Grimy, streetwise and absolutely fearless, "50 Cent," born Curtis Jackson.

Authors Avatar

Grimy, streetwise and absolutely fearless, “50 Cent,” born Curtis Jackson, has dealt with more in his 26 years than most deal with in an entire lifetime. Raised without a father, Curtis lost his mother when she was found dead of "mysterious circumstances" before he was a teenager and the orphaned rapper was taken in by his grandparents. , Curtis is a man of the street, intimately familiar with its codes and its violence, but still, Curtis, an incredibly intelligent and deliberate man, holds himself with a regal air as if above the pettiness which surrounds him. Couple his true-life hardship with his knack for addictive syrupy hooks, it's clear that Curtis has exactly what it takes to ride down the road to the riches and diamond rings. Curtis is real, so he does real things.

Join now!

 After a crash course in street life on the infamous New York Avenue, “50 Cent” amassed a heavy rep and a lengthy rap sheet. It wasn't until his son was born that Curtis entered the rap game with the intent to win. Then, in April of 2000, he was shot nine times, including a nine millimeter bullet to the face. He spent the next few months recovering and his record company promptly dropped him from their label. They did not have faith in him and believed that he is not worth having anymore not knowing that they made the biggest ...

This is a preview of the whole essay