Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, record executive, and businessman. Born on July 6, 1975, in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York, he emerged from the city's hip-hop scene with a hard-edged style shaped by street narratives, blunt humor, and highly memorable hooks. His music helped define the sound and image of mainstream East Coast rap in the early 2000s.
Jackson began pursuing music in the mid-1990s and was introduced to Run-D.M.C. producer Jam Master Jay, who helped him develop his songwriting and recording technique. After signing with Columbia Records, Jackson recorded his debut album, Power of the Dollar, but the project was canceled before release following a 2000 shooting in which he was wounded nine times. The setback forced him to rebuild his career through independent recordings and mixtapes. His 2002 mixtape Guess Who's Back? attracted the attention of Eminem, who signed him to Shady Records in partnership with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
50 Cent's official breakthrough came with Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2003. The album combined stark accounts of survival with polished production and an accessible, confident delivery. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced major singles including "In da Club," "21 Questions," "P.I.M.P.," and "If I Can't." The record became one of the defining rap albums of its era and established Jackson as one of the decade's most commercially powerful artists.
He expanded that success through G-Unit, a group formed with Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and later Young Buck. In 2003, Jackson also launched G-Unit Records, giving the collective and associated artists a platform of their own. The group's album Beg for Mercy and the label's early releases extended 50 Cent's influence beyond his solo work.
His second album, The Massacre, followed in 2005 and continued his run of chart success. It included "Candy Shop," "Disco Inferno," and "Just a Lil Bit," while showing his increasing interest in pop-oriented production without abandoning his aggressive persona. Later albums, including Curtis, Before I Self Destruct, and Animal Ambition, received more mixed critical and commercial responses, but they reflected his willingness to adjust his sound and business strategy as the music industry changed.
Jackson also moved into film and television. He starred in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' and appeared in projects including Home of the Brave, Righteous Kill, and The Expendables 4. His most consequential screen work came through the Starz crime drama Power, in which he played Kanan Stark and served as an executive producer. Through G-Unit Film and Television, he helped develop a wider collection of crime dramas and related series, including Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Power Book IV: Force, and BMF.
As a recording artist, Jackson is associated with one of the most influential commercial runs in 21st-century hip-hop. As a producer and entrepreneur, he has transformed that musical identity into a broader entertainment brand spanning television, film, publishing, consumer products, and spirits.