He’s the baddest man in Hip Hop who hustled his way to the top. But for 50 Cent success didn’t come easy. His mother’s murder was just the beginning. Dealing crack he played a dangerous game until he found a new hustle, music. Bringing his street edge to the rap world 50 Cent took on all challengers. Collecting enemies he became a marked man. And 9 bullets nearly ended it all. 50 came out the other side stronger and more determined. Turning his anguish into fame and fortune. Never afraid, never backing down 50 Cent has lived by his own notorious words, Get Rich or Die Trying. 50 Cent net worth today is $260 million from investments, album sales and endorsement deals worth $30 million.
He was born Curtis Jackson III in the South side of Jamaica Queens. His mother was only 15. He had never met his father. Curtis’ mom Sabrina wasn’t around much. She didn’t see public assistance as an option so she sold drugs on the streets of Queens. She carried large sums of money and every time she say Curtis it was Christmas to him. One day when he was 8 she didn’t show up for a family visit. His aunt and uncle went to her apartment and his uncle found her laying dead on the floor. Someone had drugged her and left the gas on. She had been there for days and her body was decomposed when the authorities got to her.
The way Curtis dealt with it was by acting out. By the time he was 12 he was following in his mother’s footsteps. A drug dealer was showing him the ropes. He wanted to continue having the things his mother had once supplied for him. 50 Cent began by selling 3.5 grams of cocaine. In the late 80’s Jamaica Queens was the epicenter of New York’s crack epidemic. Curtis did what it took to survive in the neighborhood to impose a greater threat he joined a neighborhood boxing class. To further defend himself he got his hands on a gun. 50 Cent’s family saw his lifestyle start to change. When he was with his family he was the same but his family heard stories of his hustle and criminal experiences in the streets.
When he was 14 Curtis was arrested for bringing drugs into school. A judge sentenced him to rehab where he quickly learned to hustle the system. At 17 50 Cent was busted again when cops searched his home and found heroine, cocaine and $15,000 in cash. His grandfather tried to tame him but he continued his lifestyle and became a disappointment to his family who watched his mom Sabrina go down the same path. The charges could have sent him to prison for 9 years but as a teen facing his first felony charged he was offered an alternative to serve 6 months in a military camp.
Curtis went back to dealing but he knew his luck would run out eventually. It was time for a radical change of plans and inspired by rappers who turned their stories into gritty stories for hard cold cash he went into rapping. 50 Cent told his family his probation officer suggested he go for it. He had a chance meeting with J from Run DMC in a night club. Curtis recorded a rough demo track for J and what he heard was raw and very real. He saw potential and signed him to a deal. 50 Cent was on his way to something major.
By 1996 he changed his image from hustler to street rapper. He took the name form a well known street artist named 50 Cent. It was a metaphor for change. When he was 22 he and his girlfriend had a baby named Marquee. 50 gave up dealing drugs and sold off everything he had to support his family. Two years passed progress was slow and 50 was frustrated he didn’t have Jay’s undivided attention. Coming out a barbershop was another music producer Corey Rooney who he played his mixtape for. He immediately signed to Columbia records but most of his advance went to buying out the Jay contract. He went back to being broke and started doing what he knew how to do. Columbia Records shelved his album for 2 years.
Letting out his frustrations with the lackluster growth of his career he went into the studio himself and dropped a lyrical assault on the biz. How To Rob a track about music stars dissing almost everyone. Some of the biggest artist in the industry Jay-Z, DMX and Big Pun responded and it drew the attention of hip hop fans. One of his enemies he made was Ja Rule another Queens rapper. One of his friends robbed Ja Rule. He put the beef on record with the song “Your Life’s On The Line.” They met face to face in Atlanta and both of them got into a physical fight. The violence escalated in 2000 when Ja made a visit to 50’s studio in Queens. The brawl escalated and 50 got stabbed.
50 Cent Shot 9 Times In Front of His Grandma
His rep was growing as raps new bad boy and people were coming after him. May 24, 2000 outside his grandma’s house in Queens it finally caught up with him. He got into the backseat of a friends car and another car pulled up beside them. Shots rang out and his grandmother witnessed it. When he tried to retaliate he was hit in his thumb, face, and everyone. Blood gushed all over the backseat while friends rushed him to a hospital. He was rushed into surgery with the chance of death. He faced his darkest hour.
After recovering he left the hospital and recruited to Pennsylvania where his girlfriend was staying. 50 began rebuilding his body. When he came back around after the shooting he transformed his physique to much more muscular and he was ready to take over hip hop. But Columbia records was worried with all the controversy and let him go. He approached other labels but executives were nervous to take him on the with reputation he had acquired. 50 Cent began working with P. Diddy as a songwriter but Diddy became anxious after finding out he was packing. He never called him again.
50 Cent started releasing mixtapes. He formed the group G-Unit with two friends form the neighborhood including Lloyd Banks. After the group started performing locally they grew a heavy fan base and got records all over the place. Eminem who recently formed Shady Records got hold of Guess Who’s back Mixtape and fell in love withe very record. Eminem put the song Wanksta on the Eight Mile soundtrack and the song blew up.
He quickly became the hottest artist in Hip Hop. His debut album sold over 1 million copies in the first week. After months of an unprecedented amount of hype and buzz it was no wonder his first efforts were set at high standards. He continued selling millions of albums with The Massacre, Curtis and several other number 1 albums.
What took his net worth above and beyond was his investment in Vitamin Water. He was one of the few investors and put up $100,000 in manufacturing the bottle waters. That results in him owning 4% of the company. The company sold to Coca Cola for $4 billion. He got $100 million from the deal.
