50 Cent

Activities: rapper, producer, author, actor, entrepreneur

Music genre: hip-hop, gangsta rap

Year of the beginning of his career: 1996

Albums: 10

Country: USA

Musical career:

50 Cent, or Curtis James Jackson III, was born in New York in 1975. Curtis spent his childhood in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, where he got to know street life, so he was already selling illegal substances as a teenager. Such a childhood had a strong influence not only on his future, but also on his musical creativity.

In the 90s, the future hip-hop star began working with Jam Master Jay, the founder of JMJ Records, who also produced Curtis' first album, but it was not released. In 1999, James ended his work with Jam Master Jay and signed with Columbia Records.

Shortly after the successful start, Curtis had a dangerous shooting incident in his life where he was seriously injured. After this incident, Columbia Records cancelled his contract, and because of one track, "Ghetto Qu'ran (Forgive Me)", he was blacklisted in the music industry.

Then, 50 Cent moved to Canada and started creating songs for mixtapes. In 2002, the artist continued to build his music career in the G-Unit band. In the same year, the rapper released the Guess Who's Back? compilation, which impressed Eminem, who, in turn, invited Curtis to LA and introduced him to Dr Dre.

The following year, 50 Cent presented his debut music album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" to the world, which became a huge success, received dozens of awards and was named one of the biggest rap debuts of the decade. At the same time, James founded his own label, G-Unit Records. In 2005, 50 Cent released his second album, "The Massacre", which also became a great success. It took him two more years to create his third album "Curtis", released in 2007. Two years later, 50 Cent released another album, "Before I Self Destruct". The artist released his fifth album "Animal Ambition" in 2014.

50 Cent has won numerous awards, including the Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, MOBO Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, World Music Awards and others, and is also a recipient of a personalized star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

50 Cent is a legendary figure in the rap music industry, one of the world's most high-profile hip-hop artists and the author of such iconic tracks as "Candy Shop", "In Da Club", "21 Questions", "Just A Lil Bit", "Many Men" and many others. The artist performs and gives concerts to this day, not only in the US but also in Europe, and becoming a part of his performance is tantamount to becoming a part of a historic musical event.

Albums: 

• 2014 – “Animal Ambition”

• 2009 – “Before I Self Destruct” 

• 2007 – “Curtis”

• 2005 – “The Massacre” 

• 2003 – “Get Rich or Die Tryin”