Curtis Jackson, the rapper's real name, was born in Queens. His father fled, and his drug-dealing mother was murdered when he was eight years old. Curtis was so reared by his grandparents. Curtis adored his grandma, but she had a bevy of children to support, so he turned to the streets to get money. Whatever it takes to make a buck. ¹⁾

Curtis, as an adolescent, began boxing and spent his after-school hours at a sports club. He maintained his interest in boxing alive as a rapper, with the occasional bout and a stint as a boxing manager. His catchphrase? Get in shape or die trying. One look at his buff bod tells you he's serious. ²⁾

Curtis desired the finer things in life. The only problem was that grandmother had a lot of affection but not a lot of money. What is the solution? Go out into the streets and haggle. “I didn't want to ask [my grandmother] for a pair of Air Jordans when I knew she couldn't afford them, so I started working to obtain my stuff and not stress her out,” he explained. ³⁾

After the birth of his first child, 50 Cent resolved to (sort of) clean up his act. His love of street music inspired him to pen some very awful rap songs. DJ Jam Master Jay trained him and distributed his CDs around his DJ buddies in the late 1990s. The underground career took off at that point.⁴⁾

He couldn't believe his good fortune. Columbia Records came calling in 1999 and signed the burgeoning rapper to a contract. He received $65,000, but all of it went to Jam Master Jay and his lawyers. As a result, he returned to drug peddling for a time. After then, things didn't go so well.⁵⁾

The Power of the Dollar, 50 Cent's Columbia album, was scheduled for release in 2000. The only problem was that some of his competitors noticed that bootleg versions were flooding the market. As a result, the album never saw the light of day. ⁶⁾

Early in his career, US officials discovered evidence of a “assassination plot” by cocaine kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff directed at 50 Cent. Why? Some words in a 50 Cent song appeared to “leak” what he was up to. The rapper was shot nine times in 2000. Of course, he lived, but he refused to cooperate with the cops. ⁷⁾

So, back to the drawing board it is. Columbia was horrified and appalled by the shooting incident, which occurred just days before 50 Cent was scheduled to film a video. They let 50 Cent go quickly. Returning to the underground CDs. Fortunately, one of them caught the attention of rapper and record producer Eminem. The big moment was approaching. ⁸⁾

Get Rich or Die Trying, a collaboration with Dr. Dre and Eminem, exploded onto the hip hop landscape with a vengeance. It ultimately sold 9 million units. Why? It was a club/rap crossover, or dance rap if you will. It didn't hurt that 50 Cent was displaying his powerful, buff figure. ⁹⁾

50 Cent has proudly stated that he solely sold drugs and did not consume alcohol. In 2019, he attended Snoop Dogg's Tycoon Pool party. Snoop, being Snoop, persuaded him to smoke a joint. Following that, 50 Cent joked that Snoop had given him an addiction problem. No, we don't believe so. ¹⁰⁾

Rappers like Jay-Z have gone mainstream to some extent. It's not 50 Cent. His feuds, battles, run-ins, and fall-outs haven't stopped. Even after the publication of Get Rich or Die Trying, reports of him being shot at have circulated on a fairly frequent basis. His defenses are huge and defensive. ¹¹⁾

50 Cent's lyrics are authentic because he is authentic. Rap is rife with “studio gangstas,” young men and women who pretend to have lived dangerous, drug-addled, and violent lives on the streets. The studio gangsta adds a lot of embellishment to these stories. 50 Cent is the genuine deal, with a history of drug dealing, firearms, assassination attempts, and the occasional arrest. He's been through it. ¹²⁾

In 2004, at the height of his celebrity, 50 Cent paid $4.1 million for Mike Tyson's Connecticut property. He poured millions of dollars into it, hiring designers and security personnel in equal proportion. The SUVs were completely bulletproof. When things started to go awry, he placed it up for sale for $18.1 million in 2007. How much did he eventually receive? Oh, my goodness. It only costs $2.9 million. ¹³⁾

What is the origin of the name 50 Cent? It's hazy. According to the rapper, it is a metaphor for his ability to “adapt” and endure. Others believe it was a tribute to Kelvin “50 Cent,” a Brooklyn gangster who died when he was young. It makes sense for 50 Cent to pay homage to a street thug and gangster. ¹⁴⁾

His net worth reached a high of $255 million. Then, in 2015, he declared bankruptcy, claiming $32.5 million in debt. Some speculated that this was a strategic move rather than a genuine one. He reached a settlement and only paid back about $23 million. His net worth is currently estimated to be at $30 million. ¹⁵⁾