His lockjaw delivery makes him look as gangsta as Marlon "the Godfather" Brando, but 50 Cent is no actor, folks. In fact, his unique articulation has to do with a hole in his jaw, the result of having taken a bullet in the face (along with eight other shots taken to the rest of his body). He managed to defeat the odds by leaving the street hustle behind before it was too late, transforming his life of crime into a profession in rhyme. Whether rapping about the streets, the clubs, or even certain candy shops, 50 has quickly emerged as one of hip-hop's most dominant and talked about superstars to date.
Born Curtis Jackson, the New York native was raised in a drug-infested area of South Jamaica, Queens, and so, naturally, he was introduced to the negative side of the ghetto at an early age. 50 never knew his father, and his mother was a crack cocaine dealer and addict who was murdered in her own home by an unknown assailant at the age of 23. Only 8 years old at the time, 50 moved in with his grandparents, where he eventually followed in the footsteps of his mother by the age of 12. In tenth grade, he was arrested and given juvenile probation for possession of narcotics. 50 dropped out of school shortly thereafter. He continued his hustle, but the law caught up with him again, this time twice in a matter of three weeks. Perhaps these arrests put things in perspective for young 50, because soon after, he began to show an interest in writing rhymes with a few of his buddies. One of his crew introduced him to the late Jam Master Jay of Run-D.M.C., who showed 50 the ropes and produced a few unreleased tracks for him.
Never losing focus, 50 moved on and recorded another album, Power of the Dollar, this time with Columbia Records. But two months before he was set to debut in 2000, he suffered those infamous nine point-blank gunshot wounds and was dropped from his label as a result. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however. Although the Power of the Dollar album was shelved, its catchiest single, "How to Rob," was featured in countless mix tapes circulating across the East Coast. And they inevitably made it to the West Coast and onto the Internet. The song became a turning point in 50's career. In it, he paints portraits of how he'd stick up random celebrities, from Mariah Carey to members of the Wu-Tang Clan to even Jay-Z. The single sparked not only controversy within the industry but also extreme popular demand from hip-hop fans.
His budding popularity, legendary invulnerability to bullets, and expertise in verbal assaults earned him the right to sign with Eminem and Dr. Dre in 2003. In doing so, he's sold more albums in two years (Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre) than most artists in any music genre can dream of selling in their entire careers. GameSpot recently filmed exclusive interviews with 50 Cent, the G-Unit, and the producer of the upcoming video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof. Watch the videos in this special feature for the latest on the world's premier rapper and his new video game. Sign me up to receive email updates on the latest news, contests and videos for 50 Cent and other Interscope Records artists.





Welcome to the wonderful world of music. As you begin... Read More
These practice tips were written for fiddlers. I've used them... Read More
When you first learn how to use a mixing console,... Read More
With the increased proliferation of online guitar and musical equipment... Read More
Chord symbols (for example, Fm7, Cmaj7 or G6) are a... Read More
Piano lessons for adults is generally LOTS more fun than... Read More
Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide... Read More
Q. My children are very interested in playing music. Is... Read More
It may surprise many to find that the hobby of... Read More
Oh, I know the last part of the title (Suck)... Read More
One of the reasons I picked up the violin was... Read More
All through the age's music and spirituality as served hand... Read More
The Open Position Chord (OPC) allows you to create a... Read More
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a... Read More
It's all over the news these days. Download music from... Read More
Way back in November I found myself at the Casby... Read More
A debate rages on in the drumming world! You might... Read More
In many years of arranging jazz bands for all sorts... Read More
I met New York jazzman Tim Armacost in college almost... Read More
Celebrities now such as Outkast, a fashion wear can be... Read More
The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way... Read More
The idea originated with singer Jon Bon Jovi. Jon kept... Read More
Do you remember finger-painting as a child? How fun it... Read More
Getting ready for any type of guitar performance can be... Read More
All right, folks, here you go: My 12 reasons why... Read More
Many piano students spend much time learning how to play... Read More
Released in 2003, Pass the Flask turned this little quintet... Read More
Learning fiddle tab is so intuitive and so easy that... Read More
To avoid any sort of injuries when playing guitar a... Read More
One of the rules of practicing we all hear over... Read More
Celebrities now such as Outkast, a fashion wear can be... Read More
Some people think composing is this miraculous thing that only... Read More
We all have so many critical voices in our heads.Telling... Read More
There are essentially two ways to learn piano - note... Read More
Are you a perfectionist? Does every note have to sound... Read More
The gong is one of the oldest musical instruments in... Read More
Most of the guitar lovers playing guitar for few years... Read More
I have always had a big problem with my addiction... Read More
In the last article, the creation of a theme, its... Read More
"I don't like to go into the studio with all... Read More
Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide... Read More
Ideally each page of your website should serve a specific... Read More
Piano arranging is the process by which you take a... Read More
Every once in a while a band comes along that... Read More
As an amateur songwriter, who struggles with a computer far... Read More
Every once in awhile a guitar student will express a... Read More
I can't believe how much of the year has gone... Read More
Playing the ModesWhen I used to use this pack with... Read More
Did you know that the health and beauty of your... Read More
Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More
|
|