50 Cent

Background

Rapper and business mogul 50 Cent is a name everyone in the U.S. music industry knows. His fan base spans all ages, genders, and races. On July 6, 1975, 50 Cent was born as Curtis James Jackson III, making his zodiac sign Cancer. He was born in Queens, a borough in New York City, and spent his childhood in the borough’s South Jamaican neighborhood. His mother, Sabrina, was a drug dealer who died in a fire when Jackson was only eight years old. Jackson never met his father and after his mother died, he was raised by his grandmother. His childhood was challenging, and he took up boxing and drug dealing when he was still in primary school. Despite this, he successfully earned his GED, an alternative to a high school diploma. His name was inspired by 1980s Brooklyn robber, Kevin Martin, who was also known as 50 Cent. He said he 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.”

When 50 Cent was in his late teens, he began an amateur rap career. At the age of 21, he met D.J. Jam Master Jay of the hip-hop group Run-DMC. Jay taught him many important aspects of songwriting and music production, such as how to structure songs, write choruses, count bars, and make records. In 2000, 50 Cent recorded his first album, “Power of the Dollar,” but it was never released. However, the lead single from the album, ‘How to Rob,’ was released commercially and found great success. Jackson’s official debut mixtape, “Guess Who’s Back?” was released in 2002, contributing to his rise to fame.

Eminem, another rapper, heard the mixtape and was so impressed that he flew 50 Cent out to meet producer, Dr. Dre. In 2003, 50 Cent released his debut album titled “Get Rich Or Die Tryin,’” which became an instant commercial success. Two years later, he released “The Massacre,” his second commercially successful album. His 2007 album, “Curtis,” was the second best-selling album of the year, trailing only rapper Kanye West’s “Graduation.”

He released his fourth album, “Before I Self Destruct” in 2009, which deviated from his regular sound and received mixed reviews. So for his fifth album, “Animal Ambition” released in 2014, he returned to his roots. That same year, he executive-produced and starred in “Power,” a television series that ran for six seasons. 

The rapper has won numerous awards, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, and more. In 2023, Billboard ranked him as the 17th best rapper of all time on their “50 Greatest rappers” list. Additionally, they named him the sixth top artist of the 2000s decade.

50 Cent has been involved in several business ventures. In 2003, he established his record label, G-Unit Records, named after the East Coast rap group of the same name, of which he was a key member. He also launched a clothing company based on the group and in 2003, he partnered with Reebok to release a line of G-Unit sneakers. Additionally, he has a publishing company called G-Unit Books and a film production company called G-Unit Films, both named after his rap group. He is an avid gym-goer and a health-conscious individual. In 2004, he partnered with the bottled water company Glaceau to release an enhanced water drink named Formula 50. He also serves as a spokesperson for another bottled water brand, Vitamin Water. He is also licensed to promote boxing in New York.

He is currently dating Cuban Link, an Instagram celebrity and model. They stepped out publicly in 2019 when they attended the premiere of the sixth season of “Power.”