50 Cent

born on 6/7/1975 in Queens, NY, United States

Alias Curtis James Jackson III

50 Cent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

50 Cent
Birth name Curtis James Jackson III
Born July 6 1976
Origin South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres Hip hop
Occupations Rapper, actor, entrepreneur, executive producer, singer
Years active 1998present
Labels Aftermath, Shady, G-Unit, Interscope
Associated acts G-Unit, Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, Eminem, Dr. Dre
Website www.50cent.com

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1976),[1] better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). Both albums achieved multi-platinum success, selling more than twenty-one million copies combined.[2]

Born in South Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic.[3] After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing his album Guess Who's Back? in 2002, 50 Cent was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Drewho produced his first major commercial successeshe became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo.

50 Cent has engaged in feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, The Game, Cam'ron, Fat Joe, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005, the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006, and Righteous Kill in 2008. 50 Cent is one of the richest hip-hop performers, having a net worth estimated at US $440 million in 2008.

The word "50" in 50 Cent is sometimes pronounced or even written as fiddy.

Life and music career

Early life

Curtis Jackson III grew up in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, in New York City. He grew up without a father and was raised by his mother, Sabrina, who gave birth to him at the age of fifteen. Sabrina, a cocaine dealer, raised Jackson until the age of eight, when she was murdered in 1983. Twenty-three at the time, she became unconscious after someone drugged her drink. She was then left for dead after the gas in her apartment was turned on and the windows shut closed.[4][5] After her death, Jackson moved into his grandparents' house with his eight aunts and uncles.[1][6][7] He recalls, "My grandmother told me, 'Your mother's not coming home. She's not gonna come back to pick you up. You're gonna stay with us now.' That's when I started adjusting to the streets a little bit".[8]

Jackson began boxing around the age of eleven. At fourteen, a neighbor opened a boxing gym for local kids. "When I wasn't killing time in school, I was sparring in the gym or selling crack on the strip", he recalled.[9] In the mid 1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics as an amateur boxer. He recounts, "I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ".[10] At the age of twelve, Jackson began dealing narcotics when his grandparents thought he was at after-school programs.[11] He also took guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School. He later stated, "I was embarrassed that I got arrested like that... After I got arrested I stopped hiding it. I was telling my grandmother [openly], 'I sell drugs.'"[8]

On June 29, 1994, Jackson was arrested for helping to sell four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was arrested again three weeks later when police searched his home and found heroin, ten ounces of crack cocaine, and a starter gun. He was sentenced to three to nine years in prison, but managed to serve six months in a shock incarceration boot camp where he earned his GED. Jackson said that he did not use cocaine himself, he only sold it.[1][12][13] He adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a metaphor for "change".[14] The name was derived from Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber known as "50 Cent". Jackson chose the name "because it says everything I want it to say. I'm the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means".[15]

1996-2000: Early career

50 Cent started rapping in a friend's basement where he used turntables to record over instrumentals.[16] In 1996, a friend introduced him to Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC who was organizing his label Jam Master Jay Records. Jay taught him how to count bars, write choruses, structure songs, and how to make a record.[17][18] 50 Cent's first official appearance was on a song titled "React" with the group Onyx on their 1998 album Shut 'Em Down. He credited Jam Master Jay as an influence who helped him improve his ability to write hooks.[10] Jay produced 50 Cent's first album; however, it was never released.[4] In 1999, after leaving Jam Master Jay, the platinum-selling producers Trackmasters took notice of 50 Cent and signed him to Columbia Records. They sent him to a studio in Upstate New York where he produced thirty-six songs in two weeks.[5] Eighteen were included on his unofficially released album, Power of the Dollar in 2000.[19] He also started the now-defunct Hollow Point Entertainment with former G-Unit affiliate Bang 'Em Smurf.[20][21]

50 Cent's popularity started to increase after the successful but controversial underground single, "How to Rob", which he wrote in half an hour while in a car on the way to a studio.[14][22] The track comically explains how he would rob famous artists. He explained the reasoning behind song's content as, "There's a hundred artists on that label, you gotta separate yourself from that group and make yourself relevant".[14] Rappers Jay-Z, Kurupt, Sticky Fingaz, Big Pun, DMX, Wyclef Jean and the Wu-Tang Clan replied to the song[22] and Nas, who received the track positively, invited 50 Cent to travel on a promotional tour for his Nastradamus album.[7] The song was intended to be released with "Thug Love" featuring Destiny's Child, but two days before he was scheduled to film the "Thug Love" music video, 50 Cent was shot and confined to a hospital due to his injuries.[23]

2000-2001: Shooting

On May 24, 2000, 50 Cent was attacked by a gunman, alleged to be Darryl "Hommo" Baum, outside his grandmother's former home in South Jamaica, Queens. He went into a friend's car, but was asked to return to the house to get jewelry. His son was in the house while his grandmother was in the front yard.[5] Upon returning to the back seat of the car, another car pulled up nearby. An assailant then walked up to 50 Cent's left side with a 9mm handgun and fired nine shots at close range. He was shot nine times: in the hand (a round hit his right thumb and came out of his little finger), arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek.[4][8][24] The face wound resulted in a swollen tongue, the loss of a wisdom tooth, and a small slur in his voice.[7][8][25] His friend also sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. They were driven to the hospital where 50 Cent spent thirteen days. Baum, the alleged shooter, was killed three weeks later.[26] Baum was also Mike Tyson's close friend and bodyguard.[27]

50 Cent recalled the incident saying, "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.'"[8] In his memoir, From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens, he wrote, "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life... How much more damage could that shell have done? Give me an inch in this direction or that one, and I'm gone".[1] He used a walker for the first six weeks and fully recovered after five months. When he left the hospital, he stayed in the Poconos with his then-girlfriend and son. His workout regime helped him attain his muscular physique.[4][8][28]

While in the hospital, 50 Cent signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records. However, he was dropped from the label and "blacklisted" in the recording industry because of his song "Ghetto Qu'ran". Unable to find a studio to work with in the U.S, he traveled to Canada.[29][30] Along with his business partner Sha Money XL, he recorded over thirty songs for mixtapes, with the purpose of building a reputation. 50 Cent's popularity rose and in 2002, he released material independently on the mixtape, Guess Who's Back?. Beginning to attract interest, and now backed by G-Unit, 50 Cent continued to make songs. They released the mixtape, 50 Cent Is the Future, revisiting material by Jay-Z and Raphael Saadiq.[19]

2002present: Rise to fame

In 2002, Eminem listened to a copy of 50 Cent's Guess Who's Back? CD. He received the CD through 50 Cent's attorney, who was working with Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg.[23] Impressed with the album, Eminem invited 50 Cent to fly to Los Angeles, where he was introduced to Dr. Dre.[4][17][23] After signing a one million dollar record deal,[17] 50 Cent released the mixtape, No Mercy, No Fear. It featured one new track, "Wanksta", which was put on Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack.[19] He was also signed to Chris Lighty's Violator Management and Sha Money XL's Money Management Group.

In February 2003, 50 Cent released his commercial debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Allmusic described it as "probably the most hyped debut album by a rap artist in about a decade".[31] Rolling Stone noted the album for its "dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce" with 50 Cent complementing the production in "an unflappable, laid-back flow".[32] It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 872,000 copies in the first four days.[33] The lead single, "In da Club", which The Source noted for its "blaring horns, funky organs, guitar riffs and sparse hand claps",[34] broke a Billboard record as the most listened-to song in radio history within a week.[35]

Interscope granted 50 Cent his own label, G-Unit Records in 2003.[36] He signed Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck as the established members of G-Unit. The Game was later signed under a joint venture with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. In March 2005, 50 Cent's second commercial album, The Massacre, sold 1.14 million copies in the first four daysthe highest in an abbreviated sales cycle[33] and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 for six weeks.[37] He became the first solo artist to have three singles on the Billboard top five in the same week with "Candy Shop", "Disco Inferno", and "How We Do".[38] Rolling Stone noted that "50's secret weapon is his singing voice  the deceptively amateur-sounding tenor croon that he deploys on almost every chorus".[39]

After The Game's departure, 50 Cent signed singer Olivia and rap veterans Mobb Deep to G-Unit Records. Spider Loc, M.O.P., and Young Hot Rod later joined the label.[40][41] 50 Cent expressed interest in working with rappers outside of G-Unit, such as Lil' Scrappy of BME, LL Cool J from Def Jam, Mase from Bad Boy, and Freeway of Roc-A-Fella, some of whom he recorded with.[42] In September 2007, he released his third album Curtis, which was inspired by his life before Get Rich or Die Tryin'.[43] It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 691,000 units in the first week,[44] behind Kanye West's Graduation, whom he had a sales competition with, as both albums were released on the same day. He confirmed on TRL on September 10, 2008 that his fourth studio album, Before I Self Destruct, will be "done and released in November". On May 18 2009, 50 cent released a song entitled "Ok, You're Right". The song was produced by Dr. Dre and will be included in Before I Self Destruct. In Fall 2009, 50 is set to appear in the new season of VH1's Behind The Music.

Non-musical projects

50 Cent has established himself in a variety of fields. In November 2003, he signed a five year deal with Reebok to distribute a "G-Unit Sneakers" line as part of his G-Unit Clothing Company.[45][46] He provided the voice-over as the protagonist in the video game, 50 Cent: Bulletproof, which was released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and the PlayStation Portable. Its sequel, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, was released in early 2009.[47][48] He worked with Glacéau to create a Vitamin Water drink called Formula 50. In 2007, Coca-Cola purchased Glacéau for US$4.1 billion. Forbes estimated 50 Cent, who owns a stake in the company, earned $100 million from the deal after taxes.[49] He has teamed up with Right Guard to launched a body spray called Pure 50 RGX Body Spray and a condom line called Magic Stick Condoms,[50] in which he planned to donate part of the proceeds to HIV awareness.[51] 50 Cent has signed a multi-year deal with Steiner Sports to sell his memorabilia.[52]

In 2005, 50 Cent made a cameo appearance on The Simpsons episode "Pranksta Rap", in which he makes light of his legal troubles. The same year, he starred alongside Terrence Howard in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin'. He starred in the 2006 film, Home of the Brave, as a soldier returning home from the Iraq War, traumatized after killing an Iraqi woman.[53] 50 Cent is working on a role as a fighter in an Angola State Prison in Spectacular Regret alongside Nicolas Cage, and starred opposite Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in 2008's Righteous Kill, a movie regarding a police death.[54] He also started the film production companies G-Unit Films in 2007 and Cheetah Vision in 2008.[55][56] In August 2007, 50 Cent announced plans to launch a dietary supplement company in conjunction with his movie Spectacular Regret.[57]

Shortly before appearing in Get Rich or Die Tryin', 50 Cent released a memoir about his life and how he became successful titled From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens. On January 4, 2007, he launched his G-Unit Books imprint at the Time Warner Building.[58] He also co-wrote The Ski Mask Way, a novel about a small-time drug dealer who attempts to rob his employers, which is to be turned into a film.[51] 50 Cent said he read Robert Greene's The 33 Strategies of War and worked with the author on a book titled The 50th Law, an urban take on The 48 Laws of Power.[51][59] In May 2008, Jackson met billionaire Patrice Motsepe to forge a joint venture selling 50 Cent-branded platinum.[60]

Jackson started a reality television show on MTV titled 50 Cent: The Money and the Power; the winning contestant won a $100,000 investment from Jackson. The Winners name is Ryan Mayberry.

Personal life

On October 13, 1997, 50 Cent's then-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins gave birth to a son, Marquise Jackson.[3][61] Tompkins later sued 50 Cent for $50 million dollars, claiming that he said that he would take care of her for life; the suit, which includes 15 claims was later dismissed by a judge, calling it "an unfortunate tale of a love relationship gone sour."[62] As of February 2009, Tompkins' and her lawyer are considering an appeal.[63]

The birth of his son changed 50 Cent's outlook on life: "when my son came into my life, my priorities changed, because I wanted to have the relationship with him, that I didnt have with my father".[64] He credited his son for inspiring his career and being "motivation to go in a different direction".[65]

50 Cent has a tattoo of "Marquise" with an axe on his right biceps. "The axe is 'cause I'm a warrior. I don't want him to be one, though",[30] he explains. He also has "50", "Southside", and "Cold World" inscribed on his back because "I'm a product of that environment. It's on my back, though, so it's all behind me".[30] 50 Cent dated actress Vivica A. Fox in 2003. After a few months, he announced their split up on the The Howard Stern Show when pictures from a photo shoot they did ended up on the cover of Today's Black Woman magazine without his knowledge.[66][67]

In 2005, 50 Cent expressed support for President George W. Bush after rapper Kanye West criticized him for the slow response in assisting the Hurricane Katrina victims.[68] If his felony convictions did not prevent him from voting, he claimed he would have voted for Bush.[69] He later stated that Bush "has less compassion than the average human. By all means, I dont aspire to be like George Bush".[70]

In 2007, Forbes recognized 50 Cent for his wealth, placing him second behind Jay-Z in the rap industry.[71] He resides in Farmington, Connecticut, in the former mansion of ex-boxer Mike Tyson.[72] He put the mansion for sale at US$18.5 million to move closer to his son who lives in Long Island with his ex-girlfriend.[73] On October 12, 2007, the Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut declared it "50 Cent Curtis Jackson Day". He was honored with a key to the city and an official proclamation.[74] One of his homes in New York purchased for 2.4 million dollars in January 2007 and at the center of a lawsuit between 50 Cent and ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins caught fire on May 31, 2008 while he was out of town filming for a movie in Louisiana.[75]

In December 2008 50 told the Canadian Press that he had already been hit by the recession, losing several million dollars on the stock market. He also went on to say that he had been unable to sell his Connecticut mansion and pushed Before I Self-Destruct back because of the recent economic downturn.[76]

Controversy

Murder Inc.

Before signing with Interscope, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized dispute with rapper Ja Rule and his label The Inc. Records (now The Inc.). 50 Cent claims that a friend robbed Ja Rule of his jewelry and that Ja Rule accused him of setting it up.[66] However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like seeing him "getting so much love" from the neighborhood.[77] In March 2000, while at The Hit Factory studio in New York, 50 Cent had an altercation with Murder Inc. associates. He was treated for three stitches after receiving a stab wound.[66][78] Rapper Black Child claimed responsibility for the stabbing, saying he acted in self-defense because he thought someone reached for a gun.[79]

In 2003, Ja Rule began attacking 50 Cent and Eminem in interviews, which lead 50 Cent to insult Murder Inc in the song "Back Down". In addition, Eminem, D12, and Obie Trice also began insulting Ja Rule on the "Invasion 2: The Conspiracy" mixtape. The rappers fired off at each other in "mixtapes" throughout 2003, which lead to Ja Rule's fifth album Blood In My Eye, which the album is dedicated in dissing G-Unit and Interscope. Although before the album was released Ja Rule met with Minster Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud. 50 Cent took it as a "publicity stunt" to boost sales for his album.

An affidavit by an IRS agent suggested that Murder Inc. had ties to Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, a New York drug lord who was suspected of being involved in the murder of Jam Master Jay and the shooting of 50 Cent. An excerpt of the affidavit read:

Jadakiss, Fat Joe & Nas

Before releasing The Massacre, 50 Cent recorded a song "Piggy Bank", a response to Ja Rule's song "New York", which was leaked before the album's release. The song takes aim at rappers including Fat Joe, Nas, & Jadakiss.[80] Fat Joe responded with a song, "My Fofo", accusing 50 Cent of taking steroids, hiding in his home, and being jealous of The Game. Jadakiss also responded with a song, "Checkmate", and said that 50 Cent was trying to "create a buzz for his new album".[81] The "Piggy Bank" music video portrays animated caricatures of Jadakiss (as a Ninja turtle), Fat Joe (as an overweight boxer who receives a knockout), Nas (as a kid chasing a "milkshake" truck in a Superman costume), and The Game (as Mr. Potato Head).[82] Kelis, Nas's wife, responded to the song on her single "Bossy." Nas later responded with "Don't Body Ya Self."

Jadakiss with Styles P later record three more diss song's "Shot's Fired", "Problem Child", and "Sorry Ms. Jackson". In addition 50 Cent and Tony Yayo responded with "I Run New York". Mainly dissing Jadakiss and D-Block, the track also takes shots at Fat Joe again, which lead to the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, while introducing the Reggaeton spot Fat Joe remarked during a performance, "I'd like to tell the people home I feel so safe tonight with all this police protection-courtesy of G-Unit". Later in the show, after G-Unit's performance, 50 Cent and Tony Yayo addressed the crowd with profanities directed at Fat Joe which were edited out before the shows airing although some broadcasts played the uncensored version of the show. Since then, Fat Joe released three more diss tracks "Victim", "Massacre of Fifty", and "Whip Your Head Boy".

50 Cent and Jadakiss ended their feud, but the feud with Fat Joe continued in 2008, when Fat Joe released his eighth solo studio album The Elephant in the Room contained various subliminals towards 50 Cent. As a response 50 Cent and G-Unit released "Elephant In The Sand" mixtape, the same day of Fat Joe release. The mixtape contained full-blown attacks at Fat Joe and Terror Squad. Shortly after record sales were released for Fat Joe's new album The Elephant in the Room, 50 Cent released a video via online, which features the "funeral" of Fat Joe, which shows 50 Cent crying in the fake footage. 50 Cent then talks about Fat Joe's record sales, and states that he ended Fat Joe's career (like he says he did to Ja Rule's) and that his mixtape blew out Fat Joe's album.[83]

The Game

Main article: G-Unit vs. The Game feud

50 Cent began a feud with The Game, with whom he was close before The Game released his debut album The Documentary. After its release, 50 Cent felt The Game was disloyal for saying he did not want to participate in G-Unit's feuds with other rappers and even wanting to work with artists they were feuding with. He also claimed that he wrote six songs on the album and was not receiving proper credit for his work, which The Game denied.[84]

50 Cent later dismissed The Game from G-Unit on Hot 97 radio. After the announcement, The Game, who was a guest earlier in the evening, attempted to enter the building with his entourage. After being denied entry, one of his associates was shot in the leg during a confrontation with a group of men leaving the building.[85][86] When the situation escalated, both rappers held a press conference to announce their reconciliation.[87] Fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt to boost the sales of the albums they had just released.[88] Nevertheless, even after the situation deflated,[89] G-Unit criticized The Game's street credibility. The group denounced The Game and announced that they will not be featured on his albums. During a Summer Jam performance, The Game launched a boycott of G-Unit called "G-Unot".[90]

After the Summer Jam performance, The Game released a track, "300 Bars and Runnin'", which addresses 50 Cent and G-Unit.[91] He continued his attacks in a Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin' DVD. After numerous songs aimed at G-Unit, 50 Cent responded to The Game's rebuttals on mixtapes. One track, "Not Rich, Still Lyin'", imitates The Game, attacks his credibility, and mentions his feud with his brother, Big Fase 100.[92]

The Game also released mixtape covers parodying the group. After he displayed pictures of G-Unit dressed up as the Village People, 50 Cent posted a cover of The Game's head on the body of a male stripper for "Hate It or Love It (G-Unit Radio Part 21)" mixtape.[93] Although he was signed to Aftermath Entertainment, The Game left the label and signed with Geffen Records to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit.[94] G-Unit artist Spider Loc and The Game had also began taking shots at each other. In February 2007, The Game and Young Buck got into a non-physical altercation at a club, during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas.

In July 2009, The Game stated the beef was squashed with help from Michael Jackson and Diddy.[95], and he apologized for his actions during the beef.[96] Tony Yayo said that neither 50 Cent or G-Unit would accept his apology.[97] Since then, The Game continued his old "G-Unot" ways at live concerts. It is speculated that 50 Cent will release a diss song on Before I Self Destruct targeting The Game and Young Buck.[98]

Rick Ross

In January 2009, Rick Ross started a feud with 50 Cent because he supposedly looked at him the wrong way at the BET Awards. However, 50 cent told news sources that he did not even remember seeing Rick Ross there.[99] In late January, a track entitled "Mafia Music" by Rick Ross, leaked onto the Internet. There were several lines that seem to diss 50 Cent. Days later, 50 Cent released "Officer Ricky (Go Head, Try Me)" in response to Rick Ross's disparaging remarks on his "Mafia Music" song. The next day Rick Ross appeared on Shade 45, gave 50 Cent 24 hours to come up with something better.

Before going to Venezuela, 50 Cent uploaded a video called "Warning Shot", where he insults Rick Ross. In addition, 50 Cent released the first of a series of "Officer Ricky" cartoons. Early February, 50 Cent once again made a video which he uploaded to YouTube where he interviews "Tia", the mother of one of Rick Ross's children. She verifies his being a correctional officer and claims his whole persona is fake and fraudulent.[100] On Thursday, February 5, 2009, The Game, who 50 Cent has a long-standing "beef" with, called up Seattle's KUBE 93 Radio Station. When asked about the beef between 50 Cent and Rick Ross, The Game sided with 50 Cent and said that things are not looking good for Rick Ross. However, he offered to help Rick Ross get out of this situation, stating "Rick Ross, holla at your boy, man," and, "50 eating you, boy". 50 Cent then starred in a video series called "Pimpin' Curly" insulting Rick Ross and DJ Khaled. As a response Rick Ross released "Kiss My Pinky Ring, Curly", 50 Cent and G-Unit responded with "I'll Be The Shooter" along with a video. Tuesday Feb 10th, Rick Ross releases a cartoon video called "Gay-Unit Workouts",[101] a along with a new diss track called "Push 'Em Over The Edge". 50 Cent responded with "Tia Told Me", Lloyd Banks' responded with "Officer Down", and Tony Yayo responded with "Somebody Snitched". Other G-Unit members Nyce and Mazaradi Fox also began dissing Rick Ross.[102] On his album Deeper Than Rap, Ross references 50 Cent in the song "In Cold Blood". A video for the song was released that portrayed 50 Cent's mock funeral. Upon release, Ross stated that he has ended 50 Cent's career.[103] Rick Ross continued dissing 50 Cent and G-Unit in various other songs including collaborating with Bang Em Smurf, who was once apart of G-Unit.

In March, 50 released a sex tape to the internet which included the mother of Rick Ross's child, yet filmed with another man. The woman was identified as "Brooke" by the "Double R" tattoo on her chest, who is the mother of Ross' youngest child. 50, wearing a wig, proceeded to narrate the film, verbally attacking Ross.[104] Some have commented on Rick Ross being the Gusto of Hip-hop. In an interview, 50 Cent said, Rick Ross is "Albert From CB4. You ever seen the movie? He's Albert," he added. "It never gets worse than this. You get a guy that was a correctional officer come out and base his entire career on writing material from a drug dealer's perspective such as "Freeway" Ricky Ross".[105]

Since then Rick Ross released a remix to "Mafia Music" featuring The Game, Fat Joe, and Ja Rule, all except The Game took shots at 50 Cent. Rick Ross also told sources that his next target could be Eminem, and also criticized Dr. Dre for his work with 50 Cent.

Other feuds

Bang 'Em Smurf and 50 Cent were very close friends together. When Bang 'Em Smurf was arrested for possession of a firearm, he was expecting 50 Cent to come bail him out, which 50 Cent didn't. Bang 'Em Smurf had to mortgage his own mothers house to pay for bail. While Bang 'Em Smurf was imprisoned, Domination started to record diss records against 50 Cent's disrespect. 50 Cent responded with "These Niggaz Ain't Hood" and "Sleep."

50 Cent spoke negatively about Bad Boy Entertainment mogul Sean Combs and recorded a song, "Hip-Hop", revealing the reasons behind his negative feelings: primarily, a contract dispute over Mase. In the song, he implied that Diddy knew about The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder and threatened to expose him through former associates.[106] The feud was resolved, with both rappers appearing on MTV's TRL and Sucker Free, respectively, stating that there were no longer problems.[107]

On February 1, 2007, Cam'ron and 50 Cent had a live argument on The Angie Martinez Show on Hot 97 radio. 50 Cent commented that Koch Entertainment was a "graveyard", meaning major record labels would not work with their artists.[108] Cam'ron then ridiculed the record sales of G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Mobb Deep by stating that Jim Jones outsold their albums despite being signed to an independent label and that his group, The Diplomats, had a distribution deal from several labels.[108] Both rappers released "diss" songs with videos on YouTube. 50 Cent suggested in "Funeral Music" that Cam'ron is no longer able to lead The Diplomats and that Jim Jones should take his place. Cam'ron responded with "Curtis" and "Curtis Pt. II", in which he makes fun of 50 Cent's appearance, calling him "a gorilla, with rabbit teeth".[109] 50 Cent responded by releasing "Hold On" with Young Buck.

After hearing word that Lil Wayne had prepared a song for him after 50 made some unkind remarks, 50 lashed out at Wayne first on August 17 2007 with the song "Part Time Lover".[110] Wayne never really responded to the song, although a 50 Cent diss track called "Louisianimal" did leak much later on November 17, 2008.[111] 50 Cent responded to Lil Wayne in January 2009 in a song entitled "Play This On The Radio".[112] As of August 14, 2009, the controversy between 50 Cent and Lil Wayne seems to have ended after 50 Cent appeared and performed at Lil Wayne's America's Most Wanted Musical Festival stop in Anaheim, California.[113]

One of the biggest broadcasters in the UK Charlie Brooker has launched a stinging attack on 50 cent, labelling the rapper a sodomite on the BBC.[114]

Lawsuit

On July 21, 2007, 50 Cent filed a US$1 million lawsuit against advertising company Traffix Inc. of Pearl River, New York for using his image in a promotion which he claims threatens his safety. He became aware of the internet ad after one of his staff members saw it on a MySpace page. According to court documents, the ad features a cartoon image of the rapper and the message: "shoot the rapper and you will win $5000 or five ring tones guaranteed". Though the ad did not use his name, the image allegedly intended to resemble him, suggesting he endorsed the ad. The lawsuit calls it a "vile, tasteless and despicable" use of 50 Cent's image that "quite literally calls for violence against him". The lawsuit seeks for unspecified punitive damages and a permanent injunction against the use of his image without permission.[115][116]

Discography

Main article: 50 Cent discography
  • Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)
  • The Massacre (2005)
  • Curtis (2007)
  • Before I Self Destruct (2009)

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by 50 Cent

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2003 50 Cent: The New Breed Himself Documentary DVD
2005 The Simpsons Himself TV series (one episode: "Pranksta Rap")
Get Rich or Die Tryin' Marcus Film debut
50 Cent: Bulletproof Himself Video game, voice only
2006 Home of the Brave Jamal Aiken
2007 De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7 Himself TV series (one episode: "Episode #1.1")
2008 Righteous Kill Spider
Before I Self Destruct[117] Clarence
50 Cent: The Money and the Power Himself TV series (one episode: "Choose Your Crew Wisely")
2009 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand Himself Video game, voice only
Streets of Blood Stan Johnson Completed
Entourage Himself TV series (one episode: "One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car")
Modern Warfare 2[118][119] Soldier Video game, voice only
Dead Man Running[120] Thigo Post-production
Everything's Alright[121] Amos Jenks In production
Caught in the Crossfire[122] Tino Post-production, executive producer
2010 13 Jimmy Post-production
The Dance[123] Announced
The Ski Mask Way[124] Seven Pre-production
Twelve[123] Lionel Post-production
Jekyll and Hyde[125] Pre-production
Morning Glory[126] Himself In production

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 [1]. Billboard biography
  2. Thornburgh, Nathan (September 10, 2007). 10 Questions for 50 Cent. Time. Accessed September 13, 2007.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Campion, Chris (August 21, 2005). Right on the money. The Observer. Accessed May 22, 2007.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Touré (April 3, 2003). The Life of a Hunted Man. Rolling Stone. Accessed May 22, 2007.
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  52. Black Widow (May 4, 2008). 50 Cent Inks Deal With Steiner Sports To Sell Memorabilia. SixShot. Accessed July 15, 2008.
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  57. Jokesta (August 21, 2007). 50 Cent launches dietary supplement company. Def Sounds. Accessed August 21, 2007.
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  114. Template error: argument title is required.
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