50 Cent

Biography

Curtis James Jackson III, widely recognized as 50 Cent, was born on July 6, 1975, in Queens, New York City. He embarked on his music career in 1996, and by 1999-2000, he had recorded his first album, *Power of the Dollar*, under Columbia Records. However, a life-altering event occurred in May 2000 when he was shot nine times, leading to the album's cancellation and his subsequent dismissal from the label. In 2002, Jackson's mixtape, *Guess Who's Back?*, caught the attention of Detroit rapper Eminem, who subsequently signed him to Shady Records, a subsidiary of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.

His debut studio album, *Get Rich or Die Tryin’*, released in 2003, was met with widespread acclaim and commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 chart and producing hit singles like "In da Club" and "21 Questions" (featuring Nate Dogg). The album received a nonuple platinum certification from the RIAA. That same year, he established G-Unit Records, representing the hip-hop collective he had formed earlier, which included fellow East Coast artists Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Jackson's follow-up album, *The Massacre* (2005), continued his success with the number-one single "Candy Shop" (featuring Olivia). However, his subsequent projects, *Curtis* (2007) and *Before I Self Destruct* (2009), saw a decline in critical and commercial reception. Seeking to return to his roots, he released *Animal Ambition* in 2014, which garnered mixed reviews.

In addition to his music career, Jackson has made a significant mark in television, executive producing and starring in the series *Power* (2014–2020) and its spin-offs through G-Unit Films and Television Inc. Over his career, he has