50 Cent

50 Cent’s legacy as an entertainment icon was launched through the art form of rap. Growing up, the Queens, New York native started to experiment with music outside of regular hobbies. Around 1996, he aligned himself in Run-D.M.C.’s Jam Master Jay, who essentially taught 50 how to structure a record and more specifically, lace hooks. He eventually landed a deal with Columbia Records and went on to create his debut album, Power of the Dollar, in 2000. On the effort is a record called “How To Rob,” which tells a fictional story about then-popular rappers getting their pockets run. The track came out and bolted 50 into popularity, though the album didn’t.

Around that time, 50 Cent was ambushed outside of his grandmother’s house, where he was shot nine times. He was dropped by Columbia, but continued to work with his G-Unit collective cooking up music. He infiltrated the mixtape market with efforts like Guess Who’s Back? (2002), releasing his own iterations of popular rap songs at the moment. Soon after that, Eminem was put onto 50 as an artist and signed him to Shady Records through Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label. Fif’s label debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, a project led by singles like “In Da Club,” "Many Men (Wish Death)" and "21 Questions." The chart-topping project nearly went platinum in the first week, solidifying Fif as a superstar. A respective movie and video game proved that as well.

He continued to grind through the 2000s, releasing multiplatinum-selling projects like The Massacre, which spent over a month at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart, radio dominant singles like “Candy Shop” and “How We Do” and stretching his solo and G-Unit brand’s reach to video game, fashion and TV spaces. Moving onto the 2010s, his music releases slowed down, but his business ventures shot up with minted endeavors with Branson Cognac, Le Chemin du Roi, Effen Vodka (previously) and of course his television takeover through his production company Green Light that aligned him with networks like Starz.

These days, Fif is rising the ranks as an entertainment role by overseeing some of the most popular shows on TV with BMF and Power, plus he has everything from movies to cartoons coming out in the near future. His music career was more than successful, as he’s accumulated a room full of plaques that are near diamond, and made rap history for dropping some of the most successful and respected rap songs/albums to date. His track record in the TV space should be just as interesting when it’s all said and done.

50 Cent Putting Out New Project In January
50 Cent Putting Out New Project In January
50 Cent Putting Out New Project In January
Looks like for the start of 2014, 50 Cent will be putting out a new project in January. While doing a press run for the launch of is SMS Audio line of headphones and speakers at the Henri Bendel store on Wednesday (Dec. 4), he announced that a "full body of work" will be released. There mayb...
Alchemist Gets Nas, 50 Cent, And Rick Ross For New Project
Alchemist Gets Nas, 50 Cent, And Rick Ross For New Project
Alchemist Gets Nas, 50 Cent, And Rick Ross For New Project
Alchemist released the tracklist for The Cutting Room Floor 3  today and it boasts some major names. Nas, 50 Cent, Rick Ross, Mobb Deep, Meek Mill, and Raekwon are just some of the artists that are going to be on this 20-track project featuring a collection of current and unreleased songs. It ...
Rappers Who Could Care Less About Black Friday
Rappers Who Could Care Less About Black Friday
Rappers Who Could Care Less About Black Friday
With everyone excited about the sales that come along with black Friday tomorrow, one thought how nice it must be to be able to have black friday year round. Without further ado, XXL presents "Rapper Who Could Care Less About Black Friday...
10 Rappers Who Lost Weight
10 Rappers Who Lost Weight
10 Rappers Who Lost Weight
Tomorrow is a day of indulgence... Thanksgiving might be an occasion to reflect on the many blessings in your life but  it also a day to eat until your stomach implodes from within. On this Day of Days, Americans temporarily forget about their diets, loosen up their belts a notch and cram enough gravy-soaked food product to devolve in a gelatinous brown liquid. ...
Chelsea Handler’s Most Awkward Moments With Rappers
Chelsea Handler’s Most Awkward Moments With Rappers
Chelsea Handler’s Most Awkward Moments With Rappers
It's no secret that talk show host Chelsea Handler has a big appreciation for rappers. She made that clear yesterday during her interview with Pusha T when she said, "I have chemistry with rappers...cause I think black guys get me more than white guys...
Are Rappers Having An Identity Crisis?
Are Rappers Having An Identity Crisis?
Are Rappers Having An Identity Crisis?
One of the ideas that Kanye West has been trying to get across during his recent all-out assault on the media is the importance of not letting society putting your creativity in box. Kanye West wants to be known as more than just a rapper...
Ja Rule & 50 Cent Shared The Same Flight
Long-time rivals Ja Rule and 50 Cent recently ran into each other at an unexpected place: They shared the same airplane. According to a post on Ja Rule's Twitter account, the two Queens rappers sat in the same row while in the air, and despite historical tensions, the ride was without incident...
G-Unit, “Turf Drop” (Originally Published May 2008)
G-Unit, “Turf Drop” (Originally Published May 2008)
G-Unit, “Turf Drop” (Originally Published May 2008)
The rise was meteoric. The fall was inevitable. Last year, amid dwindling sales and internal dissension, chinks finally started to show in G-Unit's platinum armor. Now, pulling together and going back to basics, 50 and his crew set to work on digging themselves out of a hole...
G-Unit Videos That Took Over The Game
G-Unit Videos That Took Over The Game
G-Unit Videos That Took Over The Game
On this day in 2003 the world witnessed the release of G-Unit's commercial debut, Beg For Mercy. Selling 377,000 copies in its first week,the record went on to sell over 2.7 million copies in the U.S. and 6 million worldwide. With today marking its 10th anniversary, XXL presents "G-Unit Videos That Took Over The Game." ...
Why You Mad?
Why You Mad?
Why You Mad?
Being that rappers rarely smile and have perfected the distinctive mean mug, it's only right to pay homage. Gathering together a few of hip-hop's frown champs, XXL presents "Why You Mad?".

Load More Articles