50 Cent

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Biography

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent , is an American Rapping|rapper , entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums '' Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)|Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). His album Get Rich or Die Tryin' has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA .

Born in South Jamaica, Queens , Jackson began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s Crack epidemic (United States)|crack epidemic .Campion, Chris (August 21, 2005). . The Observer . Accessed May 22, 2007. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing his album '' Guess Who's Back? '' in 2002, Jackson 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, Jackson became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records , which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck , Lloyd Banks , and Tony Yayo .

Jackson has engaged in feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule , Nas , Fat Joe , Jadakiss , Cam'ron , Puff Daddy , Rick Ross , and former G-Unit members The Game (rapper)|The Game and Young Buck . He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film '' Get Rich or Die Tryin' (film)|Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005, the Iraq War film Home of the Brave (2006 film)|Home of the Brave in 2006, and Righteous Kill in 2008. 50 Cent was ranked as the sixth best artist of the 2000s by Billboard magazine. The magazine also ranked him as the fourth top male artist and as the third top rapper behind Eminem and Nelly . Billboard magazine also ranked him as the sixth best and most successful Hot 100 Artist of the 2000s and as the number one rap artist of the 2000s. Billboard ranked his album Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)|Get Rich or Die Tryin' as the twelfth best album of the 2000s and his album The Massacre as the 37th best album of the 2000s. As of September 2011, 50 Cent is working on his yet-to-be-titled fifth studio album, which is set to be released in December 2011.

Early life

Curtis 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, who gave birth to him at the age of fifteen.

Sabrina, a cocaine dealer, raised Jackson until the age of twelve, when she was killed in 1988. Twenty-seven at the time, she became unconscious after someone Date rape drug|drugged her drink. She was then left for dead after the gas in her apartment was turned on and the windows shut closed. Touré (April 3, 2003). . Rolling Stone . Accessed May 22, 2007. Samuels, Allison (February 21, 2007). . MSNBC. Accessed May 22, 2007.

After her death, Jackson moved into his grandparents' house with his eight aunts and uncles.Otto, Jeff (September 6, 2005). . IGN. Accessed May 22, 2007.Reid, Shaheem (November 7, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 22, 2007. 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".Reid, Shaheem (February 12, 2003). . MTV. Accessed May 22, 2007.

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.Weiner, Jonah (August 2007). Blender . Retrieved September 30, 2007. In the mid 1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics as an amateur boxing|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".Reid, Shaheem (February 25, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 22, 2007. At the age of twelve, Jackson began dealing narcotic s when his grandparents thought he was at after-school programs.. Female First (February 1, 2006). Accessed May 21, 2008. He also took guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by metal detector s at Andrew Jackson High School (Queens, New York)|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 , 'I sell drugs.'"

Following time spent in a boot camp (correctional)|correctional boot camp , Jackson adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a metaphor for "change".. AOL Music (August 1, 2003). Accessed May 22, 2007. 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".Boots, Tone (August 3, 2005). . Stuff . Accessed May 22, 2007.

Music career

1996–2000: Early career

Jackson started rapping in a friend's basement where he used Phonograph|turntables to record over instrumentals."La Méthode Cauet" (2006). TF1. 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 bar (music)|bars , write Refrain|choruses , structure songs, and how to make a record.Youngs, Ian (December 23, 2002). . BBC News. Retrieved August 16, 2007.Tarek, Shams (May 16, 2003). . Queens Press . Accessed May 22, 2007. Jackson's first official appearance was on a song titled " React (song)|React " with the group Onyx (band)|Onyx on their 1998 album '' Shut 'Em Down ''. He credited Jam Master Jay as an influence who helped him improve his ability to write hook (music)|hooks . Jay produced Jackson's first album; however, it was never released.

In 1999, after leaving Jam Master Jay, the platinum-selling producers Trackmasters took notice of Jackson and signed him to Columbia Records . They sent him to a studio in Upstate New York where he produced thirty-six songs in two weeks. Eighteen were included on his unofficially released album, Power of the Dollar in 2000.. 50cent.com. Accessed May 22, 2007. He also started the now-defunct Hollow Point Entertainment with former G-Unit affiliate Bang 'Em Smurf.Chery, Carl (May 18, 2004). . SOHH. Retrieved June 5, 2007. Williams, Houston (February 2004). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007.

Jackson'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.50 Cent. . MTV. Accessed May 22, 2007. The track comically explains how he would 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". Rappers Jay-Z , Kurupt , Sticky Fingaz , Big Pun , DMX (rapper)|DMX , Wyclef Jean and the Wu-Tang Clan replied to the song and Nas , who received the track positively, invited Jackson to travel on a promotional tour for his Nastradamus album. The song was intended to be released with " Thug Love (song)|Thug Love " featuring Destiny's Child , but two days before he was scheduled to film the "Thug Love" music video, Jackson was shot and confined to a hospital due to his injuries.Ninja (December 2002). . Dubcnn. Accessed May 22, 2007.

2000–01: Shooting

On May 24, 2000, Jackson was attacked by a gunman, alleged to be Darryl "Hommo" Baum, 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. Upon returning to the back seat of the car and already seated, another car pulled up nearby. An assailant then walked up to Jackson's left side with a 9& nbsp;mm caliber|9mm handgun and fired nine shots at close range. He was shot nine times: in the hand (a round hit his right thumb, to where the bullet passed through and out his little finger ), arm, hip, both legs, chest, and his face (his left cheek).Tyrangirl, Josh (February 17, 2003). . Time . Accessed May 22, 2007. The face wound resulted in a swollen tongue, the loss of a wisdom tooth, and a small slur in his voice.''Get Rich or Die Tryin': The Movie (2003) (bonus documentary DVD). Interscope Records. His friend also sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. They were driven to the hospital where Jackson spent thirteen days.

Baum, the alleged shooter, was killed three weeks later.Chery, Carl (October 24, 2005). . SOHH. Accessed May 22, 2007.

Baum was also Mike Tyson 's close friend and bodyguard.

Jackson 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 @#!*% , somebody shot me in the face& #33; It burns, burns, burns.'" In his autobiography, From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens , he wrote, "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life... How much more damage could that shell have done? Give me an inch in this direction or that one, and I'm gone". He used a walker (tool)|walker for the first six weeks and fully recovered after five months. When he left the hospital, he stayed in the Poconos with his then-girlfriend and son. His workout regime helped him attain his muscular physique.Jenkins, Sacha (July 9, 2007). . XXL . Retrieved July 31, 2007.

While in the hospital, Jackson signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records . However, he was dropped from the label and "blacklisted" in the recording industry because of his song " Ghetto Qu'ran ".

Unable to find a studio to work with in the U.S, he traveled to Canada.Mace, Francis (September 6, 2005). . The Smoking Gun. Accessed May 22, 2007.Weiner, Jonah (April 2005). . Blender . Accessed May 22, 2007. Along with his business partner Sha Money XL , he recorded over thirty songs for mixtapes, with the purpose of building a reputation.

According to Shady Records A& R Marc Labelle in an interview with HitQuarters , Jackson shrewdly used the mixtape circuit to his own advantage saying, "He took all the hottest beats from every artist and flipped them with better hooks. They then got into all the markets on the mixtapes and all the mixtape DJs were messing with them." Jackson's popularity rose and in 2002, he released material independently on the mixtape, '' Guess Who's Back? . Beginning to attract interest, and now backed by G-Unit , Jackson continued to release music including 50 Cent Is the Future . The mixtape revisited material by Jay-Z and Raphael Saadiq .

2002–2009: Rise to fame

In 2002, Eminem listened to a copy of Jackson's '' Guess Who's Back? '' CD. He received the CD through Jackson's attorney, who was working with Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg (Music Manager)|Paul Rosenberg . Impressed with the album, Eminem invited Jackson to fly to Los Angeles, where he was introduced to Dr. Dre . After signing a $1& nbsp;million record deal, Jackson released the mixtape, No Mercy, No Fear . It featured one new track, " Wanksta ", which was put on Eminem's 8& nbsp;Mile (soundtrack)|8 Mile soundtrack. He was also signed to Chris Lighty's Violator Management and Sha Money XL 's Money Management Group.

In February 2003, Jackson released his commercial debut album, '' Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)|Get Rich or Die Tryin' ''. Allmusic described it as "probably the most hyped debut album by a rap artist in about a decade".Birchmeier, Jason. . Allmusic. Accessed May 22, 2007. Rolling Stone noted the album for its "dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce" with Jackson complementing the production in "an unflappable, laid-back flow".Hoard, Christian (March 6, 2003). . Rolling Stone . Accessed May 22, 2007.

It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 , selling 872,000 copies in the first four days.Gundersen, Edna (September 3, 2005). . USA Today . Accessed May 22, 2007. The lead single, " In da Club ", which The Source (magazine)|The Source noted for its "blaring horns, funky organs, guitar riffs and sparse hand claps",Rosario, Boo (March 2003). "Record Report". The Source , p. 192. broke a Billboard record as the most listened-to song in radio history within a week.. Rock on the Net. Accessed May 22, 2007.

Interscope granted Jackson his own label, G-Unit Records in 2003.Winston, Dallas (April 9, 2003). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. He signed Lloyd Banks , Tony Yayo , and Young Buck as the established members of G-Unit . The Game (rapper)|The Game was later signed under a joint venture with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment .

In March 2005, Jackson's second commercial album, The Massacre , sold 1.14& nbsp;million copies in the first four days-the highest in an abbreviated sales cycle- and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 for six weeks.Whitmire, Margo (April 15, 2005). . Billboard . Retrieved June 13, 2007.

He became the first solo artist to have three singles on the Billboard top five in the same week with " Candy Shop ", " Disco Inferno (50 Cent song)|Disco Inferno ", and " How We Do (song)|How We Do ".Montgomery, James (March 9, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 22, 2007. Rolling Stone noted that "50's secret weapon is his singing voice& nbsp;- the deceptively amateur-sounding tenor croon that he deploys on almost every chorus".Brackett, Nathan (March 10, 2005). . Rolling Stone . Accessed May 22, 2007.

After The Game's departure, Jackson signed singer Olivia (singer)|Olivia and rap veterans Mobb Deep to G-Unit Records. Spider Loc , M.O.P. , 40 Glocc and Young Hot Rod later joined the label.Reid, Shaheem (September 2, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 31, 2007.Chery, Carl (May 27, 2005). . SOHH. Retrieved June 22, 2007. Jackson expressed interest in working with rappers outside of G-Unit, such as Lil' Scrappy of BME Recordings|BME , LL Cool J from Def Jam , Mase from Bad Boy Records|Bad Boy , and Freeway (rapper)|Freeway of Roc-A-Fella , some of whom he recorded with.Black, Bea (February 8, 2006). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 22, 2007. In September 2007, he released his third album Curtis (50 Cent album)|Curtis , which was inspired by his life before Get Rich or Die Tryin '.Reid, Shaheem (April 27, 2007). . MTV. Retrieved October 4, 2007. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 691,000 units in the first week,Mayfield, Geoff (September 18, 2007). . Billboard . Retrieved October 4, 2007. behind Kanye West 's Graduation (album)|Graduation , whom he had a sales competition with, as both albums were released on the same day.

He confirmed on Total Request Live|TRL on September 10, 2008 that his fourth studio album, Before I Self Destruct , will be "done and released in November".

On May 18, 2009, Jackson released a song entitled " Ok, You're Right ". The song was produced by Dr. Dre and was included in Before I Self Destruct .

In Fall 2009, 50 Cent appeared in the new season of VH1 's Behind The Music .

On September 3, 2009 months upon the release of his "Before I Self Destruct" album 50 Cent posted a video for the Soundkillers' Phoenix produced track "Flight 187" which introduced his mixtape, the 50th LAW, and was also featured as a bonus track on his iTunes release of Before I Self Destruct . The song ignited speculation that there was tension between rapper 50 Cent and Jay Z for Jackson's comments in the song.

2010 – present

In an interview with the British entertainment website ContactMusic, 50 Cent announced that he was working on a dance album named Black Magic (50 Cent album)|Black Magic . 50 Cent said he was inspired by the European nightclubs. "First they played hip-hop which suddenly changed to uptempo songs, known as Eurodance ". He went on The Invitation Tour in the summer of 2010, in support of Before I Self Destruct album, and the then shelved Black Magic album. He "recorded 20 songs to a whole different album concept" before he put those to the side and did something different.

50 Cent revealed that he wanted his new album to have the same "aggression" as his debut record, Get Rich or Die Tryin .

He later tweeted that the album was "80 percent done", and stated that fans can expect the album in the summer of 2011; however, the album has been delayed to 2012 at the earliest, due to tensions and disagreements at Interscope Records, Later 50 Cent said that he will release his album in November 2011 and it has also been confirmed that "Black Magic" will not be the album's title. 50 Cent has already confirmed that Eminem will appear on the album, but he also confirmed that he has been working with new producers such as Boi-1da and Alex da Kid. Cardiak, who produced Lloyd Banks' “Start It Up”, also confirmed that he had produced a song for the upcoming album.

DJ Whoo Kid confirmed in an interview that 50 Cent was filming a new movie with Robert DeNiro in New Orleans.

50 Cent released the first song from his fifth studio album, titled " Outlaw (50 Cent song)|Outlaw ", to the Internet on June 16, 2011.

The single was produced by Cardiak.

It was released to iTunes on July 19, 2011, although 50 Cent confirmed through his Twitter account that the song was not the album's first single.

50 Cent is set to release a book titled Playground .

Unlike his previous literary efforts — which focus on his life story and the rules of power — this time he's aiming at a teen audience with a semi-autobiographical novel about bullying. According to a statement from the book's publisher, the first-person novel is slated for release in January 2012 and will tell the story of a 13-year-old schoolyard bully "who finds redemption as he faces what he's done."

50 Cent has promised to deliver his fifth studio album album over the past few years, but the LP may be delayed until 2012. In a series of tweets, 50 Cent explained that him and his label Interscope Records aren’t on the same page on how to roll out the album and that he’s delaying its release until they see eye to eye.

50 Cent later suggested that his album will be releasing in November 2011, along with his headphone line SMS by 50 .

50 Cent spoke to MTV in relation to the possibility of leaving Interscope Records. "I don't know," 50 told MTV News when asked if he would ink back with Interscope once his five-album deal was fulfilled. "It will all be clear in the negotiations following me turning this actual album in. And, of course, the performance and how they actually treat the work will determine whether you still want to stay in that position or not."

On June 20, 2011, 50 Cent announced that he will release an LP titled Before I Self Destruct II . The announced sequel to his 2009 LP is suggested to be released after his fifth studio album.

On June 26, 2011, 50 Cent planned to shoot a music video for the lead single from his fifth studio album titled ''I'm On It .. Hiphop-n-more.com (2011-07-29). Retrieved on October 25, 2011. However, the music video never surfaced.. Hiphop-n-more.com (2011-08-24). Retrieved on October 25, 2011.

50 Cent spoke to Shade45 in relation guest appearances for his fifth studio album. "I did four songs in Detroit with Eminem. I did two with Just Blaze, a Boi-1da joint, and I did something with Alex da Kid. We made two that are definite singles and the other two are the kinds of records that we been making, more aimed at my core audience, more aggressive, more of a different kind of energy to it."

In September 2011, 50 Cent released a song titled "Street King Energy Track #7" in attempt to promote his charitable energy drink Street King .. Aftermathmusic.com (2011-09-23). Retrieved on October 25, 2011.

On September 28, 2011, it was confirmed that 50 Cent is shooting a music video for his lead single from his fifth studio album titled "Girls Go Wild", which features Jeremih.. Hiphop-n-more.com (2011-09-28). Retrieved on October 25, 2011.. Video Static (2011-09-28). Retrieved on October 25, 2011.

On October 26, 2011, 50 Cent announced that his fifth studio album will be released in December 2011. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.17378/title.50-cent-says-his-new-album-will-release-in-december

Other ventures

Jackson has established himself in a variety of fields. 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 .. Reebok (November 13, 2003). Accessed May 22, 2007. Leeds, Jeff (December 26, 2004). . The New York Times . Retrieved June 9, 2007. He provided the voice-over as the protagonist in the video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof , which was released for PlayStation 2 , Xbox , and the PlayStation Portable .

Its sequel, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand , was released in early 2009.Totilo, Stephen (March 26, 2008). . MTV. Retrieved March 27, 2008. He worked with Glacéau to create a vitamin water drink called Formula 50. In 2007, Coca-Cola purchased Glacéau for US$4.1& nbsp;billion. Forbes estimated Jackson, who owns a stake in the company, earned $100& nbsp;million from the deal after taxes.Goldman, Lea (September 30, 2007). . Forbes . Retrieved September 30, 2007. He has teamed up with Right Guard to launch a body spray called Pure 50 RGX Body Spray and a condom line called Magic Stick Condoms,. Kyte (January 10, 2008). Retrieved January 13, 2008. in which he planned to donate part of the proceeds to HIV awareness.Mirchandani, Raakhee (January 5, 2007). . New York Post . Accessed May 22, 2007.

Jackson has signed a multi-year deal with Steiner Sports to sell his memorabilia.Black Widow (May 4, 2008). . SixShot. Retrieved July 15, 2008.

In 2005, Jackson 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' (film)|Get Rich or Die Tryin' . He starred in the 2006 film Home of the Brave (2006 film)|Home of the Brave , as a soldier returning home from the Iraq War , traumatized after killing an Iraqi woman.Topel, Fred (December 12, 2006). . Crave Online. Accessed May 22, 2007.

Jackson is working on a role as a fighter in an Angola State Prison in Spectacular Regret alongside Nicolas Cage , and starred opposite Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in 2008's Righteous Kill , a movie regarding a police death.Brevet, Brad (December 11, 2006). . Rope of Silicon. Accessed May 22, 2007.

He also started the film production companies G-Unit Films in 2007 and Cheetah Vision in 2008.Rock Steady Eddy (January 22, 2008). . Woohah. Retrieved February 18, 2008. . MTV (March 23, 2007). Accessed May 22, 2007.

In August 2007, Jackson announced plans to launch a dietary supplement company in conjunction with his movie Spectacular Regret .Jokesta (August 21, 2007). . Def Sounds. Retrieved August 21, 2007.

In August 2005, shortly before appearing in Get Rich or Die Tryin ', Jackson published an autobiography entitled From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens . In it, Jackson explores the cultural and economic forces that led him to sell cocaine and crack, details his entrepreneurship as a drug-dealer and then as a rapper, and reflects on his own ethos and on society.

On January 4, 2007, Jackson launched his G-Unit Books imprint at the Time Warner Building .Strong, Nolan (January 2, 2007). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. 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. Jackson said he read Robert Greene (author)|Robert Greene 's The 33 Strategies of War and worked with the author on a book titled The 50th Law , an urban take on The 48 Laws of Power .Richburg, Chris (February 6, 2007). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. In May 2008, Jackson met billionaire Patrice Motsepe to forge a joint venture selling 50 Cent-branded platinum.

In 2008, Jackson started a reality television show on MTV titled 50 Cent: The Money and the Power ; the winning contestant, Ryan Mayberry, won a $100,000 investment from Jackson.

On September 8, 2009, he published his book The 50th Law .

In 2010, Jackson's film company Cheetah Vision landed $200& nbsp;million in funding.

In July 2011, 50 Cent revealed his initiative to provide food for millions of people in Africa by 2016. 50 Cent teamed up with Pure Growth Partners to launch a charitable energy drink called Street King that will help aid in combating world hunger. For every purchase of Street King, a portion of the sales will go to providing a daily meal to an underprivileged child around the world. The partnership coincides with Fiddy’s mission statement of feeding a billion people in Africa over the next five years.

“50 Cent and I share a common vision: To address the world’s problems through smart and sustainable business models,” said Chris Clark, the founder and CEO of Pure Growth Partners. “With the rampant starvation in Africa and hunger afflicting children worldwide, we need socially responsible businesses that affect real change now more than ever.”

50 concurs, stating, “I’m inspired by Clarke’s vision and innovative approaches to tackling serious issues. It’s our mission with Street King to really change children’s lives around the world.”. Popcrush.com (2011-08-15). Retrieved on October 25, 2011.Langhorne, Cyrus. (2011-08-13) . Sohh.Com. Retrieved on October 25, 2011.

Jackson founded SMS Audio, selling headphones with the name Street by 50. He has pledged to donate a portion of the sales to charity.

Personal life

Jackson has a tattoo of "Marquise" with an axe on his right biceps. "The axe is 'cause I'm a warrior. I don't want him to be one, though," he explains. He also has "50", "Southside", and "Cold World" inscribed on his back because "I'm a product of that environment. It's on my back, though, so it's all behind me."

Family

On October 13, 1997, Jackson's then-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins gave birth to a son, Marquise Jackson.B96jobo (September 6, 2007). . YouTube. Retrieved September 9, 2007.

The birth of his son changed Jackson's 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."Williams, Kam. . AALBC. Accessed May 22, 2007. He credited his son for inspiring his career and being "motivation to go in a different direction".. I Like Music (2005). Accessed May 22, 2007.

Politics

In 2005, Jackson expressed support for President George Walker Bush after rapper Kanye West criticized him for the slow response in assisting the Hurricane Katrina victims.Lynskey, Dorian (January 20, 2006). . The Guardian . Accessed May 22, 2007.

If his felony convictions did not prevent him from voting, he claimed he would have voted for Bush.. MTV (November 23, 2005). Accessed May 22, 2007.

He later stated that Bush "has less compassion than the average human. By all means, I don't aspire to be like George Bush."Williams, Ben (July 23, 2007). . New York . Retrieved August 1, 2007.

Wealth

In 2007, Jackson was the second wealthiest performer in the rap industry, behind Jay-Z .Goldman, Lea (August 16, 2007). . Forbes . Retrieved August 20, 2007. He resides in Farmington, Connecticut , in the former mansion of ex- boxing|boxer Mike Tyson .Bernard, Sarah (August 22, 2005). . New York . Accessed May 22, 2007.

He put the mansion for sale at $18.5& nbsp;million to move closer to his son who lives in Long Island with his ex-girlfriend.Keil, Braden (May 4, 2007). . New York Post . Accessed May 27, 2007. On October 12, 2007, the Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut|Bridgeport , Connecticut declared it "50 Cent Curtis Jackson Day". He was honored with a key to the city and an official proclamation.. MTV (October 16, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2007.

One of his homes in New York purchased for 2.4& nbsp;million dollars in January 2007 and at the center of a lawsuit between Jackson and ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins caught fire on May 30, 2008 while he was out of town filming for a movie in Louisiana.Chicago Tribune (May 31, 2008). . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved June 13, 2007.

In December 2008 Jackson told the Canadian press that he had been affected by the Financial crisis of 2007-2010|recession , losing several million dollars in the stock market as an investor. He also went on to say that he had been unable to sell his Connecticut mansion and pushed Before I Self-Destruct back because of the recent economic downturn.. HipHopDX.com . Retrieved December 1, 2008.

Legal issues

On June 29, 1994, Jackson was arrested for helping to sell four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was arrested again three weeks later when police searched his home and found heroin, ten ounces of crack cocaine, and a starter gun.

He was sentenced to three to nine years in prison, but managed to serve six months in a shock incarceration boot camp (correctional)|boot camp where he earned his GED . Jackson said that he did not use cocaine himself, he only sold it.. The Smoking Gun (February 27, 2003). Accessed May 22, 2007.Dave (November 2, 2003). . Rap News Network. Accessed May 22, 2007.

His ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins sued Jackson for $50& nbsp;million, claiming that he said that he would take care of her for life; the suit, which includes 15 claims was later dismissed by a judge, calling it "an unfortunate tale of a love relationship gone sour." Yahoo News, February 5, 2009.

50 Cent was sentenced to two years probation on July 22, 2005 from an incident in May 2004 when 50 Cent jumped into the audience after being hit with a water bottle. He was charged with three counts of assault and battery.

Lawsuits

On July 21, 2007, Jackson filed a $1& nbsp;million lawsuit against advertising company Traffix Inc. of Pearl River, New York|Pearl River , New York for using his image in a promotion which he claims threatens his safety.

He became aware of 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 will win $5000 or five ring tones guaranteed".

Though the ad did not 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 seeks for unspecified punitive damages and a permanent injunction against the use of his image without permission.. CBC (July 21, 2007). Retrieved July 23, 2007.. Fox News (July 20, 2007). Retrieved July 27, 2007.

In November 2009, 50 Cent won in a lawsuit against Taco Bell over the fast food chain using his name to promote the brand without his permission.

Feuds

How to Rob

50 Cent said that he intended the How to Rob|single to be a joke, and not meant to disrespect anybody. Nevertheless, a number of rappers mentioned on the song responded on record.

The comments made towards the Wu-Tang Clan were responded to on the Ghostface Killah album Supreme Clientele on a track called "Ghost Deini" and even more directly on a Hip hop skit|skit called "Clyde Smith" which included one of the Wu-Tang Clan members talking about how they intended to harm the rapper, which is identifiable as Raekwon when the track is sped up. A supposed diss song , "Who the @#!*% Is 50 Cent", which circulated the web in the beginning of 2001 was rumored to be by the Clan, but was proven to be recorded by Polite of American Cream Team (Raekwon's then-side project).

Jay-Z also reacted to the comments in the track called "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)", off the album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter :

"Go against Jigga yo' @#!*% is dense

I'm about a dollar, what the @#!*% is 50 Cents? "

Sticky Fingaz responded to the diss with the track "Jackin' for Beats."

"The real 50 from Brooklyn god bless he got outed

You just a fake clown who front and rout about it."

Big Pun responds to this track on his album Yeeeah Baby , in the song "My Turn."

"And to the 50 Cent Rapper, very funny – get your nut off, 'cuz in real life, we all know I'd blow your @#!*% head off...If I'm gonna write a song, it'll be about how I had to beat your @#!*% ' @#!*% . And that'll be the name of the @#!*% : 'That's Why I Had To Beat Your @#!*% @#!*% ', featuring Tony Sunshine."

Kurupt responded on the diss track "Callin' Out Names."

"Now it's 50 mc's that ain't worth @#!*%

Get ya @#!*% kicked 50 times, beat to 10 cent"

Wyclef Jean responded on the song "Low Income", from his 2000 album, The Ecleftic .

"I stay so hungry that if 50 Cent came to rob me

he'd be part of my charity."

The Inc.

Before signing with Interscope, Jackson engaged in a well-publicized dispute with rapper Ja Rule and his label The Inc. Records|The Inc. . Jackson claims that a friend robbed Ja Rule of his jewelry and that Ja Rule accused him of setting it up.Tannenbaum, Rob (April 2004). "Playboy Interview: 50 Cent". Playboy , p. 140. However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because Jackson did not like seeing him "getting so much love" from the neighborhood.. MTV (November 3, 2003). Retrieved June 4, 2007. In March 2000, while at The Hit Factory studio in New York, Jackson had an altercation with Murder Inc. associates. He was treated for three stitches after receiving a stab wound.Smith, Dominic (July 2005). . FHM . Retrieved July 11, 2007. Rapper Black Child claimed responsibility for the stabbing, saying he acted in self-defense because he thought someone reached for a gun.Reid, Shaheem (April 25, 2003). . MTV. Retrieved June 5, 2007.

An affidavit by an IRS agent suggested that Murder Inc. 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 Jackson. An excerpt of the affidavit read:

In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule acknowledged his defeat against 50 Cent and stated that his new album, The Mirror, will not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:
There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn't want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I'm not bitter about anything that happened .

Fat Joe, Nas & Jadakiss

Before releasing The Massacre , Jackson recorded a song " Piggy Bank (song)|Piggy Bank ", a response to Ja Rule 's song " New York (Ja Rule song)|New York ", which was leaked before the album's release. The song takes aim at rappers including Fat Joe , Nas , and Jadakiss .Reid, Shaheem (February 22, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 23, 2007. Fat Joe responded with a song, "My Fofo", accusing Jackson of taking steroid s, hiding in his home, and being jealous of The Game (rapper)|The Game . Jadakiss also responded with a song, "Checkmate", and said that Jackson was trying to "create a buzz for his new album".Reid, Shaheem (March 10, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 23, 2007. The "Piggy Bank" music video portrays animated caricature s of Jadakiss (as a Ninja turtle ), Fat Joe (as King Hippo from '' Mike Tyson's Punch-Out ''), Nas (as a kid chasing a " Milkshake (song)|milkshake " truck in a Superman costume), and The Game (as Mr. Potato Head ). He also disses all of them on the beef version of his single " Window Shopper "Reid, Shaheem (August 4, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 23, 2007. Kelis , Nas 's then-wife, responded to the song on her single " Bossy (Kelis song)|Bossy ". Nas later responded with "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)." Nas later dissed 50 on the song "Street Ridaz" on Game (rapper)|Game's mixtape "Brake Lights".

Sean Combs

Jackson 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.Reid, Shaheem (September 6, 2005). . MTV. Retrieved June 4, 2007. The feud was resolved, with both rappers appearing on MTV's Total Request Live|TRL and Sucker Free , respectively, stating that there were no longer problems.Strong, Nolan; Jeffries, Alexis (September 7, 2006). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. The feud reignited in 2010 with 50 Cent dissing Diddy, saying his music "sucks".

Cam'ron

On February 1, 2007, Cam'ron and Jackson had a live argument on The Angie Martinez Show on WQHT|Hot 97 radio. Jackson commented that Koch Entertainment was a "graveyard", meaning major record labels would not work with their artists.Sanneh, Kelefa (February 27, 2007). . The New York Times . Accessed May 22, 2007. Cam'ron then ridiculed the record sales of G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Mobb Deep by stating that Jim Jones (rapper)|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. Both rappers released "diss" songs with videos on YouTube. Jackson suggested in "Funeral Music" that Cam'ron is no longer able to lead The Diplomats and that Jim Jones should take his place. Cam'ron responded with "Curtis" and "Curtis Pt. II", in which he makes fun of Jackson's appearance, calling him "a gorilla, with rabbit teeth".Petipas, Jolene (February 9, 2007). . SOHH. Accessed May 25, 2007. Jackson responded by releasing " Hold On (Young Buck song)|Hold On " with Young Buck .

Game

Although he was close with The Game (rapper)|The Game , before The Game released his debut album The Documentary , they soon became at odds. After its release, Jackson felt The Game was disloyal for saying he did not 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 was not receiving proper credit for his work, which The Game denied.Reid, Shaheem (March 1, 2005). . MTV. Accessed May 25, 2007.

Jackson 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.Reid, Shaheem (February 28, 2005). . MTV. Retrieved June 2, 2007.Hope, Clover (March 2, 2005). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. When the situation escalated, both rappers held a press conference to announce their reconciliation.Fresh, Remmie (March 9, 2005). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. Fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt to boost the sales of the albums they had just released.Rodriguez, Jayson (March 1, 2005). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. Nevertheless, even after the situation deflated,Williams, Houston (May 9, 2005). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007. G-Unit criticized The Game's wikt:street credibility|street credibility . The group denounced The Game and announced that they will not be featured on his albums. During a Summer Jam performance, The Game launched a boycott of G-Unit called "G-Unot".Rodriguez, Jason (June 6, 2005). . AllHipHop. Retrieved July 20, 2007.

After the performance at Summer Jam, The Game responded with "300 Bars and Runnin'", an extended "diss" aimed at G-Unit as well as members of Roc-A-Fella Records on the mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 3 . Jackson responded through his " Piggy Bank (song)|Piggy Bank " music video, which features The Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll and also parodies other rivals. Since then both groups continued to attack each other. The Game released two more mixtapes, Ghost Unit and a mixtape/DVD called Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin .

Jackson posted a cover of The Game's head on the body of a male stripper for "Hate It or Love It (G-Unit Radio Part 21)" mixtape, as a response to The Game displaying pictures of G-Unit dressed as Village People .Reid, Shaheem (July 10, 2006). . MTV. Retrieved June 15, 2007. 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 (although others claim Jackson pressured Dr. Dre to kick him off).Petipas, Jolene (August 1, 2006). . SOHH. Retrieved June 9, 2007. G-Unit member Spider Loc had also began to insult The Game on various songs. In addition, The Game released "240 Bars (Spider Joke)" and "100 Bars (The Funeral)" both attacking G-Unit, Spider Loc and others. Jackson's response was "Not Rich, Still Lyin'" where he mocks The Game.Chery, Carl (February 3, 2006). , SOHH. Retrieved July 23, 2007. Lloyd Banks replied to the Game on a Rap City (TV series)|Rap City freestyle booth session. The Game quickly released a "diss" record called "SoundScan" where The Game pokes fun at Lloyd Banks' album Rotten Apple falling thirteen spots on the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 chart and disappointing second week sales. Lloyd Banks replied on his mixtape ''Mo' Money In The Bank Pt. 5: Gang Green Season Continues'' with a song called "Showtime (The Game's Over)". Lloyd Banks states that Jackson wrote half of The Game's first album The Documentary and pokes fun at The Game's suicidal thoughts.

In October 2006, The Game extended a peace treaty to Jackson, which was not immediately replied to.Fresh, Remmie (September 30, 2006). , Allhiphop. Retrieved June 23, 2007. However, a couple days later, on Power 106 , he stated that the treaty was only offered for one day.Audio of the conversation on Power 106 URL . The Black Wall Street. Retrieved October 11, 2006. On The Game's album, ''Doctor's Advocate , he claims that the feud is over on a few of the songs.

In July 2009, The Game stated the beef was squashed with help from Michael Jackson and Sean Combs|Diddy , Hip-Hop DX. and he apologized for his actions during the beef. Hip-Hop DX. Tony Yayo said that neither Jackson (50 Cent) or G-Unit would accept his apology. MTV News. Since then, The Game continued his old "G-Unot" ways at live concerts. Jackson released "So Disrespectful" a diss song on Before I Self Destruct targeting Jay-Z, The Game and Young Buck . All Hip-Hop. Game later responded with the song "Shake", poking fun of the music video for 50's single "Candy Shop", quote, "Me and 50 aint agreeing on @#!*% so I had to (Shake)
Aint no telling what he putting in that protein (Shake)
Seen the candy shop video look at this @#!*% (Shake)
And thats the same @#!*% that made the @#!*% Young Buck (Shake)". He also takes shots at Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo , in which he says, "I'm surprised that Lloyd Banks and Yayo didn't (Shake)
Wasn't selling no records Jimmy Iovine said (Shake)". Game also dissed G-Unit several times on the song "400 Bars".

In September 2011, 50 Cent dissed Game on the song "Love, Hate, Love", in which Game responded to on his twitter, saying he was going to diss him back after his tour was finished, quote:
quote|

Rick Ross

In January 2009, Rick Ross started a feud with 50 Cent because he supposedly looked at him the wrong way at the Black Entertainment Television|BET Awards. However, Jackson told news sources that he did not even remember seeing Rick Ross there. In late January, a track entitled " Mafia Music " by Rick Ross, leaked onto the Internet. There were several lines that seem to diss Jackson. Days later, Jackson released "Officer Ricky (Go Head, Try Me)" in response to Rick Ross's disparaging remarks on his "Mafia Music" song. The next day Rick Ross appeared on Shade 45 , and told Jackson to come up with something better in 24 hours.

Before going to Venezuela , Jackson uploaded a video entitled "Warning Shot", where he warns Rick Ross: ''"I'ma @#!*% your life up for fun"''. In addition, Jackson released the first of a series of "Officer Ricky" cartoons. Early February, Jackson once again made a video which he uploaded to YouTube where he interviews "Tia", the mother of one of Rick Ross's children. She verifies his being a correctional officer and claims his whole persona is fake and fraudulent.. HipHopDX.com . Retrieved February 2, 2008. On Thursday, February 5, 2009, The Game (rapper)|The Game , who Jackson has a long-standing "beef" with, called up Seattle's KUBE 93 Radio Station. When asked about the beef between Jackson and Rick Ross, The Game sided with Jackson and said that things are not looking good for Rick Ross. However, he offered to help Rick Ross get out of this situation, stating "Rick Ross, holla at your boy, man," and "50 eating you , boy."

On his album Deeper Than Rap , Ross references Jackson in the song "In Cold Blood". A video for the song was released that portrayed Jackson's mock funeral. Upon release, Ross stated that he has ended Jackson's career.

In an interview, Jackson said: "Rick Ross is Albert From CB4 . You ever seen the movie? He's Albert," he added. "It never gets worse than this. You get a guy that was a correctional officer come out and base his entire career on writing material from a drug dealer's perspective such as Ricky Ross (drug trafficker)|"Freeway" Ricky Ross ."

Lil Wayne

After hearing word that Lil Wayne had prepared a song for him after 50 made some unkind remarks, 50 lashed out at Wayne first on August 17, 2007 with the song "Part Time Lover".. HipHopDX.com . Retrieved August 17, 2007. Wayne never really responded to the song, although a 50 Cent diss track called "Louisianimal" did leak much later on November 17, 2008.. HipHopDX.com . Retrieved November 27, 2008. Jackson responded to Lil Wayne in January 2009 in a song entitled "Play This On The Radio". As of August 14, 2009, the controversy between Jackson and Lil Wayne seems to have ended after Jackson appeared and performed at Lil Wayne's America's Most Wanted Musical Festival stop in Anaheim, California.

Young Buck

After numerous rumors of a "beef" within G-Unit , Jackson officially dismissed Young Buck from the group, in 2008. He later assured that he was still signed with the label.Aliya Ewing (April 7, 2008) HipHopDX. Retrieved January 19, 2009. Numerous slander songs then arose on the internet from both camps, with Young Buck appearing in a music video of former rival The Game (rapper)|The Game .(July 25, 2008) . Retrieved January 19, 2009. MTV. Retrieved August 16, 2008. Jackson then leaked a taped phone conversation between himself and Young Buck, which showed one of the true reasons for the falling out; Jackson was owed money by the Southern rapper. Young Buck later stated the conversation took place over a year before the leak.Black Widow (June 19, 2008) SixShot. Retrieved January 19, 2009. The two camps have since released a multitude of songs against each other, with the feud settling down by 2009, with Young Buck stating he's been working on his latest album, which is still to be released under the G-Unit label.Shaheem Reid (October 21, 2008) MTV.com Accessed January 19, 2009.

Discography

'' Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)|Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)

The Massacre (2005)

Curtis (50 Cent album)|Curtis (2007)

Before I Self Destruct (2009)

'' 50 Cent's fifth studio album|Fifth studio album (2012) http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677623/50-cent-albums.jhtml http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2012/01/50-cent-plans-on-releasing-two-albums-this-year/

Sixth studio album (2012) http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677623/50-cent-albums.jhtml http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2012/01/50-cent-plans-on-releasing-two-albums-this-year/

Before I Self Destruct II (TBA)

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2003	50 Cent: The New Breed	Himself	Documentary DVD
2005	Get Rich or Die Tryin'	Marcus	Film debut
2006	Home of the Brave	Jamal Aiken	Supporting Role
2008	Righteous Kill	Spider	Supporting Role
	Before I Self Destruct	Clarence	Supporting Role
	50 Cent: The Money and the Power	Himself	TV series (one episode: "Choose Your Crew Wisely")
2009	Streets of Blood	Stan Johnson
	Entourage	Himself	TV series (Season 6, Episode 3: "One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car")
	Dead Man Running	Thigo
	Caught in the Crossfire	Tino	Executive producer
2010	13	Jimy
	Gun	Rich
	Twelve	Lionel	Supporting Role
	Morning Glory	Himself
2011	Vengeance	Black	Post-production
	Blood Out	Hardwick
	Setup	Sonny
2012	All Things Fall Apart	Deon
	Freelancers	Malo
	Fire with Fire	–	Producer
	Odd Thomas	Shamus Cocobolo
	Lives of the Saints		Pre-production

Voice work

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2005	The Simpsons	Himself	TV series (one episode: " Pranksta Rap ")
2005	50 Cent: Bulletproof	Himself	Video game, voice only
2009	50 Cent: Blood on the Sand	Himself	Video game, voice only
2009		Navy SEAL , announcer	Video game, voice only

Copyright Citations

This article is licensed under the GNU License
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50 Cent Photo by: entimg.msn.com


1. DJ Green Lantern 2. DMX 3. Dr. Dre 4. Eminem 5. Fabolous 6. Fat Joe 7. Funkmaster Flex 8. Ja Rule 9. Jadakiss 10. Kanye West 11. Lil Kim 12. LL Cool J 13. Lloyd Banks 14. Mr. Cheeks 15. Nelly 16. Notorious B.I.G. 17. P. Diddy 18. Rakim 19. Run-DMC 20. Snoop Dogg 21. Tupac Shakur 22. Wu-Tang Clan 23. D12 24. G-Unit 25. Jay-Z

Hip Hop/Rap Music Artists