50 Cent

Posted on 01.6.2002

50 Cent
Real Name : Curtis Jackson
Birthday : July 6, 1976
Hometown : Queens, New York

50 Cent Biography:

More so than any other music since the blues, hip-hop is all about stories. And its stories are both criminal minded and grand, making them enthralling and unbelievable, but also making them only as interesting and convincing as the teller. That’s why, despite being blackballed by the industry, without a major-label recording contract, heads still gravitated to Jamaica, Queens’ realest son, 50 Cent, like the planets to the sun. 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson 26 years ago, is the real deal, the genuine article. He’s a man of the streets, intimately familiar with its codes and its violence, but still, 50cent, 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 50 Cent has exactly what it takes to ride down the road to riches and diamond rings. 50 cent is real, so he does real things.

Born into a notorious Queens drug dynasty during the late ’70s, 50 Cent lost those closest to him at an early age. Raised without a father, 50 cent’s mother, whose name carried weight in the street (hint, hint, dummies), was found dead under mysterious circumstances before he could hit his teens. The orphaned youth was taken in by his grandparents, who provided for 50 cent. But his desire for things would drive him to the block. Which in his case was the infamous New York Avenue, now known as Guy R. Brewer Blvd. There, 50cent stepped up to get his rep up, amassing a small fortune and a lengthy rap sheet. But the birth of his son put things in perspective for the post adolescent, and 50cent began to pursue rap seriously. He signed with JMJ, the label of Run DMC DJ Jam Master Jay and began learning his trade. JMJ would teach the young buck to count bars and structure songs. Unfortunately, caught up in industry limbo, there wasn’t much JMJ could do for 50 cent.

The platinum hitmakers Trackmasters took notice of 50 cent and signed him to Columbia Records in 1999. They shipped 50 cent to Upstate NY where they locked him up in the studio for 2 1/2 weeks. He turned out 36 songs in this short period, which resulted in "Power Of A Dollar," an unreleased masterpiece that Blaze Magazine judged a classic. 50 cent’s stick up kid anthem "How to Rob" blew through the roof and playfully painted him as a deliriously hungry up-and-comer daydreaming of robbing famous rappers. But 50 cent and the fans were the only ones laughing. Unable to take a joke, Jay-Z, Big Pun, Sticky Fingaz, and Ghostface Killah all replied to the song. "It wasn’t personal. It was comedy based on truth, which made it so funny," says 50 Cent.

In April of ’00, 50 cent was shot 9 times, including a .9mm bullet to the face, in front of his grandmothers house in Queens. He spent the next few months in recovery while Columbia Records dropped him from the label. 50cent didn’t fold, he flew. Right into the zone. He banged out track after track, despite no income or backing, with his new business partner and friend Sha Money XL. The two recorded over 30 songs, strictly for mix-tapes, with the soul purpose of building a buzz. 50 cent’s street value rose and by the end of the spring of ’01 he’d released the new material independently on the makeshift LP, "Guess Who’s Back?". Beginning to attract interest, and now backed by his crew, G-Unit, 50 cent stayed on his grind and made more songs. But it was different this time. Rather than create new songs as they had before, 50 cent decided to showcase his hit-making ability by retouching first-class beats which had already been used. They released the red, white and blue bootleg, "50 Cent Is the Future," revisiting material by Jay-Z and even Rapheal Saadiq.

That’s when the unbelievable happened, and hip-hop history was written. The energetic CD caught the ear of supa MC Eminem, and within a week Em was on the radio saying, ’50 Cent is my favorite rapper right now.’ Em looked to mentor Dr. Dre to confirm his belief in the young hitmaker, and the good doctor co-signed. Floored by the appreciation of the greats, 50cent didn’t hesitate in signing with the dream team. In the wake of his acquisition, 50 Cent has become the most sought after newcomer in almost a decade. Not since the summer of ’94, when radio would play absolutely anything Notorious B.I.G. related, has hip-hop seen buzz like this.

Ever the clever businessman, 50 cent didn’t let the opportunity escape him and quickly released another bootleg of borrowed beats, "No Mercy, No Fear." The CD featured only one new track, "Wanksta," which was certainly not intended for radio, but the streets couldn’t wait for the official single and within weeks "Wanksta" became New York’s most requested record. Thankfully, the stellar cut has found a home on the multi-platinum soundtrack to Eminem’s smash movie, "8 Mile." With several huge hits already under his belt, 50 Cent is poised to be the artist to beat next year. He’s coming with over ten incredible tracks stashed from last spring and newly recorded winners courtesy of Eminem, who’s really cut his production teeth of late, and hip-hop’s greatest, highest-selling producer Dr. Dre. "Creatively, what more could I ask for?" he asks jokingly. "You know if me and Eminem is in the same room then it’s gonna be a friendly competition, neither of us wanna let the other one down. And dr Dre??? C’mon." Promising an LP of the caliber of rap classics like "Illmatic," "Ready to Die," and "Reasonable Doubt," 50 Cent’s debut promises to set the pace for hip-hop in coming years. The product of his unrelenting drive, talent and, frankly, his real-ness, 50 cent’s official first album promises to do for him just what it says. With his infectious flow and viciously funny I-don’t-give-a-fuck personality, there is no doubt that 50 Cent will Get Rich or Die Trying.
50cent.com

50 cent discography :

:: 50 cent Albums ::

50 cent : Curtis
Sept 11th, 2007

50 cent : Get Rich or Die Tryin’ soundtrack
November 8, 2005

50 Cent : The Massacre Special edition
Sept 16th, 2005

50 cent : The Massacre
March 3, 2005

50 cent : Get Rich or Die Tryin’
February 6, 2003

50 cent : Guess Who’s Back?
April 26, 2002

50 cent : No Mercy No Fear
Augustl 6th, 2002

50 cent : Power of the Dollar
Sept 12th, 2000

:: 50 cent Dvd ::

50 Cent : The New Breed
April 15, 2003

:: 50 cent Collaboration Albums ::

G-Unit albums :

G-Unit : Locked & Loaded
2007

G-Unit : Beg For Mercy
November 14, 2003

G-Unit : God-s-Plan
August 5th, 2002

:: 50 cent Singles ::

1999 "How to Rob"
1999 "Rowdy Rowdy"
1999 "Thug Love" (featuring Beyonce)
2002 "Wanksta"
2002 "In Da Club"
2002 "Work It" (remix) (Missy Elliott featuring 50 Cent)
2003 "21 Questions" (featuring Nate Dogg)
2003 "P.I.M.P." (remix) (featuring Snoop Dogg, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck)
2003 "If I Can’t"
2004 "Encore" (Eminem featuring Dr. Dre & 50 Cent)
2004 "Westside Story" (The Game featuring 50 Cent)
2004 "How We Do" (The Game featuring 50 Cent)
2005 "Candy Shop" (featuring Olivia)
2005 "Disco Inferno"
2005 "Just a Lil Bit"
2005 "Hate It or Love It" (The Game featuring 50 Cent)
2005 "So Seductive" (Tony Yayo featuring 50 Cent)
2005 "I Know You Don’t Love Me" (Tony Yayo featuring 50 Cent, Young Buck and Lloyd Banks)
2005 "Outta Control" (remix) (featuring Mobb Deep)
2005 "Hustler’s Ambition"
2005 "Window Shopper"
2005 "Best Friend" (remix) (featuring Olivia)
2005 "Have a Party" (Mobb Deep featuring 50 Cent and Nate Dogg)
2006 "The Infamous" (Mobb Deep featuring 50 Cent)
2006 "The Cake" (Lloyd Banks featuring 50 Cent)
2006 "Hands Up" (Lloyd Banks featuring 50 Cent)
2006 "You Don’t Know" (Eminem featuring 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Cashis)
2007 "Funeral Music"

50 cent Miscellaneous tracks:

Bad News Travels Fast (feat. G-Unit)
Beef With Me
Clap Niggaz
Crazy
Dem Not Ready (feat. Sean Paul)
Doin My Own Thang (feat. G-Unit)
Follow Me Gangsta (feat. G-Unit)
G-Unit Anthem (feat. G-Unit)
Get On Your Knees (feat. G-Unit)
Hood On Smash (feat. G-Unit)
I Call Shots (feat. G-Unit)
If Dead Men Could Talk
If You Want It
Many Men Remix (feat. Brooklyn)
Niggaz Better Move (feat. Lloyd Banks)
Order of Protection (feat. G-Unit)
P.I.M.P. (feat. G-Unit & Snoop Dogg)
Places 2 Go
Right Therre (feat. Young Buck)
Rowdy Rowdy
Shorty Stay
U Think U Know Me (feat. G-Unit)
Wanksta
What’s Poppin Niggaz (feat. Cocoa Brovas)
Ya Heard Me
Ya’ll Not Ready (feat. G-Unit)

Tracks Featuring 50 cent :

2Pac - Tha Realest Killas
Beyonce - Sexy Lil Thug
Cellski - Get That Money Mayne (feat. Lil Flip)
D-12 - Rap Game
David Banner - Like a Pimp Remix (feat. Busta Rhymes)
DJ Evny - What Goes Around (feat. G-Unit)
DJ Kay Slay - 50 Shot Ya
DJ Whoo Kid - Live & Die Freestyle
DJ Whoo Kid - We Run These Streets (feat. G-Unit)
DJ Whoo Kid - You Want Beef With Me
DMX - Shot Down (feat. Styles P.)
Eminem - Bump Heads (feat. G-Unit)
Eminem - Collapse Remix (feat. Eminem)
Eminem - Hail Mary (feat. Busta Rhymes)
Eminem - Love Me (feat. Obie Trice)
E-A-Ski, Lil Flip - Get That Money Mayne
Jay-Z - Da Kicks
Jennifer Lopez - I’m Gonna Be Alright
Juvenile - New Orleans 2 N.Y. (feat. Young Buck & Skippa)
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me a River Remix
Kandi - Cheatin’ On Me (Track Master Remix)
Kobe Bryant - Thug Poet (feat. Nas & Broady Boy)
Lil Kim - Magic Stick
Mary J. Blige - Let Me Be the One
Mary J. Blige - Let Me Be the One Remix (feat. G-Unit)
Mary j blige feat. 50 cent & g-unit - ooh (remix)
Missy Elliot - Work It Remix
Next - Jerk
Obie Trice - We All Die 1 Day (feat. Eminem & Lloyd Banks)
Onyx - React (feat. Bonifucco, X-1)
Pretty Ugly - Hit Em Up (feat. P-Dap)
Self - War Story
Snoop Dogg - Beautiful Remix (feat. Lloyd Banks)
The Game - It’s So Hard (feat. Balance, Lloyd Banks)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Tha Realest (feat. Eminem)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Tha Realest Niggaz
The Product G&B - Tired of Being Broke
Young Buck - 44’s & calicos