Did You Know...

In 2003, 50 Cent released a DVD, The New Breed, which is a documentary of his life, including all the trauma of a shooting in 2000 which nearly took his life, his foes and adversaries, and his signing to the Eminem and Dr.Dre Shady/Aftermath Records. Fans had to wait until 2005 for his next studio album, The Massacre, but it must have been worth it – the album went 5x platinum! Next came 2007’s Curtis, and now fans are eagerly awaiting his newest album, Before I Self Destruct, to be released at some point in 2008.

50 Cent began his rap/hip-hop career when he signed with JMJ, the label owned by Run DMC DJ, Jam Master Jay. Here he learned what he needed to know about the rap industry. 50 Cent then signed to Columbia Records in 1999 and began to write songs, with Power of the Dollar as the end result. In April of 2000, shortly after the release of his first record, 50 Cent was shot 9 times, in front of his Grandmother's house in Queens. He miraculously survived and spent the next few months in rehabilitation. Columbia then dropped him from the label, but that didn't weaken him--it only strengthened his faith in himself.

50 Cent and his new business partner and friend, Sha Money XL, recorded over 30 songs, for the sole purpose of creating a buzz. At the end of spring 2001, he independently released Guess Who's Back?, which featured artists G-Unit, Nas, Nature, Bravehearts, and U.G.K. Shortly after, he released 50 Cent Is the Future, but instead of writing new songs, he retouched classic beats that had already been used, such as material from Jay-Z and Raphael Saadiq.