50 Cent: despite the feuds, rapper still going strong
Curtis James Jackson, more popularly known as 50 Cent, has had a very colorful life so far, and we mean “colorful” as in “controversial”...
Curtis James Jackson, more popularly known as 50 Cent, has had a very colorful life so far, and we mean “colorful” as in “controversial”. Despite the number of feuds he’s been involved in, the much-loved rapper is still wooing crowds.
Born poor on July 6, 1975, 50 cent is originally from South Jamaica in the borough of Queens, New York. When he was only 8 years old, his mother was killed in a drug deal.
Called “Boo-Boo” in circles around New York, 50 cent was far from booed. When 50 cent was writing songs for Track Masters, Jam Master Jay recruited him. In 1977, Columbia Records released a hit called How to Rob, penned by 50 cent. His very first album, Power of the Dollar, was shelved by Columbia for reasons we’re not sure about, and he left Columbia Records shortly thereafter.
50 cent was shot in 2000. He claims to have been shot many times and survived each incident. He’s proud of that fact, a reinforcement of his “gansta” image. However, police reports clarified that yes, the rapper was shot at 9 times but was only hit three times. Eminem engaged him after announcing on MTV that they were interested in 50 cent. They signed him on to Interscope Records. With Interscope he released an album called Get Rich or Die Tryin and it sold 872,000 copies in just 7 days. On April 12, 2005, RIIA certified it 6 times platinum. Following that success, Interscope gave 50 cent his own record label, G-Unit. For G-Unit, he signed up personalities such as Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, The Game, Olivia and Mobb Deep. He is interested in signing up more rappers for G-Unit. Another album, the Massacre, was as popular as Get Rich or Die Trying, and both sold at 16 million copies worldwide.
50 cent has displayed some good entrepreneurial flair: he signed up with Reebok to market his G-Unit sneakers, appeared in an episode of the Simpsons in February 2005 as Pranksta Rap, and in late summer 2005, he released a book which is said to be autobiographical: From Weight to Pieces: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens. Other books are scheduled for a 2007 release.
50 cent or Fiddy Cent has figured in several controversies and feuds, considered to be the most well-known feuds in hip-hop history. Despite that, however, Fiddy cent lives on and is raking in success. He has appeared in the following TV series: Meet the Barkers, Viva La Bam, The Wire (Time After Time), etc.