Curtis James Jackson III, known to the world as 50 Cent, began his music career nearly three decades ago, yet many fans are only now discovering the true meaning behind his famed moniker.
Growing up in a tough neighbourhood in Queens, New York, he faced unimaginable challenges from an early age.
Tragedy struck the rapper when he was only eight-years-old as his mother, Sabrina, who was involved in drug dealing, died in a tragic fire. This left young Curtis to be raised by his grandparents following his father’s absence.
Juggling his education with boxing at the local gym, by the time he was 11, he found himself entangled in drug dealings, resorting to “selling crack on the strip”. His dangerous double life led to him bringing firearms and drug money to school, an act ultimately discovered due to metal detectors, resulting in his arrest.
In 1994, he faced a significant turning point; 50 Cent was sentenced to a prison term spanning three to nine years for his involvement with drugs. However, his actual confinement lasted six months in a boot camp where he managed to earn his GED.
Determined to change his life trajectory, he embraced the alias ’50 Cent’, a symbolic representation of transformation and new beginnings, drawing inspiration from Kelvin Martin, a notorious 1980s Brooklyn thief who shared the same nickname. The rapper felt connected to the original 50 Cents ethos, stating: “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.”
Despite a tumultuous past, two years after his stint in boot camp, he stepped onto the music scene, working on his tracks in a friend’s basement. Landing a deal with Columbia Records, he created his debut album Power of the Dollar between 1999 and 2000, but following a near-fatal shooting incident, its release was shelved, and he was subsequently dropped by the label.
In 2002, Eminem came across 50 Cent’s mixtape Guess Who’s Back? and promptly signed the budding artist to Shady Records. Following this pivotal moment, 50 Cent’s fame skyrocketed as he released hits such as In da Club, Just A Lil Bit, Many Men, 21 Questions, p.i.m.p., and Candy Shop, among other chart-topping tracks.
A post on Hip Hop Gods noted: “So far, 50 Cent has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won several prestigious awards, including a Grammy Award and three American Music Awards. Billboard ranked him as the third-best rapper of the 00s, and the sixth-best overall artist of the same decade. His single In da Club was included at spot #13 on Rolling Stones magazine’s list of the 100 Best Songs of the 2000s! “.
Delving into the origins of his name, a Quora user remarked: “The name was inspired by Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber known as 50 Cent; Jackson chose it ‘because it says everything I want it to say’.”
Expounding further, another added: “50 Cent’s real name is Curtis James Jackson III. His stage name 50 Cent was chosen because it’s a metaphor for change.”