50 Cent

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• Genre: Hitmakers
• Hometown: Queens
• 50 Cent Website

About

After seven years of number one hits and multi-platinum albums, 50 Cent threatened to give it all up in 2007 if Kanye West's fourth album outsold his. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Kanye did, but we don't expect to find Fiddy down for the count anytime soon. After all, Curtis James Jackson III survived a youth spent hustling on the streets of Queens' rough Jamaica neighborhood, imprisonment, stabbings and shootings to become one of the most successful emcees -- and entrepreneurs -- in the biz.

Hailing from Queens, 50 Cent gained instant notoriety after releasing his debut single "How to Rob," which described him robbing various prominent rappers of their jewels. It earned him a lot of buzz, but he also caught some flack from various emcees who were not amused by an unknown upstart taking lyrical shots at them. This may or may not have led to 50 Cent being shot and stabbed in 2000. After recording a debut album (Power of the Dollar) that ended up unreleased, he was signed by Eminem's Shady Records label, thanks in part to his reputation on NYC's mixtape circuit. Get Rich Or Die Tryin', his long-awaited debut, finally came out in early 2003, easily going multi-platinum and propelling him to rap superstardom. He followed it with 2005's The Massacre.

Not content with a phenomenal solo recording career, our man 50 has also released an album with his G. Unit Crew (and helped spawn Lloyd Banks's and Young Buck's solo careers); put his name on a clothing line, a Reebok sneaker, and an energy drink; written a book; and starred in a semi-autobiographical movie about his dramatic rise to international hip-hop celebrity.

Which brings us to 2007's Curtis -- the end? Or just the beginning of yet another new chapter in this resilient emcee's life?

- Rachel Devitt