50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, is an American rapper, record producer, businessman and actor. He was born on July 6, 1975, in the borough of Queens, New York City, United States. He gained fame and notoriety in the early 2000s, especially after the release of the album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" (2003).
His music career began in the mid-1990s when he released a series of mixtapes that gained recognition in the underground hip-hop scene. However, his big rise came after surviving a shooting attack in 2000 and after signing a contract with the record label Shady Records, founded by Eminem and Dr. Dre.