Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, New York City, on July 6, 1975, Jackson began his musical career in 1996.
Early Life and Career
Jackson was raised in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens by his mother, Sabrina. He began boxing at about age 11, and by 14, he was involved in selling drugs. "When I wasn't killing time in school, I was sparring in the gym or selling crack on the strip," Jackson remembered.
On June 29, 1994, Jackson was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer. Three weeks later, he was arrested again, with police finding heroin, crack cocaine, and a starting pistol in his home. He served six months in a boot camp and earned his GED.
Jackson adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a metaphor for change, inspired by Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber. He began rapping in a friend's basement, using turntables to record over instrumentals.
In 1996, he met Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC, who taught him how to structure songs and make records. In 1999, after leaving Jam Master Jay, the Trackmasters signed him to Columbia Records. Jackson's popularity grew after the successful, controversial underground single "How to Rob".
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Near-Death Experience and Breakthrough
On May 24, 2000, Jackson was attacked by a gunman outside his grandmother's former home in South Jamaica. He was shot nine times at close range. He recalled the shooting: "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 shit, somebody shot me in the face! It burns, burns, burns.'"
After recovering, Jackson recorded over thirty songs for mixtapes to build a reputation. In 2002, Eminem heard Jackson's Guess Who's Back? album and signed him to Shady Records. After signing a $1 million record deal, Jackson released No Mercy, No Fear.
Success and G-Unit Records
His debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003), was a critical and commercial success. It spawned the hit singles "In da Club" and "21 Questions". That same year, he launched G-Unit Records. In March 2005, his second album, The Massacre, sold 1.14 million copies in its first four days and was number one on the Billboard 200 for six weeks.
Jackson also ventured into acting, starring in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005).
Later Career and Projects
In subsequent years, Jackson released albums such as Curtis (2007) and Before I Self Destruct (2009). He aimed for a return to his roots with his fifth album, Animal Ambition (2014). In 2020, Jackson executive produced Pop Smoke's debut album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. In September 2021, Starz began airing BMF, a biographical series for which Jackson is the executive producer.
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Philanthropy and Africa
Remember when rapper 50 Cent announced that he would try to provide 1 billion meals over the next five years to poor Africans? His strategy: make some money while “helping” Africans. The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, recently became a large, and unlikely, donor to the United Nations' World Food Program, and joined U.N.
“This is exciting,” he said. “This is the next chapter in my life,” 50 Cent said of the Somalia trip. “I don’t care if my audience is prepared to move forward with me, they may not necessarily be growing at the same pace."
He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and earned numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards, and four BET Awards.
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