From being shot to becoming a rap star
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50 Cent has one of the greatest debut rap albums ever. The man behind the pseudonym Curtis Jackson grew up with a rough upbringing where his grandparents raised him after his mom died in a fire. He became a drug dealer at 12 but has pursued rapping since 1996. In 2000, he recorded a studio album, Power of the Dollar, with Columbia Records. A gunman shot Curtis nine times two days before he was supposed to film a music video for a single from the album. This shooting caused his record label to drop 50 Cent and prevented the album from being released.
Despite this, he would continue recording a few mixtapes, eventually making their way to Eminem's ears in 2002; this led to a record deal with Dr. Dre's label Interscope. The following year, 50 Cent would release his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. This album would become the year's best-selling album and rocket him to stardom.
Quotes
I thought, ‘This dude got shot, got back up and is still poppin’ shit?’...He came back stronger than ever. That made me stop.
Eminem
I mean, the world was against them at the time too, right? But I guess that negativity actually helped them in a way,
Carlisle Young
References
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50 Cent's debut album 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'' turns 20. This is the story of how it was made, from recording in a safe house to hitting No. 1 and touring on a bulletproof bus.
The album's lead single, "In Da Club," spent nine straight weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become the best-selling single of 2003, while "21 Questions" also scored Jackson another No. 1 hit. By the end of the year, "Get Rich" had shipped 12 million copies worldwide, making it the highest-selling album of the year and among the highest-selling rap albums of all time — ahead of Snoop Dogg's "Doggystyle," Dr. Dre's "2001," and 2Pac's "All Eyez On Me."
Insider
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These Are the Best Debut Hip-Hop Albums of All Time
Get Rich or Die Tryin' was the best-selling album of 2003, and serves as the ultimate blueprint for transitioning from a mixtape darling to a bona fide megastar.
XXL
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50 Cent: The Life of a Hunted Man
One day in 2000, just months away from the release of his first album, he was shot nine times. His album was shelved, but 50 became a street legend on the strength of underground mix-tape hits (which are now collected on Guess Who’s Back?).
Rolling Stone
