Everything about 50 Cent totally explained
Curtis James Jackson III (born
July 6 1975), better known by his stage name
50 Cent, is an
American rapper. He rose to fame with the release of his albums
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and
The Massacre (2005). Both albums achieved multi-
platinum success, selling over twenty-one million copies combined.
Born in
South Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent began
drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s'
crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot nine times in 2000. After releasing his album
Guess Who's Back? in 2002, 50 Cent was discovered by rapper
Eminem and signed to
Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and
Dr. Dre—who produced his first major commercial successes—he became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label
G-Unit Records, which signed successful rappers such as
Young Buck,
Lloyd Banks, and
Tony Yayo.
50 Cent has engaged in feuds with other rappers including
Ja Rule,
The Game, and
Fat Joe. He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film
Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005 and the
Iraq War film
Home of the Brave in 2006.
Life and music career
Early life
50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson III, grew up in the
South Jamaica neighborhood of
Queens in
New York City. He grew up without a father and was raised by his mother Sabrina Jackson, who gave birth to him at the age of fifteen. Sabrina, a
cocaine dealer, raised Jackson until the age of eight, when she was murdered. Twenty-three at the time, she became unconscious after someone
drugged her drink. She was then left for dead after the gas in her apartment was turned on and the windows shut closed. After her death, Jackson moved into his grandparents' house with his eight aunts and uncles. He recalls, "My grandmother told me, 'Your mother's not coming home. She's not gonna come back to pick you up. You're gonna stay with us now.' That's when I started adjusting to the streets a little bit". Jackson grew up with his younger cousin, Michael Francis, who earned the nickname "25 Cent" for being his younger counterpart. Francis raps under the stage name "Two Five".
Jackson began
boxing around the age of eleven. At fourteen, a neighbor opened a boxing gym for local kids. "When I wasn't killing time in school, I was sparring in the gym or selling crack on the strip", he recalled. In the mid 1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics as an
amateur boxer. He recounts, "I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ". At the age of twelve, Jackson began dealing
narcotics when his grandparents thought he was at after-school programs. He also took guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by
metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School. He later stated, "I was embarrassed that I got arrested like that... After I got arrested I stopped hiding it. I was telling my grandmother [openly], 'I sell drugs.'" He adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a
metaphor for "change". The name was derived from
Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber known as "50 Cent". Jackson chose the name "because it says everything I want it to say. I'm the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means".
1996–2000: Early career
50 Cent started rapping in a friend's basement where he used
turntables to record over
instrumentals. In 1996, a friend introduced him to
Jam Master Jay of
Run-DMC who was organizing his label
Jam Master Jay Records. Jay taught him how to count
bars, write
choruses, structure songs, and make a record. 50 Cent's first official appearance was on a song titled "React" with the group
Onyx on their 1998 album
Shut 'Em Down. He credited Jam Master Jay as an influence who helped him improve his ability to write
hooks. He also started the now-defunct Hollow Point Entertainment with former
G-Unit affiliate
Bang 'Em Smurf.
50 Cent's popularity started to increase after the successful but controversial underground single, "
How to Rob", which he wrote in half an hour while in a car on the way to a studio. The track comically explains how he'd rob famous artists. He explained the reasoning behind song's content as, "There's a hundred artists on that label, you gotta separate yourself from that group and make yourself relevant".
2000–2001: Shooting
On
May 24 2000, 50 Cent was attacked by a gunman outside his grandmother's former home in
South Jamaica, Queens. He went into a friend's car, but was asked to return to the house to get
jewelry. His son was in the house while his grandmother was in the front yard. The face wound resulted in a swollen tongue, the loss of a
wisdom tooth, and a small slur in his voice. His friend also sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. They were driven to the hospital where 50 Cent spent thirteen days. The alleged shooter, Darryl "Hommo" Baum, was killed three weeks later.
50 Cent recalled the incident saying, "It happens so fast that you don't even get a chance to shoot back... I was scared the whole time... I was looking in the rear-view mirror like, 'Oh shit, somebody shot me in the face! It burns, burns, burns.'"
While in the hospital, 50 Cent signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records. However, he was dropped from the label and "blacklisted" in the recording industry after it was discovered he was shot. Unable to find a studio to work with in the U.S, he traveled to
Canada. Along with his business partner
Sha Money XL, he recorded over thirty songs for mixtapes, with the purpose of building a reputation. 50 Cent's popularity rose and in early 2001, he released material independently on the mixtape,
Guess Who's Back?. Beginning to attract interest, and now backed by
G-Unit, 50 Cent continued to make songs. They released the mixtape,
50 Cent Is the Future, revisiting material by
Jay-Z and
Raphael Saadiq.
Rolling Stone noted the album for its "dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce" with 50 Cent complementing the production in "an unflappable, laid-back flow". It debuted at number one on the
Billboard 200, selling 872,000 copies in the first four days. The lead single, "
In da Club", which
The Source noted for its "blaring horns, funky organs, guitar riffs and sparse hand claps", broke a
Billboard record as the most listened-to song in radio history within a week.
Interscope granted 50 Cent his own label,
G-Unit Records in 2003. He signed
Lloyd Banks,
Tony Yayo, and
Young Buck as the established members of
G-Unit.
The Game was later signed under a
joint venture with Dr. Dre's
Aftermath Entertainment. In March 2005, 50 Cent's second commercial album,
The Massacre, sold 1.14 million copies in the first four days—the highest in an abbreviated sales cycle He became the first solo artist to have three singles on the
Billboard top five in the same week with "
Candy Shop", "
Disco Inferno", and "
How We Do".
Rolling Stone noted that "50's secret weapon is his singing voice - the deceptively amateur-sounding tenor croon that he deploys on almost every chorus".
After The Game's departure, 50 Cent signed singer
Olivia and rap veterans
Mobb Deep to G-Unit Records.
Spider Loc,
M.O.P., and Young Hot Rod later joined the label. 50 Cent expressed interest in working with rappers outside of G-Unit, such as
Lil' Scrappy of
BME,
LL Cool J from
Def Jam,
Mase from
Bad Boy, and
Freeway of
Roc-A-Fella, some of whom he recorded with. In September 2007, he released his third album
Curtis, which was inspired by his life before Get Rich or Die Tryin'. It debuted at number two on the
Billboard 200, selling 691,000 units in the first week.
Non-musical projects
50 Cent has established himself in a wide variety of fields outside music. In November 2003, he signed a five year deal with
Reebok to distribute a G-Unit Sneakers line as part of his
G-Unit Clothing Company. He provided the
voice-over as the
protagonist in the video game,, which was released for
PlayStation 2,
Xbox, and the
PlayStation Portable. Its sequel,, is set for a 2008 release. He worked with
Glacéau to create a Vitamin Water drink called Formula 50. In 2007,
Coca-Cola purchased Glacéau for
US$4.1 billion.
Forbes estimated 50 Cent, who owns a stake in the company, to have earned $100 million after taxes. He launched a body spray called Pure 50 RGX Body Spray and a
condom line called Magic Stick Condoms, in which he planned to donate part of the proceeds to
HIV awareness. He also plans to release a female sex toy line. 50 Cent has signed a multi-year deal with Steiner Sports to sell his memorabilia.
In 2005, 50 Cent made a
cameo appearance on
The Simpsons episode "
Pranksta Rap", in which he makes light of his legal troubles. The same year, he starred alongside
Terrence Howard in the semi-autobiographical film
Get Rich or Die Tryin'. He starred in the 2006 film,
Home of the Brave, as a soldier returning home from the
Iraq War, traumatized after killing an Iraqi woman. 50 Cent is working on a role as a fighter in an
Angola State Prison in
Spectacular Regret alongside
Nicholas Cage, and is set to star opposite
Robert De Niro in 2008's
Righteous Kill, a movie regarding a police death. He also started the film production companies
G-Unit Films in 2007 and Cheetah Vision in 2008. In August 2007, 50 Cent announced plans to launch a dietary supplement company in conjunction with his movie
Spectacular Regret.
Shortly before appearing in
Get Rich or Die Tryin', 50 Cent released a
memoir about his life and how he became successful titled
From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens. On
January 4 2007, he launched his
G-Unit Books imprint at the
Time Warner Building. He also co-wrote
The Ski Mask Way, a novel about a small-time drug dealer who attempts to rob his employers, which is to be turned into a film.
Personal life
On
October 13 1997, 50 Cent's then-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins gave birth to a son, Marquise Jackson. The birth of his son changed his outlook on life, "when my son came into my life, my priorities changed, because I wanted to have the relationship with him, that I didn’t have with my father". He credited his son for inspiring his career and being "motivation to go in a different direction". 50 Cent has a
tattoo of "Marquise" with an axe on his right bicep. "The axe is 'cause I'm a warrior. I don't want him to be one, though",
50 Cent expressed support for President
George W. Bush in 2005 after rapper
Kanye West criticized him for the slow response in assisting the
Hurricane Katrina victims. If his felony convictions didn't prevent him from voting, he claimed he'd have voted for Bush. He later stated that Bush "has less compassion than the average human. By all means, I don’t aspire to be like George Bush". In 2007,
Forbes recognized 50 Cent for his wealth, placing him second behind
Jay-Z in the rap industry. He resides in
Farmington, Connecticut, in the former mansion of ex-
boxer Mike Tyson. He put the mansion for sale at
US$18.5 million to move closer to his son who lives in
Long Island with his ex-girlfriend. On
October 12 2007, the Mayor of
Bridgeport, Connecticut declared it "50 Cent Curtis Jackson Day". He was honored with a key to the city and an official proclamation.
Controversy
Murder Inc.
Before signing with Interscope, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized dispute with rapper
Ja Rule and his label
Murder Inc. Records. The rappers engaged in mixtape "". 50 Cent claimed the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry. In March 2000, while at
The Hit Factory studio in New York, 50 Cent had an altercation with Murder Inc. associates. He was treated for three stitches after receiving a stab wound. Rapper
Black Child claimed responsibility for the stabbing, saying he acted in self-defense because he thought someone reached for a gun.
An
affidavit by an
IRS agent suggested that the label had ties to
Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, a New York
drug lord who was suspected of being involved in the murder of
Jam Master Jay and the shooting of 50 Cent. An excerpt of the affidavit read:
50 Cent spoke negatively about
Bad Boy Entertainment mogul
Sean Combs and recorded a song, "Hip-Hop", revealing the reasons behind his negative feelings: primarily, a contract dispute over
Mase. In the song, he implied that Diddy knew about
The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder and threatened to expose him through former associates. The feud was resolved, with both rappers appearing on
MTV's
TRL and
Sucker Free, respectively, stating that there were no longer problems.
On
February 1 2007,
Cam'ron and 50 Cent had a live argument on
The Angie Martinez Show on
Hot 97 radio. 50 Cent commented that
Koch Entertainment was a "graveyard", meaning
major record labels wouldn't work with their artists. Cam'ron then ridiculed the record sales of
G-Unit members
Lloyd Banks and
Mobb Deep by stating that
Jim Jones outsold their albums despite being signed to an
independent label and that his group,
The Diplomats, had a distribution deal from several labels. 50 Cent responded by releasing "
Hold On" with
Young Buck.
The Game
In early 2005, 50 Cent began a feud with
The Game, whom he was close to before releasing his debut album
The Documentary. After its release, 50 Cent felt The Game was disloyal for saying he didn't want to participate in G-Unit's feuds with other rappers and even wanting to work with artists they were feuding with. He also claimed that he wrote six songs on the album and wasn't receiving proper credit for his work, which The Game denied.
50 Cent later dismissed The Game from G-Unit on Hot 97 radio. After the announcement, The Game, who was a guest earlier in the evening, attempted to enter the building with his entourage. After being denied entry, one of his associates was shot in the leg during a confrontation with a group of men leaving the building. When the situation escalated, both rappers held a press conference to announce their reconciliation. Fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt to boost the sales of the albums they'd just released. Nevertheless, even after the situation deflated, G-Unit criticized The Game's . The group denounced The Game and announced that they won't feature on his albums. During a
Summer Jam performance, The Game launched a
boycott of G-Unit called "G-Unot".
After the Summer Jam performance, The Game released a track, "
300 Bars and Runnin'", which addresses 50 Cent and G-Unit. He continued his attacks in a
Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin' DVD. After numerous songs aimed at G-Unit, 50 Cent responded to The Game's rebuttals on mixtapes. One track, "Not Rich, Still Lyin'", imitates The Game, attacks his credibility, and mentions his feud with his brother, Big Fase 100.
The Game also released mixtape covers parodying the group. After he displayed pictures of G-Unit dressed up as the
Village People, 50 Cent posted a cover of The Game's head on the body of a male
stripper. Although he was signed to Aftermath Entertainment, The Game left the label and signed with
Geffen Records to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit.
Lawsuit
On
July 21 2007, 50 Cent filed a
US$1 million lawsuit against advertising company Traffix Inc. of
Pearl River, New York for using his image in a promotion which he says threatens his safety. He learned about the internet ad after one of his staff members saw it on a
MySpace page. According to court documents, the ad features a cartoon image of the rapper and the message: "shoot the rapper and you'll win $5000 or five ring tones guaranteed". Though the ad didn't use his name, the image allegedly intended to resemble him, suggesting he endorsed the ad. The lawsuit calls it a "vile, tasteless and despicable" use of 50 Cent's image that "quite literally calls for violence against him". The lawsuit also seeks for unspecified
punitive damages and a permanent
injunction against the use of his image without permission.
Discography
Awards
Filmography
Further Information
Get more info on '50 Cent'.
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