50 Cent (1976– )

US rap musician. Born in Queens, New York, he emerged from a life of street crime and violence to become one of the biggest rap stars of the early 21st century. His debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003), featuring the single ‘In Da Club’, went straight to number one and broke US chart records for first-week album sales. He achieved stardom after heavy promotion from rap superstar Eminem, who together with rap producer Dr Dre signed him on their joint Shady Records/Aftermath label.

50 Cent began to pursue a career in rap as an alternative to street life, and signed with rapper Jam Master Jay's JMJ label in 1996. He later achieved some minor success with the Trackmasters production team on Columbia Records in 1999. His bootleg-filled album Power of a Dollar, however, was never released by Columbia. He was shot nine times in 2000, and after being dropped by Columbia, continued to record material on his own until propelled to stardom by Eminem.