Many interesting and exciting rappers emerged during the early-2000s. The era produced many household names, from Lil Wayne to Eminem and Kanye. However, one musician-turned-media mogul ruled the airwaves and took over hip-hop during this period, and that is the legendary 50 Cent. The rapper (real name Curtis Jackson) exploded onto the scene in 2003 and, in no time, was competing with the likes of Jay-Z concerning record sales.
Although Jackson wasn’t known internationally until 2003, he had been a formidable force on the New York underground for an extended period before he stepped into the limelight. Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, the Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ act had signed various deals before partnering with Shady Records. However, nothing had come of them.
Following a string of mixtape releases on a local level, Jackson was spotted in the late 1990s by the iconic DJ Jam Master Jay. Seeing 50 Cent’s potential, the Run-DMC star took Jackson under his wing to help him acquire industry contacts. Utilising these, by 1999, 50 Cent had become so prominent in New York that he ended up signing a deal with the renowned Columbia Records.
However, following his shooting in 2000, Columbia dropped Jackson. Luckily for the young emcee, Eminem and Dr Dre saw his potential and after signing with Aftermath Entertainment, things were never the same for 50 Cent. Having achieved a vast amount of fame, in 2019, Jackson did an interview with Robb Report, to speak about his career and even revealed his favourite cocktail.
Speaking with Janice O’Leary, when asked about his phone usage, and the apps that he uses the most 50 disclosed, “Instagram and the Starz app. I watch my television shows ahead of when they air, but then like to watch it with everyone and imagine how they’re feeling.”
He even showed his admiration for Snoop Dogg. When asked which song was stuck in his head, Jackson quickly stated, “Snoop’s first album. I listen to him to work out. I like to hear the whole record, rather than just one song, because it feels like it’s one thought. There’s a rhythm he got into.” However, O’Leary even asked him what his favourite cocktail was, to which he responded, “A sidecar, but I don’t know how to make it.”
