50 Cent: is no chump change with platinum album `get rich or die tryin'

Jet, March 3, 2003

Gangsta rapper 50 Cent gives new meaning to the terms keeping it real and getting paid. Nothing could stand in the way of his becoming a rapper, not even a bullet.

The 27-year-old Queens, NY, native is the real deal. Shot nine times, stabbed and dropped from a previous record label during his controversial past, 50 Cent still managed to find a way to hit the jackpot.

Get Rich Or Die Tryin,' his new album, sold more than 872,000 copies in only four days. Now certiffed platinum, the album's shot gun-fast rise has been recognized as the biggest No. 1 major-label debut by a new artist.

50 Cent has been a master at gaining attention, though he's put little effort in doing so. His music carries the weight for the man born Curtis Jackson.

With bootleg exposure, the 27-year-old rapper saw Get Rich Or Die Tryin' unfold into one of the year's most anticipated projects. Instantly, the pirating of his music transformed him into a heavyweight on the underground circuit. And his association with Dr. Dre, one of hip hop's most revered producers, and rapper Eminem sure hasn't hurt.

Wanksta, the bouncy party song which calls out fake gangstas, was featured on the 8 Mile soundtrack. The tune turned the heads of those in the mainstream. So by the time the Dr. Dre-produced In Da Club hit airwaves, 50 Cent had generated such a buzz that even 70-year-old ladies reportedly were in line trying to pick up a copy of his new CD!

Even those trying to avoid gangsta rap can't escape 50 Cent. Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River features the performer, who raps for a minute and laughs through the song's closing.

50 Cent is showing his story is one tale from the 'hood that's on the money.