Facts:
- 50 Cent's real name is Curtis Jackson.
- The name 50 Cent is a metaphor for change and was also the name of a notorious Brooklyn drug dealer.
- His mom, Sabrina, gave birth to him when she was only 15. She sold drugs, which later made it easier for 50 to get involved with dealing.
- She was killed at the age of 22, 50 was only 8 years old.
- At the age of 12 he started selling drugs.
- He used to be a boxer.
- He was discovered by Jam Master Jay.
- 50 Cent signed a deal with Columbia Records in 1999 with the help of The Trackmasters.
- On May 24 2000, he was shot in front of his grandma's home on 161st Street in the Jamaica section of Queens NY. He got into a friend's car, then was asked to go back in to get some jewelry. When he returned and slid into the car, another car pulled up. Someone crawled out of the back and came up on 50's left side with a gun cocked. A few weeks later, the shooter was murdered. 50 denies responsibility. He was shot 9 times, in the jaw, hand, chest, and legs at close range, and spent 13 days in the hospital.
- When 50 was shot in the face his jaw had to be wired shut for six weeks, and he lost over 60 pounds.
- Power Of The Dollar, was never released by Columbia. He signed a new deal with Warner/Chappell while he was in the hospital for $250,000.
- The deal fell through and he got to keep half of his advance from the record company.
- Ja Rule was stabbed at a Queens club and suspected 50 Cent was behind the attack. His crew retaliated by stabbing 50 outside the Hit Factory recording studio in 2000.
- His underground album "Guess Who's Back?" sold 70,000 copies on the independent label Full Clip Records.
- After underground success in June of 2002, 50 Cent was signed by Shady/Aftermath Records with the help of Eminem.
- The tracks 'Wanksta', 'Love Me', and 'Places To Go' were all on the 8 Mile soundtrack released in October 2002.
- 50 Cent was arrested for gun possession in New York in December 2002.
- In January 2003 a performance in San Francisco by 50 Cent had to be cancelled after thousands of fans without tickets showed up outside the concert hall.
- He drives a bulletproof and bombproof Jeep Cherokee. He also has a Mercedes G-500, BP Suburban, and a motorcycle.
- There are always at least four to six body guards with 50.
- He has a jacket with '50 Cent' on the back that has a line through the 'C'.
- In February 2003 50 topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles, Top 40, and R&B/Hip-Hop charts with his single 'In Da Club'.
- 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'' includes guest appearances from Eminem, Nate Dogg, Young Buck, and Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks of G-Unit.
Get Rich Or Die Tryin was produced by Dr. Dre and Eminem.
- Get Rich sold over 872,000 copies in its first week and topped the Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts an the LP charts in Canada.
- Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts an the LP charts in Canada. It's also the best-selling debut album since 1991 and sold more than all the other top 10 albums for that week combined.
- 50's favorite song from Get Rich or Die Tryin is 'Many Men'. His favorite musicians are 2 Pac, Notorious B.I.G., and Eminem. One of his favorite shows is Chappelle's Show.
- 50 Cent topped the Billboard Year-End Charts in 2003 as the Top Pop Artist (singles & albums), Top Pop Artist - Male (singles & albums),Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Billboard 200 Album Artist - Male, Top Hot 100 Singles Artist, Top Hot 100 Singles Artist - Male, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist (singles & albums), Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist - Male (singles & albums), Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist - Male, Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Artist, Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Artist - Male, Top Hot Rhythmic Top 40 Artist, Top Hot Rap Artist - and with the Top Billboard 200 Album Artist and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album (Get Rich Or Die Tryin''), and the Top Hot 100 Singles & Tracks, Top Hot 100 Airplay Track, Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, and Top Hot Rap Single ("In Da Club").
- He had the biggest selling LP of 2003 - Get Rich Or Die Tryin' - which sold over 6.5 million copies during the year in the US.
- 50 Cent had the Top Music Video Sales title of the year (2003) with The New Breed.
- Readers of Rolling Stone named 50 Cent as the Best New Artist
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