Love him, like him, or take or leave him, 50 Cent is a street-smart rapper that burst onto the hip hop scene in 2003 with his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. It's kind of his philosophy in life.
Before that? Well, he was a Queens street kid being raised by his grandparents. He did a bit of boxing, a bit of dealing, and then turned to writing rap lyrics listening to records in a friend's basement. A little mentoring led to a successful slew of CD's that made the rounds of DJs. He was a hit in the hip hop underground.
Then he got a big record deal. What followed was sabotage aimed at him, an unreleased album, and a run-in with a drug lord. He still bears the scars.
He got richer than rich. Then, suddenly he was bankrupt. Here are 16 little known facts about 50 Cent's rise to fame.
16 Came From Nothing - A Life On The Streets
The 44-year-old rapper was born Curtis Jackson in Queens. His father ran away and his drug-dealing mother was shot dead when he was 8. So, Curtis was raised by his grandparents. He adored his grandmother, but she had a slew of kids to raise and so Curtis took to the streets in order to earn money. Anything for a buck.
15 Music? Forget It. I'm Going To Be A Boxer
The adolescent Curtis took up boxing, hanging out at a sports club after school. As a rapper, he kept his interest alive, with the occasional bout and a spot of boxing management. His motto? Get fit or die trying. One look at that buff bod and you can tell he's serious.
14 From Boxer To Dealer
Curtis wanted the good things in life. The only thing was grandmother was long on love and short on money. The solution? Go out on the streets and deal. His rationale was simple: "I didn't want to ask [my grandmother] for a pair of Air Jordans when I knew she couldn't afford them, so I began working to get my stuff and not stress her out."
13 Street Thug Turned Rapper - Life In Rap's Underground
After his first son was born, 50 Cent decided to (sort of) clean up his act. His love of street music turned into his writing some pretty bad to rap lyrics. In the late 1990s DJ Jam Master Jay mentored him and spread his CDs amongst his DJ friends. That's when the underground career took off.
12 1999 - Success At Last? The Columbia Deal
He couldn't believe his luck. In 1999 Columbia Records came calling and signed the budding rapper to a contract. He got $65,000, but it all went to Jam Master Jay and lawyers. So, for a time, he returned to drug dealing. Things didn't go too well after that.
11 The Bootlegged Album That Was Never Released
Now, let's be frank. The rap world can be cutthroat. 50 Cent's Columbia album The Power of the Dollar was set for release in 2000. Only thing was, some of his competitors saw that bootleg copies flooded onto the market. As a result, the album was never released. It was a disaster.
10 U.S. Investigators Discovered A Plot To Assassinate 50 Cent
Early on in his career, U.S. investigators found evidence of an "assassination plot" aimed at 50 Cent by drugs kingpin Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Why? Well, some lyrics in a 50 Cent song seemed to "out" what he was up to. In 2000, the rapper was shot nine times. He, of course, survived but refused to cooperate with the police.
9 Dropped By A Shocked Columbia. Hello Eminem
Oh well, back to the drawing board. Columbia was shocked and outraged by the shooting incident just days before 50 Cent was due to shoot a video. They cut 50 Cent loose but fast. Back to the underground CDs. Luckily, one got the ear of rapper and record producer Eminem. The big time was close.
8 The Big Time: 2003 Debut Album Sells 9 Million
A collaboration with Dr. Dre and Eminem, Get Rich or Die Tryin' burst onto the hip hop scene with a vengeance. It eventually sold 9 million units. Why? Well, it was a club/rap crossover, dance rap if you like. And the sight of 50 Cent strutting his strong, buff body didn't hurt either.
7 Snoop Made Him A What?
5o Cent has proudly claimed that he only sold substances - he didn't take them, or drink alcohol. Then he went to Snoop Dog's Tycoon Pool party in 2019. Snoop being Snoop, talked him into toking a joint. Afterward, 50 Cent jokingly said Snoop had given him an addiction problem. We don't think so.