50 Cent

Born Curtis James Jackson III on July 6th, 1975, in Queens, New York City, this hip-hop heavyweight known as 50 Cent began his journey into the world of music in 1996. Initially recording his debut album "Power of the Dollar" for Columbia Records, Jackson's life took a dramatic turn when he was struck by nine bullets during a shooting in May 2000. This unfortunate event led to the cancellation of his album release and resulted in his departure from the label.

However, fate had different plans for Jackson. His 2002 mixtape "Guess Who's Back?" caught the attention of Detroit rapper Eminem, who quickly signed him to his own label - Shady Records, an imprint of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.

In 2003, Jackson released his debut studio album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'", which was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. The record peaked at the top of the Billboard 200 chart and spawned hit singles like "In da Club" and "21 Questions." This immense success led to the formation of his own label, G-Unit Records, home to his hip-hop group which included fellow East Coast rappers Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo.

His second album, "The Massacre" (2005), continued this trend with hits like "Candy Shop" featuring Olivia. However, Jackson's third and fourth albums, "Curtis" (2007) and "Before I Self Destruct" (2009), saw a decline in both critical reception and commercial success. In response, he returned to his roots with his fifth album, "Animal Ambition" (2014).

Over the years, Jackson's focus has shifted from music to television and media endeavors. He executive-produced and starred in the hit series "Power" (2014–2020) and its numerous spin-offs under his company G-Unit Films and Television Inc.

Throughout his career, Jackson has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and received several accolades including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards, and four BET Awards. His semi-autobiographical film "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" might have been met with critical panning but he also appeared in other films such as "Home of the Brave" (2006) and "Righteous Kill" (2008).

In recent years, Billboard ranked Jackson as the 17th on their "50 Greatest Rappers" list while Rolling Stone placed his album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" at number 37 in its list of "100 Best Albums of the 2000s" and the hit single "In da Club" at number 13 in its "100 Best Songs of the 2000s."

Despite his past struggles, Curtis Jackson's resilience has led him to a successful career as an artist, actor, producer, and entrepreneur. His story is one filled with determination, hardship, and unwavering passion for his craft - making him more than just another name in the music industry but a true icon in hip-hop history.