Rap superstar and New York Times bestselling author 50 Cent is back to tell his own story in this stunning memoir that comes with a CD and never before seen photos. "When I look at these pictures and think about my days growing up on the south side of Queens, they're such distant memories that sometimes it feels like a movie I watched...But all those things add up to me being who I am - being 50 Cent." 50 x 50 is a provocative look inside the mind of 50 Cent. Through candid, raw personal essays and rare family photos, this compelling book tells the story of a man who rose from a life of hardcore hustling to one of unrivaled success not just in the music industry, but in the entertainment and commercial world beyond. Inside this full-color, illustrated autobiography, you'll find pieces of memorabilia from 50 Cent's life - handwritten song lyrics, mixtape covers, stage passes, and more - making 50 x 50 a powerful interactive experience. From the first written word to the final hook, 50 x 50 delivers all the honesty and flow you'd expect from hip-hop's most intriguing star. Exclusive CD with never-before-released music track inside.
Author
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, songwriter, television producer, actor, and entrepreneur. Known for his impact in the hip hop industry, he has been described as a "master of the nuanced art of lyrical brevity". Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began selling drugs at age 12 during the 1980s crack epidemic. He later began pursuing a musical career and in 2000 he produced Power of the Dollar for Columbia Records, but days before the planned release he was shot and the album was never released. In 2002, after Jackson released the compilation album Guess Who's Back?, he was discovered by Eminem and signed to Shady Records, under the aegis of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. With the aid of Eminem and Dr. Dre (who produced his first major-label album Get Rich or Die Tryin'), Jackson became one of the world's best selling rappers and rose to prominence with East Coast hip hop group G-Unit (which he leads de facto). In 2003, he founded G-Unit Records, signing his G-Unit associates Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Jackson had similar commercial and critical success with his second album, The Massacre, which was released in 2005. He released his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition, in 2014, and as of 2019, is working on his sixth studio album, Street King Immortal. He executive-produced and stars in the show Power, which aired on Starz from 2014 to 2020. Jackson has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won several awards, including a Grammy Award, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards and four BET Awards. He has pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005), the Iraq War film Home of the Brave (2006), and Righteous Kill (2008). 50 Cent was ranked the sixth-best artist of the 2000s and the third-best rapper by Billboard. Rolling Stone ranked Get Rich or Die Tryin' and "In da Club" in its lists of "100 Best Albums of the 2000s" and "100 Best Songs of the 2000s" at numbers 37 and 13 respectively.
