History of 50 cent. The rapper's secret personal life

Sabrina Jackson gave birth to Curtis on July 6, 1975. “She tried to provide for me, but work in Burger King I didn't consider it as an option. All that was left was to banish"

On September 11, the third album of the most famous rapper today, 50 Cent, will be released. Four singles were released in support of “Curtis”, of which only one was this moment was able to break into the Billboard top 100. In anticipation of the significant date of the clash between the releases of 50 and Kanye West, whose singles also do not demonstrate much agility, Blender magazine tried to find some interesting facts from the life of Fiddy that you might not yet know.

His mother sold drugs to raise her son
Sabrina Jackson gave birth to Curtis on July 6, 1975. “She tried to provide for me, but she didn’t consider working at Burger King as an option. All that was left was to banish.” So that she could “work” calmly, she had to leave her son with her grandmother. “Mom replaced her presence with gifts. Every time I saw her it was like Christmas."

Mom told him he was conceived immaculately
“One day I asked her: “Mom, why don’t I have a father?” She replied that I was the result immaculate conception like Jesus. Tried to make me feel special.”

50 never saw his father
“I don’t know who he was and I have no desire to know. Once upon a time his presence could have helped me, but that time has passed.”

Before he became 50 Cent, his name was Boo-Boo
“My aunt kept calling me, 'Come here, Boo-Boo!' It was terrible. When someone’s name was Terminator, everyone said: “Oh-oh-oh, cool!”

In 1994, he was convicted of possessing 280 grams of crack and 110 grams of heroin.
To avoid prison, he passed special program in a camp for criminals. For six months I got up at 5.30, did push-ups and went to cut wood.

His mom didn't date men
“I never saw men around my mother. She preferred women. But I've never seen anything related to sex. It didn’t affect me at all.”

When 50 was 8, his mother was killed
In 1983, someone drugged Sabrina and turned on the gas in her apartment. “When she was found, the body was a complete mess.” He later recalled: “My biggest loss is my mother. Everything that was wrong in my life appeared only because she was gone. I went to the park to sell drugs because she wasn’t around.”

He started selling drugs 4 years after his mother died
His grandparents and eight aunts and uncles lived under the same roof as Curtis. There wasn't enough money. “Hustling was my only option. I wasn't thinking about a career, I was just looking for immediate gratification."

The first clients were uncles and aunts
“They were having a party, and at that time cocaine was like marijuana - everywhere. I promised to get it for them and ran to get my bag. And then I started every day from 3 to 6. Grandfather and grandmother thought I was on an after-school program.”

... but one uncle found out about this bag
And he began to pour from there for his needs. 50 beat a relative with a stick. “Since then, Uncle Star and I haven’t spoken often.”

Lost 50 virginity at age 12
“Everything went great - I’m 12, she’s 21. I stayed at my friend’s house, and his sister’s friend also came to see him. Well, I started pestering her. I was a horny puppy and just couldn’t keep up with her!”

He had to wear grandma's clothes
After his release, 50 was mistaken for the killer due to a similar motorcycle. First a patrol tried to stop him, and then a helicopter pursued him. 50 climbed into his grandmother's house, changed into her dress and wig. This is how I met the police. "They probably thought, 'What an ugly bitch!' The real killer was caught the next day.

He's a pretty happy-go-lucky dad
Does he allow his 10-year-old son Marquis to listen to his songs? "Certainly. If I talk about something obscene there, I ask: “Do you understand what I’m talking about?” Usually he understands. He already understands everything. Children are like that now. The problem is that parents don't ask them questions. One night I go into his room, and he is looking at a porn site - there are so many big-assed chicks there. “I just clicked on the link!” - speaks. Well, children are children."

When he met Jam Master Jay, he hadn't written anything yet
In 1997, 50 Cent met Jam Master Jay, a member of the legendary Run-D.M.C., at a club. 50 has been a fan of Rakim since childhood, but by that time he himself had literally composed only one text. “I don’t remember exactly, but it was something on the street.” Nevertheless, Jay was impressed by the young rapper's presentation and eventually signed him to Columbia Records.

The birth of his son forced him to quit drug dealing
When his girlfriend Shanika Tompkins gave birth to Marquis, 50 quit crime. “Why my mother started trading made me give it up”

Since he was shot, he has been wearing body armor. And still wears it
When 50 started performing, one of the things he didn't like the most was that as a result of advertising, people knew where he was. “I started wearing a vest because I knew I could play in the box.” In the first round 50 Marquis rode with him, and he also has his own body armor.

If anything, you can order it for Bar Mitzvah celebrations
50 performs at private parties of any kind. He also happened to perform at a Bar Mitzvah - a holiday, the day of the thirteenth birthday, marking the onset of maturity of a Jewish boy. “For my last Bar Mitzvah I received 500,000 in 30 minutes. This is not a fixed rate, but this time everything happened right at the stadium.”

He collects his own brand of sneakers
“I have 500 pairs. And all G-Unit. All colors, limited collections. Tony Yayo has a bigger foot than mine, but he curls his toes and borrows my sneakers.”

He likes George Bush
When Kanye West criticized the American president during the Hurricane Katrina scandal, 50 supported the people's representative, calling him a real "gangsta."

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Biography, life story of 50 Cent

50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson) was born on July 6, 1976 in Jamaica, Queens - one of the poorest black neighborhoods in New York. His mother was involved in the drug business and sold drugs to support the family; she enjoyed great authority in the local community. Also his mother was a lesbian. In 1984 Sabrina (50 Cent's mother) was found murdered, but the killer was never found. Curtis was eight years old at the time. 50 went to live with his grandparents, who carefully watched to ensure that Curtis did not get involved in criminal activity. But caring relatives did not keep track - already in high school 50 started selling crack. Around the same time, Curtis Jackson, like all his peers, began to try to rhyme and imagined himself as a cool rapper, not even suspecting then that he would become one. Young Curtis took his pseudonym “50 Cent” in honor of the tough gangster from Fort Green Projects, who died shortly before. “I took this name from him,” explains Fifty. “I thought it would be cool - people, every time they see me, will remember him...” At that time, 50 Cent was still just dabbling in rap and didn’t consider composing music to be something useful at all, but he only got serious about it when his demos started to become popular on the streets. And 50 made the final decision to take up music seriously after the birth of his son Marquis in 1997... The first person who paid attention to the abilities of the aspiring rapper was Jam Master Jay, a participant legendary group Run-DMC. The collaboration didn't last long, but 50 Cent still remembers his mentor with respect in his voice: “Jam Master Jay was the first person who taught me to pay attention to rhythm, rhyme, and so on. I will be grateful to him for the rest of my life.” In 1999, the musician met the production group The Trackmasters and through them was introduced to the bosses of the Columbia label. Interested in the newcomer, the major gives The Trackmasters carte blanche and 50 Cent goes into the studio to record his first album. As The Trackmasters recall, in two and a half weeks of hard work in the studio, 36 songs were recorded - much more than needed for the album. Columbia liked the material and signed a contract with the rapper to release the album. And then the unexpected happened. On May 24, 2000, while leaving his relatives' house in Queens, 50 Cent was attacked and received nine gunshot wounds, including in the face. This happened the day before 50 Cent was supposed to star with the girls from Destiny's Child in their debut video and a few weeks before the release of his own album. Upon learning of what had happened, Columbia believed that it had pulled the wrong card - those who were shot in the face usually do not become stars. The contract was terminated, which 50 Cent recalls with poorly concealed gloating: “By that time, I received a deposit - half the amount for which the contract was signed. The second one was supposed to be received after the release of the album. But they got scared, said that I wouldn’t be able to perform anymore and terminated the contract. So I made money for nothing and got my records back.” “I spent 13 days in the hospital and spent several more months at home. And I was much more scared after they shot me than when it happened - I didn’t know what to do now... If I couldn’t perform anymore, make music... I would go back to that where he started - drug distribution. I never had a job, no insurance, no nothing... I was actually selling crack before I got into music... I got into music to escape the reality of the streets... all I wanted was is to make music. I couldn't do anything except music... and selling drugs." Thus, the musician received his freshly recorded and freshly mixed album “Power Of A Dollar” and was free to dispose of it as he pleased. It’s not surprising that “Power Of A Dollar” immediately ended up with bootleggers, who just had time to churn out more and more copies. This success was explained simply: along with others, the album included the maliciously humorous song “How To Rob”, which listed the most famous personalities hip-hop (among which were Master P and Timbaland) and the methods of their robberies. The noble “Robin Hood” in this song was, naturally, 50 Cent himself. The crowd was delighted, but the victims of the “robberies” did not like the attack. And each of them considered it their duty to walk over the young rapper. “I had nothing against them, nothing personal,” says 50. “It’s just a humorous song, a fantasy - nothing more. I was hoping that when they heard this song they would say, “Who is 50 Cent?” And so it happened, and 50 Cent became a “folk” hero. Without a contract to release his albums, 50 Cent continued to write songs and, as they accumulated, he “wrote” albums and distributed what he recorded through bootleggers. The second album, Guess Who's Back, was released in 2001 in collaboration with Sha Money XL. Around this time, a “support group” formed around 50 Cent, which became known as G-Unit. Support groups only arise around influencers and G-Unit was a positive sign of 50 Cent's status. In the same year, 2001, another album by the musician was released - “50 Cent Is The Future”. Rumors about the new talent gradually reached the ears of the owners of large recording companies and the rapper found himself under a real siege - everyone wanted to get him. But the quickest of all was Eminem, who noticed 50 Cent a few years ago and in one interview even managed to call him his “favorite new artist.” Before calling 50 Cent, Em, like a good boy, came to consult with his mentor Dr. Dre and received the go-ahead. Kurtis Jackson did not consider Eminem and Dr Dre to be “fake”, so he immediately agreed to work with them and signed a contract with Shady/Afterman Records. And he previously contributed his new song “Wanksta” to the soundtrack of the film “8 Mile,” which became Eminem’s acting debut. The film became a big sensation and brought in big box office, as did the soundtrack. All those who still knew nothing about him finally learned about 50 Cent, and the media, on behalf of the working people, began nervously asking about the timing of the release of the rapper’s debut album. Work on “Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" began in the fall of 2002, as soon as Eminem dealt with "8 Mile" (during this time, 50 Cent released another bootleg, "No Mercy No Fear", which included the same "Wanksta" " - about the “fake” rappers so disliked by Kurtis.). The work was carried out in Eminem's studio in Los Angeles and 50 Cent recalls this time with great enthusiasm: “I can’t say that his songs turn me inside out or anything like that, but I respect him - he’s real. Do you know what his mother's name is, who Kim and Hailey are... He sings about his real life, I do the same. When we started working together, I realized how much effort and energy he puts into what he does. He can work on the same song for two days straight without any interruptions! He works until he begins to consider the song a success. He’s a perfectionist... I think he got that from Dre, he’s exactly the same...” The rapper explains the title of his album simply and even somehow casually: “Get rich or die” is a long-standing life philosophy that has been followed many, many." "Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" was released on February 6, 2003. A total of 48 songs were recorded for the album, but only 16 were included. To avoid losses from pirated sales, the release of the album was moved forward several days, but based on the results of three-day sales (872 thousand copies!), it managed to get ahead of all other releases released that week , immediately finding himself at the top of the Billboard. And then real glory fell on the former drug dealer. For anyone who gets to the top of Billboard at least once is automatically considered a star, and “Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" spent a whole month in a row at the top. In a week and a half from the start of sales, one and a half million albums were sold, which allowed 50 Cent to check the box for “debut album sales record.” For his success, in addition to his own incredible talent (50 Cent clearly will not die of modesty), the rapper is grateful... to bootleggers, who, in his opinion, allowed everyone to get acquainted with his songs long before the release of his debut album. Well, at least the pirates helped someone achieve worldwide fame! "I'm not worried about it," says 50 Cent. - I get enough money, it’s enough for me. After all, the people who buy my pirated CDs are the ones who support me at concerts... I think bootlegging is a great way to get your music to people... Bootleggers also need to feed their families and they won't do what does not generate income. And since people buy, since there is demand, then there will be supply. And one more thing. Thanks to pirated recordings, I can reach my listeners without intermediaries.” “Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" was liked not only by ordinary listeners, but also by critics. Thanks to Eminem and Dr Dre, who ate the dog on production, the album turned out to be diverse and fresh, introducing a new spirit into the stagnant genre, which gave music observers the right to call “Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" one of best works in hip-hop for last years. 50 Cent's lyrics also played a role - ironic and intimidating, praising the author and trampling his rivals into the dirt. It looks like the last one will be hanging around for a long time - currently the whole world is praying for 50 Cent, just as they prayed for Eminem a few years ago. Direct “unkempt” lyrics 50, talking about the illusions of street “brotherhood”, the death of friends and the realities of the ghetto, have nothing in common with the readings of “glossy” rappers. 50 Cent talks about himself and his life, and he has a lot of experience. The musical component of “Get Rich Or Die Tryin""" is distinguished by great invention and a differentiated approach to each of the tracks. Main strength 50 Cent - in his reality. Who, if not a former pusher, should know what is going on on the streets? Awareness of his “realness” gives the rapper the right to mock most of his colleagues: “There are too many “studio gangstas” now, I think they are now 90% of the whole crowd... How can you trust them? Until I see them in a real life situation, I won’t believe they know what they’re singing about.” And 50 Cent is now, thanks to his fame, in everyone's sight. He lives in that same Queens and communicates with the same streets - so as not to lose his sense of reality. Sometimes he gets into unpleasant situations - like other hip-hop characters: on New Year's Eve 2003 he was arrested for illegal possession firearms However, no charges were brought. A week later, the office of Violator, the firm representing 50, was riddled with bullets, but the shooter was never found. A little earlier, the organizers of the performer’s concert in one of the clubs in San Francisco canceled the concert because some craftsman distributed counterfeit tickets and the gathered crowd blocked the streets in front of the club building. 50 Cent is hardly happy with what is happening around him, but he is not going to give up his beliefs: “I hope that I will never break ties with the street, because without knowing what is happening here, I will not be able to do what I do now.”

50 Cent is a popular rapper, screenwriter, director, entrepreneur and talented actor who has participated in a number of notable works by famous directors. Curtis Jackson (real name of the performer) was born on July 6, 1975 in the poor black neighborhood of South Jamaica, which is located in New York. It is worth saying that the quarter where the future film actor and rapper grew up and was brought up was a seedy place where the laws of the jungle reigned.

As a child, Curtis observed social inequality, dirt, poverty, deviant behavior and sometimes fell asleep to the sound of Wild West-style gunfights. Curtis never saw his father: having fathered a child with 14-15-year-old African-American girl Sabrina Jackson, her boyfriend disappeared from sight, so the young mother was left alone with her firstborn in her arms. However, the girl was not seriously involved in raising her son; she was worried about girlish problems.

Jackson did not have a permanent job, so while her grandparents were looking after the child, she was engaged in illegal activities - selling a dangerous mixture of crystalline cocaine with baking soda. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the future, a 12-year-old boy followed in the footsteps of his unfortunate parent and began selling cocaine. Later, the negligent mother repented of paying little attention to her offspring, so Sabrina tried to pay off with expensive gifts. Curtis recalled that he rarely saw Jackson, but every meeting with her was like Christmas, because the girl always prepared a surprise for the child.

At the age of eight, Curtis was left an orphan. His mother died in strange circumstances: a stranger who came home with a 23-year-old girl slipped her sleeping pills into an alcoholic drink and left her to die with the gas on. The future singer was informed about the terrible tragedy by his grandparents, saying that Sabrina would no longer come home. After the incident, the boy went to his mother’s parents’ house, where he was raised with eight uncles and aunts.

It is known that even in high school, Curtis, like, zealously fell in love with boxing. In his free time from school, the young man went to the children's gym, where he honed fighting techniques and released all the accumulated grievances on the punching bag. However, his passion did not go away: 50 Cent is still a boxing promoter to this day. Jackson identifies this sport with music, because, in his opinion, the art of rap in battles is comparable to a boxing match: both have champions and losers.

It is not surprising that there is a “black spot” in Curtis’s biography. In 1994, a 19-year-old guy was caught red-handed by a police officer who, in plain clothes, was trying to buy drugs from a young “entrepreneur.” But such a cold shower did not stop Jackson; three weeks later he was caught by law enforcement again: several ounces of heroin, crack cocaine and firearms were found in his apartment. The guy was sentenced to three years in prison, but the young man did not stay in prison for long, as he achieved an early amnesty.

Music

Jackson was introduced in part to the world of hip-hop by his young cousin, who rapped under the moniker “Two Five” and earned himself the nickname 25 Cent. After problems with the law, Curtis realized that it was impossible to slide downhill, so he decided to take the right path and direct his energy in the right direction. Jackson begins to practice verbal art in a friend's basement, taking the nickname 50 Cent in honor of the famous gangster from the past who lived in Brooklyn in the 1980s. As background musical accompaniment(backing tracks) the guy was using an old gramophone.

In 1996, Curtis's friend introduced him to the popular DJ Jason William Mizell, who was a member of the mainstream rap group Run-D.M.C. It is worth saying that this hip-hop gang occupied a leading place in the charts along with the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Therefore, meeting Jason played into Curtis's hands. The hip-hop guru taught the aspiring artist how to feel the beat. The release of Jackson's debut album was supposed to take place under the Jam Master Jay Records label, but this did not happen.

But the young man does not give up and in 1999 he began collaborating with the oldest producers Trackmasters within the Columbia Records recording brand. “50 cents” begins to work in accelerated mode. In 14 days, he composed more than 30 songs, half of which were included in the unofficial album Power of the Dollar (2000). It would seem that life is in full swing, 50 Cent is gradually becoming a popular rap singer, and nothing portends trouble. But in 2000, Curtis came close to death.

A fatal event happened to the aspiring performer on April 24, while he was sitting in the back seat of a car near his grandmother’s house. An unknown criminal shot at Jackson 9 times, one of the bullets hit him right in the face and almost deprived the musician of his voice. 50 Cent miraculously managed to survive, doctors managed to pull him out young man from the other world. Rehabilitation took place over 5 months, 4 of which the rapper was on crutches. Since this tragic event, Curtis always wears a bulletproof vest when appearing in public. Having recovered from his injuries, the singer continued to engage in his favorite activity.

It is also known that Curtis is a successful entrepreneur, he has voiced a number of video games, signed a five-year contract with the sports brand Reebok (2003) and starred in commercials energy drink Vitamin Water (had a stake in the company that Coca-Cola acquired, giving the artist $100 million).

50 Cent now

In 2016, 50 Cent recorded the acclaimed track “No Romeo No Juliet” with Chris Brown.

In 2018, viewers around the world will see two films featuring Curtis at once. He will star in the action film Den of Thieves, and will also star in the thriller Escape Plan 2.

Discography

2000 - "Power of the Dollar"
2003 - “Get Rich or Die Tryin’”
2005 - “The Massacre”
2007 - "Curtis"
2009 - “Before I Self Destruct”
2014 - “Animal Ambition”

American rapper, actor and writer Curtis Jackson, better known under the pseudonym 50 Cent.

Biography of 50 Cent

Curtis James Jackson III was born in the South Jamaica section of Queens, New York in 1975. His mother, Sabrina Jackson, gave birth to her son when she was only 15 years old. However, she never again maintained a relationship with Curtis’s father. Sabrina was involved in drug trafficking and was killed at the age of 23: unknown persons drugged her with sleeping pills and locked her in a house with the gas on. Curtis was 8 years old at the time of his mother's death.

Left an orphan, Curtis ended up in the house of his relatives, where Sabrina’s parents, as well as the boy’s numerous aunts and uncles, took care of his upbringing. Curtis’s main communication partner was his cousin, who introduced young Jackson to rap.

At the age of 19, Curtis was caught several times by the police as a person involved in drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison, but in the end the young man received his sentence suspended. Wanting to change his destiny, Curtis decided to leave drugs in the past and take a new name for himself. This is how his pseudonym 50 Cent appeared, borrowed from a Brooklyn gangster.

“Because it says everything I want to say. I'm the same type of person as that 50 Cent gangster. I provide for myself by any means possible."

Creative career of 50 Cent

50 Cent early childhood I was fond of rap, but only in 1996 I got the opportunity to truly devote myself to this business. It was that year that Curtis met the famous rapper Jam Master Jay, who took patronage of the young man and helped him record his first album. However, this debut album was not destined to be released. 50 Cent's unofficial first disc appeared only in 2000, it was called “Power of the Dollar.”

The album was supposed to be officially released, but on the eve of its release, an assassination attempt was made on Curtis, which almost cost him his life. The recording studio was afraid of unnecessary hype and terminated the contract, allowing 50 Cent to dispose of the finished disc at his own discretion. The rapper did not earn anything from its distribution, but gained great popularity.

“Fate is always involved here. No matter how hard you work, if you're not destined to be great, you won't be. No, maybe you will become popular for a day or two, but in the end you will still be quickly forgotten. If this is not your place in the sun, then you will quickly disappear.”

The rise of 50 Cent's popularity occurred in the mid-2000s, when he released several more albums and discs. In total, between 2003 and 2014, the rapper released 5 studio albums.

Parallel to his musical career 50 Cent also developed himself as an actor. Since the mid-90s, he began acting in films and TV series. He has about 50 roles to his credit, as well as several works in which he took part as a screenwriter, producer and composer.

“In general, usually musicians of my level do not show themselves until the release of the album. They deliberately create some kind of intrigue so that the fans get bored. I think it's very effective. But on the contrary, I stir up the interest of fans with constant and high-quality performances. I don't have to hide to keep the fans interested in me. I prefer not to go anywhere and stick to high level. And this is not at all easy.”

Personal life of 50 Cent

In 1997, Curtis became the father of a boy named Markis. The child was born out of wedlock to a woman named Shanigawa Thompkins, with whom 50 Cent does not live together.

“My son and I don’t communicate at all. It's because of his mother. He accepted her position."

Filmography of 50 Cent
Actor
Escape Plan 3: Devil Station
Thieves Hunt 2
Escape Plan 2 (2018)
Abraham Mateo feat. Austin Mahone & 50 Cent: Háblame Bajito (2017)
Popstar: Don't Stop Don't Stop (2016)
Lefty (2015)
Spy (2015)
Power in the night city (TV series, 2014 – ...)
Starpeppers (2013)
Wedge with wedge (video, 2012)
Freelancers (2012)
Frozen Ground (2011)
The Seeker (TV series, 2011 – 2012)
Setup (2011)
Reckoning (video, 2011)
Various Things (2011)
Lloyd Banks Feat. Jeremih: I Don't Deserve You (video, 2011)
YG Feat. 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg& Ty$: Toot It and Boot It - Remix (video, 2010)
Good Morning (2010)
Barrel (2010)
In the Crossfire (2010)
Twelve (2010)
13 (2009)
50 Cent Feat. Ne-Yo: Baby by Me (video, 2009)
Racing with Death (2009)
Streets of Blood (video, 2009)
Right to Kill (2008)
50 Cent: Ayo Technology (video, 2007)
Lloyd Banks Feat. 50 Cent: Cake (video, 2006)
Home of the Brave (2006)
Lloyd Banks Feat. 50 Cent: Hands Up (video, 2006)
Jack's Law (2006)
The Game Feat. 50 Cent: Hate It or Love It (video, 2005)
Get Rich or Die (2005)
The Infamous Times, Volume I: The Original 50 Cent (video, 2005)
Lloyd Banks: I"m So Fly (video, 2004)
Lloyd Banks: On Fire (video, 2004)
Handsome Men (TV series, 2004 – 2011)
Robot Chicken (TV series 2001 – ...)
Diary (TV series, 2000 – ...)
Producer
Chase
Thieves Hunt 2
Tomorrow, Today (TV)
The Oath (TV series 2018 – ...)
50 Central (TV series, 2017 – ...)
Tapia (2013)
Wedge with wedge (video, 2012)
Freelancers (2012)
Frozen Ground (2011)
Lea - November Skies (11/11/11) (2011)
Setup (2011)
Reckoning (video, 2011)
Various Things (2011)
Barrel (2010)
In the Crossfire (2010)
Before I Self-Destruct (video, 2009)
50 Cent: The Massacre - Special Edition (video, 2005)
The Game: Documentary (video, 2005)
50 Cent: The New Breed (video, 2003)
Composer
Jeremih Feat. 50 Cent: Down on Me (video, 2010)
Three Sisters Laundry (2010)
Eminem Feat. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent: Crack a Bottle (video, 2009)
Eminem: You Don't Know (video, 2006)
50 Cent: Window Shopper (video, 2005)
50 Cent Feat. Olivia: Candy Shop (video, 2005)
50 Cent: Hustler's Ambition (video, 2005)
The Game Feat. 50 Cent: How We Do (video, 2004)
50 Cent Feat. Snoop Dogg & G-Unit: P.I.M.P., Remix (video, 2003)
50 Cent: In da Club (video, 2003)
Screenwriter
Tomorrow, Today (TV)
Various Things (2011)
Barrel (2010)
Before I Self-Destruct (video, 2009)
Director
Power in the night city (TV series, 2014 – ...)
Before I Self-Destruct (video, 2009)

Biography of 50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson)

50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson) was born in 1976 in Queens, New York, one of the poorest black neighborhoods in the city. His mother resold drugs to support the family and enjoyed great authority in the local community. One day she was found murdered, but the killer was never found. Kurtis turned eight years old that year. The boy was taken in by his mother's parents, who carefully watched so that Kurtis did not turn onto a slippery path. They didn’t keep track - already in high school the guy began to earn his living by distributing drugs. Around the same time, Kurtis Jackson, like his peers, began to try to rhyme and imagined himself as a cool rapper. The guy took his pseudonym “50 Cent” in honor of the tough gangster from Fort Green Projects, who had recently left this mortal coil. “I took this name from him,” explains the rapper. “I thought it would be cool - people, every time they see me, will remember him...”

At that time, Curtis did not yet consider composing music to be something useful and began to think seriously only when his homemade recordings began to become popular on the streets. The musician made his final decision to take up music seriously after the birth of his son.

The first person who paid attention to the abilities of the aspiring rapper was Jam Master Jay, a member of the legendary group Run-DMC. The collaboration didn't last long, but 50 Cent still remembers his mentor with respect in his voice: “Jam Master Jay was the first person who taught me to pay attention to rhythm, rhyme, and so on. I will be grateful to him for the rest of my life.” In 1999, the musician met the production group The Trackmasters and through them was introduced to the bosses of the Columbia label. Interested in the newcomer, the major gives The Trackmasters carte blanche and 50 Cent goes into the studio to record his first album. As The Trackmasters recall, in two and a half weeks of hard work in the studio, 36 songs were recorded - much more than needed for the album. Columbia liked the material and signed a contract with the rapper to release the album. And then the unexpected happened. On May 24, 2000, while leaving his relatives' house in Queens, 50 Cent was attacked and received nine gunshot wounds, including in the face. This happened the day before 50 Cent was supposed to star with the girls from Destiny's Child in their debut video and a few weeks before the release of his own album. Upon learning of what had happened, Columbia believed that it had pulled the wrong card - those who were shot in the face usually do not become stars. The contract was terminated, which 50 Cent recalls with poorly concealed gloating: “By that time, I received a deposit - half the amount for which the contract was signed. The second one was supposed to be received after the release of the album. But they got scared, said that I wouldn’t be able to perform anymore and terminated the contract. So I made money for nothing and got my records back.”

“I spent 13 days in the hospital and spent several more months at home. And I was much more scared after they shot me than when it happened - I didn’t know what to do now... If I couldn’t perform anymore, make music... I would go back to that where he started - drug distribution. I never had a job, no insurance, no nothing... I was actually selling crack before I got into music... I got into music to escape the reality of the streets... all I wanted was is to make music. I couldn't do anything except music... and selling drugs."

Thus, the musician received his freshly recorded and freshly mixed album “Power Of A Dollar” and was free to dispose of it as he pleased. It’s not surprising that “Power Of A Dollar” immediately ended up with bootleggers, who just had time to churn out more and more copies. This success was explained simply: along with others, the album included the maliciously humorous song “How To Rob”, which listed the most famous personalities of hip-hop (among which were Master P and Timbaland) and the methods of their robberies. The noble “Robin Hood” in this song was, naturally, 50 Cent himself. The crowd was delighted, but the victims of the “robberies” did not like the attack. And each of them considered it their duty to walk over the young rapper. “I had nothing against them, nothing personal,” says 50. “It’s just a humorous song, a fantasy - nothing more. I was hoping that when they heard this song they would say, “Who is 50 Cent?” And so it happened, and 50 Cent became a “folk” hero.

Without a contract to release his albums, 50 Cent continued to write songs and, as they accumulated, he “wrote” albums and distributed what he recorded through bootleggers. The second album, Guess Who's Back, was released in 2001 in collaboration with Sha Money XL. Around this time, a “support group” formed around 50 Cent, which became known as G-Unit. Support groups only arise around influencers and G-Unit was a positive sign of 50 Cent's status.

In the same year, 2001, another album by the musician was released - “50 Cent Is The Future”. Rumors about the new talent gradually reached the ears of the owners of large recording companies and the rapper found himself under a real siege - everyone wanted to get him. But the quickest of all was Eminem, who noticed 50 Cent a few years ago and in one interview even managed to call him his “favorite new artist.” Before calling 50 Cent, Em, like a good boy, came to consult with his mentor Dr. Dre and received the go-ahead. Kurtis Jackson did not consider Eminem and Dr Dre to be “fake”, so he immediately agreed to work with them and signed a contract with Shady/Afterman Records. And he previously contributed his new song “Wanksta” to the soundtrack of the film “8 Mile,” which became Eminem’s acting debut. The film became a big sensation and brought in big box office, as did the soundtrack. All those who still knew nothing about him finally learned about 50 Cent, and the media, on behalf of the working people, began nervously asking about the timing of the release of the rapper’s debut album.

Work on “Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" began in the fall of 2002, as soon as Eminem dealt with "8 Mile" (during this time, 50 Cent released another bootleg, "No Mercy No Fear", which included the same "Wanksta" " - about the “fake” rappers so disliked by Kurtis.). The work was carried out in Eminem's studio in Los Angeles and 50 Cent recalls this time with great enthusiasm: “I can’t say that his songs turn me inside out or anything like that, but I respect him - he’s real. You know his mother's name, who Kim and Hailey are... He sings about his real life, and I do the same. When we started working together, I realized how much effort and energy he puts into what he does. He can work on the same song for two days straight without any interruptions! He works until he begins to consider the song a success. He’s a perfectionist... I think he got that from Dre, he’s exactly the same...”

The rapper explains the title of his album simply and even somehow casually: “Become rich or die” is a long-standing life attitude that many, many follow.”

"Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" was released on February 6, 2003. A total of 48 songs were recorded for the album, but only 16 were included. To avoid losses from pirated sales, the release of the album was moved forward several days, but based on the results of three-day sales (872 thousand copies!), it managed to get ahead of all other releases released that week , immediately finding himself at the top of the Billboard. And then real glory fell on the former drug dealer. For anyone who gets to the top of Billboard at least once is automatically considered a star, and “Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" spent a whole month in a row at the top. In a week and a half from the start of sales, one and a half million albums were sold, which allowed 50 Cent to check the box for “debut album sales record.” For his success, in addition to his own incredible talent (50 Cent clearly will not die of modesty), the rapper is grateful... to bootleggers, who, in his opinion, allowed everyone to get acquainted with his songs long before the release of his debut album. Well, at least the pirates helped someone achieve worldwide fame!

"I'm not worried about it," says 50 Cent. - I get enough money, it’s enough for me. After all, the people who buy my pirated CDs are the ones who support me at concerts... I think bootlegging is a great way to get your music to people... Bootleggers also need to feed their families and they won't do what does not generate income. And since people buy, since there is demand, then there will be supply. And one more thing. Thanks to pirated recordings, I can reach my listeners without intermediaries.”

“Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" was liked not only by ordinary listeners, but also by critics. Thanks to Eminem and Dr Dre, who ate the dog on production, the album turned out to be diverse and fresh, introducing a new spirit into the stagnant genre, which gave the right to music observers to call “Get Rich Or Die Tryin"" one of the best works in hip-hop in recent years years. 50 Cent's lyrics also played a role - ironic and intimidating, praising the author and trampling his rivals into the dirt. It looks like the last one will be hanging around for a long time - currently the whole world is praying for 50 Cent, just as they prayed for Eminem a few years ago. Direct “unkempt” lyrics 50, talking about the illusions of street “brotherhood”, the death of friends and the realities of the ghetto, have nothing in common with the readings of “glossy” rappers. 50 Cent talks about himself and his life, and he has a lot of experience. The musical component of “Get Rich Or Die Tryin""" is distinguished by great invention and a differentiated approach to each of the tracks.

50 Cent's main strength is his reality. Who, if not a former pusher, should know what is going on on the streets? Awareness of his “realness” gives the rapper the right to mock most of his colleagues: “There are too many “studio gangstas” now, I think they are now 90% of the whole crowd... How can you trust them? Until I see them in a real life situation, I won’t believe they know what they’re singing about.” And 50 Cent is now, thanks to his fame, in everyone's sight. He lives in that same Queens and communicates with the same streets - so as not to lose his sense of reality. Sometimes he gets into unpleasant situations - like other hip-hop characters: on New Year's Eve 2003, he was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm, although no charges were brought. A week later, the office of Violator, the firm representing 50, was riddled with bullets, but the shooter was never found. A little earlier, the organizers of the performer’s concert in one of the clubs in San Francisco canceled the concert because some craftsman distributed counterfeit tickets and the gathered crowd blocked the streets in front of the club building.

50 Cent is hardly happy with what is happening around him, but he is not going to give up his beliefs: “I hope that I will never break ties with the street, because without knowing what is happening here, I will not be able to do what I do now.”