Historical Figure
50 Cent
b. 1975
American rapper and actor (born 1975)
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"Get Rich or Die Trying Film Interview" — 2005
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Biography
Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, record executive, and businessman. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, he recorded his debut album, Power of the Dollar, for Columbia Records. During a shooting in May 2000, he was struck by nine bullets, causing its release to be canceled and Jackson to be dropped from the label. His 2002 mixtape Guess Who's Back? was discovered by Detroit rapper Eminem, who signed Jackson to his label Shady Records that year.
Timeline
The story of 50 Cent, told in moments.
The kid from South Jamaica who survived nine bullets built a $40 million empire spanning music, television, liquor, and headphones. His show Power runs eight seasons on Starz.
Born Curtis James Jackson III in South Jamaica, Queens. His mother, Sabrina, is a drug dealer. She is murdered when he is eight.
Starts dealing crack cocaine at age 12, but by 19 he's pivoting. A neighbor named Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC teaches him to count bars and structure songs.
Shot nine times outside his grandmother's house in Queens. One bullet hits his face, piercing his cheek and lodging in his tongue. He spends 13 days in the hospital. The slurred delivery that results becomes his signature sound.
Get Rich or Die Tryin' sells 872,000 copies in its first four days. "In da Club" becomes the most-listened-to song on radio that year. Eminem and Dr. Dre co-produce. He is 27.
Invests in Glaceau, the company behind Vitaminwater. When Coca-Cola buys it for $4.1 billion, his stake nets him roughly $100 million after taxes.
Files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He owes $28.5 million, partly from a sex tape lawsuit. The filing reveals he doesn't actually own many of the luxury items he flaunts on Instagram.
In Their Own Words (20)
I can't believe my grandmother's making me take out the garbage. I'm rich. Fuck this, I'm going home. I don't need this shit.
50cent at Twitter. Twitter. 26 August 2010, 2010
I came from the bottom of the bottom. It's hard for a lot of people to comprehend my story – a lot of people just don't get me because they haven't experienced it. I came from the bottom and I have risen up and I have changed but I have never forgotten.
From his interview with Louis Gannon for Live magazine, The Mail on Sunday (UK) newspaper, 25 October 2009, 2009
Have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire.
2009
The mis-perception is gangster 50. That's the biggest misconception. Because, I can be those things that people – I have a reputation. My past is my shadow, it follows me everywhere I go. Well, all those things come from when I had no other choice. They put my back against the wall. I do what I gotta do. Because hip-hop has no requirements, you deal with people that have the least intelligence on the planet. Some of the people that compare themselves to me, compare themselves to me because they rap and I rap. They can't even read the contracts that they sign to be a rapper, to do the deal.
Intervie 50 Cent. IGN. 6 September 2005, 2005
Sometimes, I sit back and look at life from a different angle. Don't know if I'm God's child, or I'm Satan's angel.
2005
Artifacts (15)
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