Come On Your a Game’ and ‘Get The Message.’ However, 50 does take a brief two-song break from the gunfire with the soulful ‘I’ll Do Anything’ (‘This one’s for the [expletive],’ he says) and ‘London Girl,’ which seems like 50’s response to Estelle and Kanye West’s ‘American Boy.’ Other highlights include perhaps the funkiest song ever about drug trafficking, ‘Cocaine,’ featuring Robin Thicke hitting the Prince falsetto as 50 raps about re-upping and claiming corners.” Rolling Stone further writes of the new release.

However, fans shouldn’t let critics or a music magazine tell them which is which. Here is where all those interested can download the “War Angel” mixtape, listen to it and then make up their own mind.