50 cent

50 cent" redirects here. For the currency amount, see 50 cents.
"Curtis Jackson" redirects here. For other uses, see Curtis Jackson (disambiguation).
50 Cent

Background information
Birth name
Curtis James Jackson III
Born
July 6, 1975 (1975-07-06) (age 32)
Origin
New York City, New York,United States
Genre(s)
Hip hop
Occupation(s)
Rapper, actor, entrepreneur
Years active
1998 – present
Label(s)
Jam Master Jay, Columbia, Aftermath, G-Unit, Interscope, Shady, Violator
Associatedacts
G-Unit, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mobb Deep
Website
www.50cent.com
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975),[1] better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame following the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. 50 Cent achieved multi-platinum success with both albums, selling over twenty-one million records worldwide.[2]
Born in South Jamaica, Queens in New York, 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 nine times in 2000. After releasing his mixtape 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. Dre—who produced his first major commercial successes—he became one of the highest selling rap artists in the world. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. 50 Cent has engaged in numerous feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, The Game, and Fat Joe.
50 Cent has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005 and the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006.