Probably one of the most popular rap artists that the world has seen in the last two decades, 50 Cent has a massive following across the globe. The rap game brought the young man from Queens into the spotlight and he has since established himself as a man with a persona that has resonated with his fan-base.
Over the years, 50 Cent has reinvented himself somewhat. He has ventured into business, television production, investment (real estate, companies, stocks, and bonds) and acting. In all of these fields, he has shown himself adept and quite capable.
50 Cent’s Background and His Rise to Fame
50 Cent was born on July 6, 1975, in the difficult South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York. His full name at birth was Curtis James Jackson III. He was raised by a single mom, Sabrina Jackson in South Jamaica. Jackson was introduced to a life of crime from a very early age with his mother being a drug dealer. She died in a fire when he was only eight and he went to live with his grandmother.
The young Jackson began selling drugs when he was 12 and bought his first gun at 15. He wanted to be a boxer and so he began fighting at the junior level. He had a few skirmishes with the law in his late teens and got arrested a couple of times. Heroin and crack were found at his place when it was raided. At this point, he was the neighborhood drug kingpin racking in as much as $150,000 a month. He has been shot nine times and in 2000, he suffered a severe shooting accident but recovered from his injuries. He got sentenced for three to nine years but eventually went to boot camp and got his GED.
50 Cent got introduced to Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC. Jay liked what he saw from the young rapper and helped him produce an album that was never released. When he signed with Columbia label, he recorded the album, Power of the Dollar but it was never released with the songs adjudged to be showing off the rapper’s confrontational style.
He formed a group named G-Unit with his friends: Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Their music caught the attention of Eminem and Dr. Dre and the pair helped him produce his debut album. That album was Get Rich or Die Tryin’, released in 2003. The songs were fueled by stories from his days in a life of crime, guns, and drugs, predominantly real-life stories. His style seemed to resonate with his listeners and the album was a massive success, selling 9 million copies.
In 2005, he released yet another hit album with a musical style not so different from the first album. The album Beg for Mercy was good as well, with 5 million copies sold. The albums that would follow, like Curtis in 2007 and Before I Self-Destruct in 2009 would not pull as much weight as his earlier days. But at that point, 50 Cent was already an established figure in the entertainment industry.
What are His Other Sources of Income?
Very few modern-day artists have business interests as diverse as 50 Cent. His business ventures cut across mobile apps, dietary supplements, television, film production, footwear, apparel, fragrances, liquor, book publishing, headphones, video games and health drinks.
- He invested in a soda company, Glacéau and when the company was sold to Coca-Cola in 2007, it netted him $100 million after taxes.
- SMS Audio is a successful headphones franchise that proved to be one of his brighter ideas. 50 Cent picked up roles in movies like Escape Plan in 2013, Spy and Southpaw in 2015 and more recently Den of Thieves in 2018.
- He also starred in the television series Power.
- In a visit to South Africa in 2008, 50 Cent began to explore the possibility of investing in mining diamonds and platinum after a meeting with South African mining tycoon Patrice Motsepe.
- 50 Cent is the Founder of G-Unity Foundation Inc.,
- CEO of SMS Promotions,
- Founder of Founder of SK Energy
- He also owns Sire Spirits and has substantial stake in Effen Vodka
50 Cent’s Family and Baby Mama Drama
50 Cent has never been married. He has, however, seen his fair share of romance and its nasty downside as well. Cent has a son born to him by his then-girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins on October 13, 1996. The boy’s name is Marquise Jackson. The relationship with Shaniqua has however soured over the years and she sued him for $50 million claiming he promised to take care of her for life. The suit was dismissed in court. Marquise’s birth did help Jackson settle down somewhat.
The star rapper has also dated model Daphne Joy. The pair had a son together, Jackson’s second who was born on September 1, 2012. The boy’s name is Sire Jackson. Daphne accused Jackson of kicking her and ransacking her place during an argument in her condominium in Los Angeles. He reportedly caused damages worth $7,100.
Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.
