5 Interesting Facts About 50 Cent

Today, the rapper 50 Cent is 49 years old! He’s one of the leading figures in 21st century “gangsta” rap after bursting onto the scene in 2003 with his album “Get Rich or Die Tryin'”.

But we bet there’s a few things you don’t know about 50 Cent – so here you go, 5 Interesting Facts About 50 Cent!

1. His real name is Curtis James Jackson III. He has said the name 50 Cent is a metaphor for change – and he was inspired by a man named Kelvin Martin, also nicknamed 50 Cent in the 1980s in Brooklyn. “I took the name 50 Cent because it says everything I want it to say. I’m the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means.”
2. 50 Cent wanted to be a boxer and started down that path starting when he was around 11 years old. However, he also started selling cocaine when he was 12. When he was 19, he was arrested for selling drugs to an undercover officer and more drugs were found in his home. He was sentenced to prison but instead spent six weeks in a boot camp. He has said he never did drugs but did sell them.
3. He was just starting out in hip-hop when he was severely injured in a 2000 shooting incident in New York City. After his recovery, Eminem and Dr. Dre listened to his stuff in 2002 and signed him to their labels. Eminem and Dre produced his 2003 album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.”
4. He invested in Vitaminwater and founded a line of headphones, SMS Audio. He’s also worked as an actor, appearing in films and TV shows.
5. In 2016, 50 Cent was ordered by a bankruptcy court to pay his creditors $23 million over five years. He paid it off from a legal malpractice case.

There you have it – 5 Interesting Facts About 50 Cent!