EP78: 50 Cent: Get Rich or Die Tryin'
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All right, welcome back to another episode of the Psychopedia Podcast. I am your co-host, Tank Sinatra, here with my partner in true crime, taking it way back. Investigators later. So the episode that I listened to for the Patreon today that we're doing after this? Yeah.

Felt very old. I know. I don't know why it felt so old. It really wasn't because we're kind of... It was like eight weeks ago. I know. Father Hans Schmitz feels more recent than that. But time is not real. It's just a suggestion. So is a Kardashian face. You know that? Do you feel good about saying that? I mean, it's a little mean. You know the thing that they say, the Kardashians, where the face you are born with is just a suggestion. Oh, okay. That makes more sense. Yeah, no shade on the...

Kay Sisters. Yeah, listen. And the one boy, Kay. If I had that much money and I could be that hot, you don't think I would do that? Yeah, same-sies. No shade on them, but it's just a little joke. It's just a joke. A couple of things, just quick. I'm going to make this intro as short as possible because you said that this case is specifically bespoke for Tanks and Atra, much like my suits from Ramswear. Shout out to Ramswear. But I have to do a couple of things. So first of all, we did the book club last night and it was unbelievable.

Unbelievable. I have a book club. I, we, but yes. We have a book club on Patreon that's called Tank's Book Club, but whatever. That was really isolating me, but sure. But you're 50 of it, 50% of it, at least, if not more. And even though you didn't read the book, but also we did a live Zoom last night

Kind of like on the fly, very late notice. She barely made it here. Yeah, because guess who was in charge of planning? I told you yesterday morning that it was happening. But there's a new book announced on Patreon. We're going to be doing it the 27th of this month, July. I don't even know if this is going to be out by then, but we're going to do a live Zoom. There's going to be a lot more people there this time, I think, because it'll be scheduled beforehand.

And whatever, but beautiful turnout from the people. Absolutely. The engagement was so high and it was so appreciated. Everybody who showed up for this virtual book club. Yeah. Really amazing insights shared. It really felt like we knew everyone. I don't know. I loved it. Yeah, you're right. It was a nice hang. It was a very good hang.

Real quick, I want to read some Patreon names just to let them feel seen and heard and be heard and whatever. Shout out to BrainZap. I know what that, yeah, it's good. That was a quick turnaround. Very quick turnaround. Jen Montgomery. Hello, Jen. Hello, Jen. Godless Heathen, a.k.a. Steve. Fuck yes. It's just mixing and matching episode pieces or whatever. Melanie Fletcher.

Lorraine Shingler, Alko Poppenheimer. Alko Poppenheimer. I would like to know what that means, if you don't mind. But it reminds me of Damian, who one time I said to him, what's poppin', man? What's crackalackin'? And he goes, what's popalovin'? And I laughed for like 10 minutes. Because Damian said it. Very funny. And finally, Dong and Dash. Dong and Dash. Because that's what I said.

Amazing how you guys pick up on things. Amazing. And then just one quick review because, again, we read these and we love them. I fell in love with the format. This is from Mike138111.

The depth and poetic word soup Investigator Slater gives to each case is amazing. And whereas I at first was a little annoyed with Tank, seemingly making light of these very heavy subjects and cases, I now realize that him getting me to laugh here and there keeps me from being bummed out after all the facts of each case are revealed. That is why I'm here. I listen all the time, cannot wait for new episodes, and bravo for not just...

making these cases about the sick individuals that commit these crimes, but letting people know about the victims. That's all you. So all in all, we got a pretty good thing going on here. Beautiful review. Thank you. Right? Whether you listen on Apple, Spotify, you watch on YouTube, rate, review, subscribe on YouTube, do your part, leave a heart. And come see what I'm wearing today on my head. Yeah. You didn't even comment about what I'm wearing. Before we started recording. Really? 100%. I'm not.

I missed it. You did. This is the hat I got at the concert we went to where I puked after two screwdrivers. Metallica and Pantera. It was four, but... I had two. If I had four, I'd be dead.

If you love us and you're not getting enough of what you need, we have more for you over at patreon.com slash psychopedia pod where we do an extra full true crime bonus episode per month. We do a tankopedia, which is where I research a case presented to her. We do unhinged weekly episodes over there where we revisit a case barely. And then there's all kinds of other stuff like the book club and behind the scenes footage and memes and all that kind of stuff. So without further doozies.

Wow. I had a pre-workout today. No shit. It's the first time in like 15 years, and I don't know what's going to happen to me. How much caffeine are you on right now? Oh, I don't know. It's incredible. You're like a wind-up toy. I know. I'm going to take my glasses off so you can see me. There's no glass between us. Thank you. Also, I just came from a Pilates class, and my right butt cheek is literally twitching. Oh.

If you need to massage that out, do you. Yeah, yeah. I got a Tim Tam. I'll do it later. I don't know what that means, but... It's like a... Tam Tam cracker? No, it's like a... Roller? Downgraded version of the Theragun, whatever. I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but I hope it helps your butt cheek. Yeah, yeah. It goes... Really? Yeah, it's sick. Sounds like something else. Yeah. All right. So why don't you tell me about this case that you made specifically for me and the rest of you are going to enjoy.

In the heart of an urban landscape, a young man emerged from the gritty streets, forged in the crucible of chaos and ambition. Oh, I like that already. His life was a relentless battle from day one, an ongoing saga of survival and defiance against the harsh realities of a world seemingly intent on breaking him. From a tender age, he was thrust into the unforgiving sphere of hustling, where every day was a struggle to endure.

But amidst the turmoil and constant exposure to crime and corruption, this young man discovered a hidden talent. Rapping. A spark that ignited an unquenchable fire within him. Oh my God.

His charisma was magnetic and capable of captivating crowds and commanding notice, if not respect. His voice echoed the pain and triumph of his personal journey and became a powerful instrument that resonated with the raw authenticity of his experiences.

Determined to rise above his circumstances, he embarked on a path that would see him defy the odds as he survived near-death experiences and overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles. His drive was unwavering, his ambition limitless. Through every trial, he remained focused, his eyes always on the prize. Because for this young man, there was only one goal.

To get rich or die trying. 50 Cent? Yes. Oh.

Oh my God. Yeah. For you. For you. I know, I know there's like so many rap artists that you probably would love to hear about, but. Well, first I thought it was Jay-Z, obviously, because that's where my brain always goes. And he has a line where he says, three shots couldn't touch me. Divine intervention can't stop I from drinking my ties with Tata, Din and Nevada. Ha ha, papa, word life. I dabbled in crazy weight. Without rap, I was crazy straight. Pardon, I'm still spending money from 88, which is something that I say when someone's like,

Keeps talking about the past. Oh, you're still spending money from 88? Interesting. Then I thought it was Biggie. Uh-huh. But now it's 50 Cent. I know. I knew you would never actually guess 50 and that you would have gone there. Or I thought maybe you thought I was going to say P. Diddy, obviously, because of like the fact that he splashed all over the headlines right now. We will be doing P. Diddy. But for now, I'm serving up 50 Cent. 50 Cent. Oh, my God.

Listen, I anticipate you are going to be punctuating the shit out of what I have to say today and I'm here for it. I will try to keep it to relevant stuff. I feel like you're going to do the crime and the facts and all that stuff and I'm going to, you know, go like soundtrack it with the songs that were out at that time or whatever. I'm counting on it. Okay. All right. Very good.

I have to just say the sentence even though it's super duper clear, but this is the case of American rapper, actor, television producer, drug dealer, and businessman, Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent.

Curtis James Jackson III, named for his grandfather, was born on July 6, 1975, in South Jamaica, Queens, New York. Yes, he was. According to Curtis, henceforth referred to as 50, henceforth, nice. His mother, Sabrina, gave birth to him at just 15 years old and claimed it was via immaculate conception. Sabrina was determined to keep 50's father's identity a secret from him and made it clear that she would fulfill the roles of both mother and father.

And where 50 grew up, it was not uncommon for children to be raised by a single parent, usually their mom. And in his case, he also had two grandparents around, which in his eyes meant that he was on top. Hate it or love it. Yeah. Okay. This is like, I don't know if I'm going to make it through this. I don't think so. I was dying prepping this thinking about you. So like, it's okay for you to just, you do you this case.

Sabrina was gay and would have women around, which is something she never directly explained or discussed with 50, but he knew it and he knew not to ask questions. 50 Cent's mother? Yeah. Wow, Jay-Z's mom is gay too. Is that right? Yeah. Interesting, I didn't know that. There's a song on 444 where he talks about her finally coming out and being herself. Like, I'll cry talking about it, but...

Yeah. Wow. Interesting. Tough as nails or hard, as 50 describes her, Sabrina was a stern, aggressive disciplinarian and encouraged her son to stand up for himself physically if necessary and to win at all costs.

If that meant picking up an object with which to physically beat his opponent if his fists wouldn't suffice, then that's what he was encouraged to do. And he shouldn't cry about it either. By his mother. Yes. Yeah. 50 felt like he could accomplish anything as long as he had his mother's backup and consent.

Wow. Wow.

50 grew up in the midst of the crack epidemic that was devastating communities, specifically black communities across America during the 1980s and early 1990s, resulting in a ruinous widespread social, economic, and health crisis.

President George H.W. Bush at the time called it the nation's gravest domestic threat. The epidemic hit urban areas particularly hard and led to increased crime rates, mass incarcerations, and the breakdown of families and communities. Do you know why that was? What's that? Why crack was such a big...

Problem? Well, it was cheap. Yes. And is that what you were going to say? Yeah, it's less expensive than, I don't want to say any other drug out there. I believe it was less than what weed costs. It was created by like four lab students at UFC and they just figured out a way to take...

Cocaine. Yes, thank you, cocaine, to cook it, like baking soda and heat. Also, you make it more easy to use because you can smoke it. Plus you stretch it out because you're adding other stuff to it. Right. So a little, a package of, or a kilo of Coke goes way further than just cutting that up into bags of cocaine. Right. Yeah. According to a 2023 Guardian interview with Donovan X. Ramsey, who's the author of the book called When Crack is King,

This devastating drug made its way into Black communities at a moment of disaffection and disillusionment in the aftermath of the civil rights movement. Many were unemployed, living in low-income or government housing, and didn't see a better life on the horizon.

As Ramsey indicated, quote, anytime you have circumstances like that, people want to check out. And they chose this new drug that was still glamorous and that was cheap and super accessible with no idea of all the devastation that would accompany it. Something crazy that just occurred to me. I grew up in the 80s. I was born in 1980, not 1970, whatever you think I'm born in, but...

I didn't ever consider the fact that crack was on the heels. Not on the heels, but like I'm thinking of it right now. It would be like if the civil rights movement ended in like 2000. Yeah. And crack was introduced now. Yes. Like that's really reframing it for me. Yeah. Good. In that I've enlightened you. Yes, you have. In neighborhoods like South Jamaica, Queens, where 50 Cent was raised, the impact of the crack epidemic was palpable.

The proliferation of drugs brought with it violence, poverty, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness. Young men, often with few opportunities for legitimate employment, were drawn towards the lucrative and highly dangerous world of drug dealing, which became an almost unavoidable reality for many. And for others, including the relatives with whom 50 lived, abusing drugs became life as they knew it. It became first nature.

50s aunts and uncles would often throw backyard parties they would refer to as dollar parties where they would charge people $1 to come drink, eat, and listen to hip-hop. According to 50, who was about seven years old at this point, these parties were his first introduction to marketing. For him, these backyard dollar parties wound up serving as more than just social gatherings.

They were a grassroots business model. Charging a dollar for entry in exchange for the services of food, drinks, and good music, 50 watched as his own backyard turned into a bustling mini-economy. Furthermore, these parties also introduced him to the transformative power of hip-hop culture.

50 observed how music brought people together, how the guys would spit rap lyrics and breakdance while the girls would form small groups and bust out sick dance routines. Happy, free, united in a shared passion and sentiment. The atmosphere was electric, filled with energy and creativity.

Watching from an upstairs window of the house, 50 began to dream about the day he would be able to control not just the money flow associated with entertaining, but also the very essence of the crowd's experience. Now, at this young age, 50 was also directly exposed to something else for the first time. Pop quiz. What else was he exposed to at the tender age of seven? A, his mom, Sabrina, dealing drugs from her apartment. B,

B, a gang shooting outside of the corner store in his block. C, his 19-year-old aunt engaging in sex work. D, all of the above. B. No. A. Yes.

50 Cent witnessed his mother dealing crack out of her upstairs apartment on Old South Road in South Jamaica, Queens. So at this point, she wasn't even living in that shared house where 50 was with his grandparents and aunts and uncles. Yeah. She was separate. He was introduced to a parade of drug dealers arriving in their flashy Cadillac DeVilles outfitted with giant gleaming grills and luxurious interiors. And rope gold chains. Yeah. I get to that. Okay, sorry. These dealers...

always sharply dressed and dripping in bling, there you go, would make it a point to buy ice cream for the neighborhood kids from the ice cream truck, which stood out to 50 as being another impressive display of status and wealth. But what captivated him the most was how these men, with their perfectly styled hair, stacks of cash, and air of unyielding confidence, treated his mother, Sabrina, as an equal.

As she handed these men a brown paper bag filled with money, she was no longer a struggling single mother, but a formidable figure commanding respect and a sense of authority. She was transformed and 50 was transfixed. Nice fucking. It's so good. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.

Investigator Slater. Yes, Tank? What are, if any, your self-care non-negotiables? Ooh, I must take cash for a walk every single day, rain or shine. I never skip leg day or therapy day. When your schedule is packed with kids' activities, big work projects, or whatever, it's easy to let your priorities slip. But I'm here to tell you, you are not one of those priorities that you should let slip.

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Visit betterhelp.com slash psychopedia today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash psychopedia. Sabrina eventually moved out of Queens altogether and to Long Island and sadly rarely saw 50 after that. Then about a year later, Sabrina died in her home due to a gas leak, which we're going to get to later. So put that on ice. Now, at just eight years old, 50%

50 Cent found himself navigating a very harsh reality, being raised without parents by his grandparents in a house overcrowded with drug users, situated in a community rife with crime and despair. The weight of his circumstances bore down heavily on him, more so than he could have ever anticipated at such a young age. So he's living with his grandparents now, who I'm assuming...

he's 7, 15, 22 in their mid-40s, max? Perhaps. Because I want to paint a clearer picture. It's not granny and grandpa walking in a walker throwing crack parties. Right. They're probably on the younger side. I think they were probably on the younger side. That said, they were the grounded presence in that house. Oh, they were? They were, for sure. Oh, the aunts and uncles were doing it. Exactly right. That's right.

During his pre-adolescent years, he spent countless hours fantasizing about the things he couldn't afford but desperately wanted. Cars, Nike sneakers, Fila tracksuits, and thick gold bling. And he quickly realized that the only people who seemed to possess the material wealth and respect he yearned for were the drug dealers.

and that the quickest way to attain the life he desired was through the very means that had claimed so many lives around him. Either you're slinging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot.

Sick. You know what that's from? No. Biggie, Ten Crack Commandments. Okay. In that world, when you're living in that world, like we grew up in a town where there was a variety of professions being thrown around, being done, like all the way from like low level menial tasks all the way up to like entrepreneurs, CEOs. It was a big, big swing. But when you live in that environment and that's all you see, there was no social media back then. There was TV, obviously, but

You see people that look like you playing sports or selling drugs or doing a job that you don't want. Right. So if I grew up in that environment, I 100% would. What are you going to choose? You're going to strive for what looks like the most lucrative scenario. Yeah. So at just 12 years old now, 50 Cent took the leap and dealt his first gram of coke. He became a runner. Being coached by a neighborhood drug dealer and friend of the

family, a man called Sincere, 50 was handed a bag of coke measured out into five equal parts and wrapped in foil. And even though most of Sincere's clients were white folks from Long Island, he instructed 50 to sell it to his uncles in exchange for $100. And

And as he pocketed that first $100 after successfully facilitating his first drug deal, 50 realized the potential of the street hustle, something that hitherto loomed large just in his observations, but was now a tangible part of his reality. Listen, even if I said hitherto first, it's your word now. You do realize I work it into every episode intentionally. Of course. It belongs to you. Whoever said it first, it's now... It's very kind of you. I relinquish ownership over that word.

And thus began, officially, 50's life as a drug dealer. 12 years old. Well, I was just about to jump in again, but I was like, control yourself, Tank. Can you imagine going to buy drugs and you get greeted by a 12-year-old boy? You know, I was wondering how uncommon, sadly, it was for a child. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.

After hours, to start, is when he started dealing drugs as he still needed to attend public school by day. Suddenly, 50 found himself able to afford things that he only once dreamed of, from snacks and fast food meals to video games, clothing, and fresh kicks.

With this newfound financial freedom, his life began to improve dramatically. He quickly fell into the dangerous rhythm of establishing his territory, navigating the perils of the drug trade with a mixture of ambition and street savvy. This marked the beginning of a new chapter where the allure of money and power kept him entrenched in the hustle. That is, until something unexpected flipped the script.

Pop quiz. Okay. What happened that threw a spoke in the wheel of 50s expanding hustle? A, his mentor, Sincere, got killed. B, 50s grandfather's house was raided and his uncles, to whom he dealt, were arrested. C, a rookie cop was gunned down in his patrol car, triggering an intense law enforcement crackdown. Jeez. Rookie cop was gunned down.

Grandfather's house raided. Got raided. Mentor killed. Mentor killed. I never heard him talk about his mentor getting killed, except for Ken Griff Supreme, who's not dead. But anyway, see? Yes. Huh. Yes. I knew that. On February 26th, 1988, a 22-year-old NYPD officer named Edward Byrne was sitting in his patrol car in South Jamaica, guarding a witness who agreed to testify in court against some crack dealers. Mm-hmm.

Bern, tragically, was shot five times in the head and killed in cold blood by four men who were apparently acting on the orders of a jailed drug dealer. Jeez. Presumably the one that the witness was going to testify against. Yeah.

The brazen and intentional nature of the killing resulted in widespread national outrage and led to a significant crackdown on drug-related crime in the area and really everywhere. Law enforcement and politicians went all in as the death hit every headline and major news outlet across the country. President Ronald Reagan even called the family of the fallen officer to offer his condolences.

Within hours of Officer Burns' tragic death, patrol cars flooded the streets of Queens, New York, sweeping the area clean of lingering drug dealers working their corners and addicts searching for their next fix. I'm sorry, was he caught in crossfire? He was intentionally gunned down sitting in his patrol car. It was a hit. But was the other person killed, the witness? No.

He was for protecting the witness. I guess also it was probably a message. Yeah. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 was subsequently enacted, instituting a federal death penalty for drug kingpins and mandating that convicted drug offenders serve at least 85% of their sentences.

This legislation marked a significant escalation in the war on drugs, accompanied by the formation of the Tactical Narcotics Team, or the TNT, and the Streets Narcotics Enforcement Unit, which granted law enforcement unprecedented power. Yeah, no thanks. The war on drugs was officially on, and it was raging. They were doing that in the Philippines recently, like within the last... Definitely within the last 10 years, probably more like five, where the...

I don't know if it's the prime minister or whatever it's called, the person that's in charge. I believe it was the Philippines, was having drug addicts just killed on the street and disposed of. Oh, my God. Like legally sanctioned? I mean, he's in power. So, yeah, there was probably a lot of uproar about it, but he was doing that. The death penalty for people selling drugs is fucking crazy. Yeah, I know. It's not how it is anymore. No. No.

Also, this did not exactly have the effect on the major drug dealers of the area that you may have expected it to. Yeah, they think it's not going to happen to me. I'm not going to get caught. Well, because instead of dismantling the drug trade, the crackdown sifted out the weaker players and enabled the cream of the crop to rise. And 50 was as thick as oatmeal. Damn.

Thicker than a bowl. Did you say in quote, she was thicker than a bowl of oatmeal? Head over to YouTube to just see what Tank just did. Finger guns. He's got handcuffs on. Boiler.

50 got smarter, adjusted his ways, and increased his level of sophistication with respect to strategy and sales. He learned quickly that, quote, if the hood was cocaine, then the rookie cop's murder was like baking soda. And an angry police force was the fire that cooked up new hustlers. Wow. Hustlers like me. 50 Cent is brilliant. He's probably always been that way. He's gotten smarter knowledge-wise as time went on, but...

You don't get to where he is without having a very solid brain in that skull. A very business-oriented, eye on the prize, way ahead of his years. Focused. Brain. Like he, obviously he didn't have all the knowledge that he has now, but that machine was always in there working. Maybe he's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline. Maybe it's something else. Maybe it's hustle. Okay.

He was no longer just earning extra change to take the sting out of everyday life in the hood. He was now thriving. At first, he began spending his money as quickly as he made it. Less of a businessman and more of a 12-year-old boy with a stack of cash in a candy shop. Pun intended. Sick. I mean, did anybody help you with this? No. But I will tell you, I was in this case and I was like...

really trying to make it extra fun for you. So there's puns galore coming up. Puns what? Galore. I may not be able to pronounce them, but... You deciding to do this case is the best decision you've ever made. I swear to God. Amazing. But then 50 was given a sage piece of advice by an older drug dealer named Brian.

In case you forgot the thought before this, I said that he was like a 12-year-old boy with a stack of cash. He was like spending it willy-nilly. Yeah, yeah. And this was the piece of advice that he got from Brian. Quote, you can't play the game for today. You got to play for tomorrow, even if tomorrow never comes. For every dollar you spend, you got to save four. That's the only way you're going to make money. End quote.

And that's when 50 went from being in the drug game to being in the drug business, all while still being in junior high school. Plus, a lot of these guys put money away, the smart ones anyway, put money away for when they inevitably get sent to jail. They have money for a lawyer, money for bail. Yeah. Never thought of that. Yeah. At this point... Excuse you, Cash. Oh, my God. Um...

At this point, 50 had zero interest in what was being taught in public school and felt that his time on the street was far more educational. 50 told the New York Post that he learned how to do math by breaking down cocaine into ounces, grams, or any combination of the two. He learned his fractions and metric conversion through real-life applications. Fuck textbooks. He was rewriting history.

By age 14, 50 had advanced to making his own crack and selling it better than anyone else in the area. Wow, he went full Heisenberg, huh? Yes, yes. He was now able to afford so many luxuries and material items that he had to stash them at his friend Ray Ray's house to keep his grandparents from discovering all of his new purchases. Wow. Much like the attics he sold to, 50 was hooked, unbothered.

on the lifestyle.

How it's just as hard for them to quit selling as it is for someone to quit doing the drugs. And I get it. Oh, yeah. I mean, you know, I get that high. It's your livelihood. And also, once you've hit a certain way of living, the idea of going down is terrifying. Yeah. It's unacceptable. Not an option. It's not an option. Especially when you come from such...

low beginnings. Meager beginnings, yeah. You have a real motivation to stay where you are, if not move further forward because you don't ever, ever, ever want to go back to that. Right.

So 50's hooked on the lifestyle, but he wasn't so cocky as to believe that he was invincible as he moved along his treacherous path. Understanding the importance of vigilance, 50 knew he needed to safeguard his territory as well as his body and his mind, which is why he decided to learn how to box. 50 was big and solid for his age, weighing in at 150 pounds at just 14 years old. Wow. Boxing became more than a sport for him. It was a crazy

tool for survival. It taught him to regulate his emotions, block out his opponent's shit talk, and engage psychologically as well as physically. As he describes in his book From Pieces to Weight, Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens, quote, Hmm. You love it.

50 Cent was no longer intimidated by a rival on the street who tried to puff up at him. On the contrary, he was quick to challenge that person to a street fight to end any question about who was on top. Oh my God. Hated to love it. Underdog the dog's on top. Was the underdog on top? Yeah.

Unfortunately, bringing a boxing glove to a gunfight had its limitations. This reality hit hard when one of the area's prominent kingpins, known as Red, was shot and killed at a car wash where he had taken his Ferrari. Realizing he needed more than just his two paws for protection, 50, then in the 10th grade, bought his first gun. 50 Cent is a Southpaw, by the way. Oh. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

He bought a .38 ACP pistol for $800. Wow. And he practiced shooting at empty cans, basketballs, old busted up toys, anything he could find to improve his aim and increase his chances of survival if he ever needed to use it. Where was he shooting this gun? He lives in Queens. Yeah, probably lots of shooting, unfortunately, happened. We know that. This fellow, King Ping, just got gunned down.

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So now, between being a truly skilled boxer, a child prodigy drug dealer, and carrying his own piece, 50 felt invincible. Of course. Nothing could stop him now, except a school security guard, as it turned out. One day in the 10th grade at Andrew Jackson High School when 50 was 16 years old. That's where my dad went. No,

No shit. I swear to God. Wow. Sorry, I just punched the microphone. Yeah, you got excited. It's okay. A security guard discovered cocaine hidden inside his sneakers, which he had concealed in his backpack to keep the sneakers hidden from his grandparents. Oh. Because he didn't want them seeing all his new swag. Yeah. Needless to say, in addition to being suspended from school for two weeks, 50 was arrested, brought down to the 103rd precinct in Jamaica, Queens, and ultimately sentenced to 18 months probation. But this...

But this was a bit of a turning point for 50 because he realized that hiding his lifestyle from his grandparents was making him sloppy. So he decided to come clean and tell his grandparents the truth, that he didn't take drugs, but he did sell them. His grandparents were shocked and disappointed, to say the least. His grandfather Curtis simply stood up and walked out.

But his grandmother, Beulah, took a different approach. She decided it was a good time to tell 50 exactly what happened to his mother, Sabrina.

You know, scare them straight. Because like 50, Sabrina sold drugs. Like 50, Sabrina lived a separate life concealed from her family. Like 50, Sabrina felt she was living the good life. Until one night when someone slipped something into Sabrina's drink and left her unable to escape the death trap set for her in her own home.

Because what really happened on that ill-fated night in 1983 was that all of the windows were closed and locked in her home, and the gas from the stove was turned on while Sabrina Lai drugged. In other words, Sabrina was murdered, likely by a rival drug dealer. Sure. Have you ever seen that movie Midsommar? No. It's one of those A24 movies that looks fun and cool, like they're at some kind of hippie festival out in a beautiful landscape, and then it's like...

fuck, what the fuck am I watching? But in the beginning, the girl's sister kills their whole family. It's like within the first three minutes, so I'm not like ruining anything. Yeah. And man, same thing. Like you get to the, I'm imagining that it was not that obvious. Like locking the windows is one thing.

turning the oven on, but like this was all like tape and the girl had like a, a hose going from the garage into the home so that she could fill up. Carbon monoxide? Yeah. That's terrifying. And then she had a hose like duct taped to her face. Oh, God. Yeah.

Yeah. Terrible. Bad. So while 50 felt guilty that his grandmother Beulah was blaming herself for his lifestyle, because she was. Was she? Yeah, she was apologizing and saying that it was her fault. He also felt a newfound sense of freedom because for the first time, he felt free to truly expand his business and make a name for himself unburdened by the secrets of the past. Beulah's revelation, though meant to scare him straight,

inadvertently fueled his ambition and determination to rise even higher in the ranks. And rise to the top he did. Until less than six months later, when two unmarked police cars pulled up with undercover cops emerging, guns drawn, ordering him to his knees. Though no drugs were found on 50 at the time of his arrest, the state alleged that he was part of a drug selling network plaguing the area.

Adding insult to injury, the cops also told 50 that his urine test came up positive for drugs, which meant that he broke one of the conditions of his probation from his previous arrest. When the school security guard found his cocaine and his sneaker in his backpack, he was on 18 months probation. Here he's getting arrested again. He also broke another one of the 10 crack commandments.

which is don't get high on your own supply. Well, I have a pop quiz for you. Sure. Because he maintains that he never took any drugs. Yeah, yeah, he still does, by the way. So pop quiz. If 50 didn't actually take any drugs as he's maintained, then how was cocaine detected in his system? A, drug residue was absorbed through his skin while he cooked crack to sell. B, he had a dirty probation officer who was paid off by a rival dealer to contaminate the sample. C,

C. The sample was not actually contaminated. Rather, the cops used a strategy known as deception to try to get him to confess to using. C. No. B. No.

What could it be? Drug residue was absorbed through his skin because he cooked so much crack. That's insane. Did you know that it's estimated that four out of every five U.S. bills, like currency bills, contain trace levels of cocaine? Yeah. You knew that? Yeah. That blew my mind.

When I was going over the pop quizzes with Dave and he goes, that's why digital money is so much better. Well, it's just such a cash heavy business that even if I, I mean, people, I think, assume that that means people are rolling them up and snorting cocaine with them. No, I don't think that. It's just they're always, you know, always around drugs. Yeah, yeah. Drugs are like the only real cash business left. Right.

Because the truth was, really, I believe, 50 never actually used drugs. As indicated in one of his future songs, I ain't on no funny shit. I'm on some get this money shit. That's from Corner Bodega, Coca-Cola.

I wonder if he got high from the absorption. Like a contact high? Yeah. Good question. Anyway, after taking his case to trial in the Queens Supreme Court, 50 was sentenced to 22 months at a court-mandated, city-regulated drug rehabilitation program in Brooklyn. Really? Six weeks later, when he was granted leave privileges, he immediately got back to selling corn to rock. Okay.

Corner Bodega, cocaine, dope and hydro. It's all for sale. Come and get it from a thug. 50. He's spitting it where he live in it. It's nothing but a thing. What the fuck was that? It's from the same song that I quoted before. Oh. But he was like saying like Corner Bodega, like he's back at it. Yeah. Very good. Thanks. Thanks.

Then, once again, on June 29th, 1994, 50 was arrested for selling four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. Yeah. Three weeks later, law enforcement raided his crib and discovered 280 grams of crack cocaine, four ounces of heroin, cutting agents, vials, baggies, and more than $15,000 in cash,

of which, according to 50, only 695 made its way to the evidence room. Oh, wow. It's fucked up, right? Say it one more time. 280 grams of crack cocaine, four ounces of heroin, cutting agents, vials, baggies, and more than $15,000 in cash. So, I mean, possession with intent to distribute...

All around the fucking... All day long. Yeah. At this point, 50's house of cards was really beginning to crumble as he faced three to nine years for criminal possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell. And what is he, like 16 at this point? This was 1994 and he was born in 75, 19. It's not a great start. No, it is not. It's not a great start for him at all. So now he's facing three to nine years and he's young.

His only chance at dodging a lengthy sentence was to participate in the New York State Department of Correctional Services Shock Incarceration Program. Oh, man. Established in 1987, this program aimed to provide a military-style boot camp environment to help rehabilitate nonviolent inmates through strict discipline...

insane physical training and intensive rehabilitation therapy. Yeah. But most appealing to 50 was the fact that it would cut his sentence from three to nine years down to six months. So he headed to Beaver Dams, New York, to a 10,000 acre property staffed by former military drill instructors ready to make him suffer. Yeah.

And six months later, after enduring torturous physical punishment, basically, 50 graduated the program, was not at all rehabilitated, and went straight back to the concrete jungle of New York, physically stronger now, meaner, and more hardened. Hmm.

At this point, 50 started dealing bricks of cocaine, moving straight kilos. He began spending more and more time on the streets with increasingly violent people, including two ruthless hustlers from North Carolina nicknamed Butter and Grits. And the value of life, as he indicated in his book, was getting cheaper and cheaper. His value of life. Yeah. And at this point, if he's 19, I know, sorry, that he...

1975, he was born. 2003, Get Rich or Die, Tryin' came out. So he's got quite a few years left. He's got a journey, yes. He became directly involved in increasingly violent situations and shootouts and started to witness firsthand the real brutality and ruthlessness that defined the world he was part of. The streets became a battleground and survival often depended on being the toughest and most ruthless player in the game.

And 50 was out to win. Yeah. Because he got that Hustler's Ambition. He does. Born with it, like you said. Yeah. It's also a name of one of his songs. Hustler's Ambition? Yeah. Pop quiz. Okay. During this time, what album did 50 have playing on repeat in the headphones? During this time, you said? So, 1994. Okay. A, Illmatic by Nas. B, Ready to Die by Biggie. C, Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang Clan. A. Okay.

Illmatic? No. Oh, really? B. Ready to Die by Biggie. Correct. Oh, Ten Crack Commandments is on that album. So now he's learning. And it was that album that set the wheels of change in motion for 50. So at 19 years old, and largely because of that album, 50 realized that he could make money from doing something else besides stealing drugs. And that was rapping. Mm-hmm.

Two years later, real shit started to happen. First, at age 21, 50 Cent became a father to his first son, Markey Jackson. And 50 realized that if he wanted to have any type of presence in his son's life, he needed to stay out of prison and, crucially, to live. Yep.

So when he randomly met hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay out at a club one night, 50 made sure to leave an impression. For those who may not know, Jam Master Jay was the turntable guru of legendary rap group Run DMC and made a revolutionary imprint that spans more than 20 years of hip-hop history. And he never left Southside Queens. Really? Yeah, I mean, he got killed there. Oh, shit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a...

The theory that he was still very much involved in some of, you know, some nefarious activities. But he was also still entrenched in music. Right. As indicated by 50 years later, they were like the Beatles of hip hop. Oh my God. Yeah.

At the time, Jay had a label deal through Def Jam, one of the most influential hip-hop labels of all time. But luckily for 50, Jam Master Jay also had his own label, JMJ Records, which was known for nurturing young artists until they were ready to fly on their own or move on to bigger opportunities.

As such, Jay, who looked at 50 and saw a gifted Queens kid just trying to work his way out of the drug show business, decided to take him under his wing in spite of the fact that this young kid, 50, had never written a rap verse in his life. But just like anything else, he'll figure it out. Right. That's what he did. According to 50, Jay gave him a CD with nothing but a beat on it and told him to get working.

Jay taught him how to count bars and where the chorus should start and stop and instructed him how to write. He took raw talent and shaped it into polished skill, all while making 50 promise him that he'd never return to the drug business.

And with that, 50 Cent officially, albeit temporarily, turned his back on drug dealing and faced the warmth of creating music. Yeah. Want to hear something funny? Yeah. So you said Jam Estranger taught him how to count bars? Yeah.

I don't know if people know what that means, but usually a verse is 16 bars and then the hook and rinse repeat three times. That's a song. Jay-Z talks about making reasonable doubt and how he had no idea how to make a song. Like he had heard songs before, but he didn't know there was like a format to it, which is good because Can I Live has like 47 bars in a row. Oh, really? Yeah. Before he says, can I live? Can I live? And then the next verse is like,

22 bars or 12 or something like that. Right, right. Very lopsided, but incredible. Fuck the rules. Yeah. You know? It's like true crime. Shouldn't really have comedy in it, but if you do it in a way that's appealing and respectful and nice on the ears, it can work. Yeah. And it wasn't a gimmick. Prodigy made a song that was, Keep It Thorough was the name of it. And he kept saying like the chorus was basically heavy airplay all day with no chorus, but there was no chorus.

Being a rap artist for 50 was as authentic as it got. Yeah. Knowing that the biggest players in the game, like Biggie, Tupac, and Snoop Dogg, all made a fortune rapping about street life and hustling, 50 knew he had an endless, rich reservoir of authentic material to draw from. And that's why

And that material would translate into hard-hitting lyrics and street cred in the rap game. Curtis Jackson, who also went by the nickname Boo Boo, officially became 50 Cent. And life after that had become unrecognizable.

He's the most terrifying serial killer you've never heard of. Haddon Clark has confessed to several murders, but investigators say he could have over 100 victims. At the center of the mayhem, a cellmate of Haddon's that was able to get key evidence into Haddon's murder spree across America,

Okay. Okay. Okay.

The name kept him humble, reminded him of the spare change he used to find as a kid, which felt like a million bucks back in the day. B, it was the cost of a typical call he used to make from the bodega payphone to facilitate a drug transaction. C, it was the name of a stick-up kid from Brooklyn who used to rob rappers before he was killed, and by adopting the name, 50 was keeping him alive. C. Yeah. Did you know that?

Kind of. Sounded familiar. I knew that, what was the first one? That the name kept him humble because he used to find spare change as a kid and think it was like a million bucks. I don't know if you know you did this or not, but the Rocks production company is Seven Bucks, which he did. He named it that for that reason. Really? I had no idea. Because he came to wherever he, you know, when he left home and went out on his own trying to make it, he arrived with like $7 in his pocket. Wow. All right. Cool. And the other thing is that I know that...

a payphone call didn't cost 50 cents. If it was a drug transaction, it could have. You just got to keep popping the change in. What? 25 cents was a call. Yes. If it went longer, you just put in another quarter. Oh, okay. I got you. I thought like... Yeah, business calls would be more than 25 cents, presumably. The operator's like, is this about drugs? Yes. Okay, please drop another quarter in there, son.

Listen, I used to use pay phones. But yeah, stick up, kid, because 50 Cent's first big single was How to Rob. Okay, there you go. Yeah. He did also say that he felt that the name was a good metaphor for change and also that it was just an easy name for people to remember. True, very true. Now, initially, 50 didn't make

any money from rapping, nor had Jam Master Jay been paying him. Jay mentored 50 and allowed him to use the studio, but he didn't have an official record deal with him and owed 50 nothing financially. 50 suddenly found himself a bit strapped for cash and was forced to begin selling off some of his bling and even his car just to stay afloat. And this sudden delay in material gratification was not something 50 Cent was okay with. But

But there wasn't much else he could do about it right then and there, as people didn't really take him seriously at first and were not exactly spending their money on his mixtapes.

Even worse, 50 claimed that when he had indeed made good music that had the potential to pop off, legitimate, already established rap artists would rip off his style and lyrics. He specifically accuses Jay-Z of lifting his lyrics and sound in the song, Somehow the Rap Game Reminds Me of the Crack Game. Yeah. Well, they got a little... A little beef. They got a little something going on.

I mention it. Yeah. By this point, 50 made around 36 songs and he was ready for the world to hear his shit and to pay him handsomely for the privilege.

which meant he needed to buy out his remaining production contract with Jam Master Jay. So they didn't, he wasn't under his label, but they had some kind of agreement for $50,000 so that he could get signed for $65,000 with a new label that would presumably really help him to blow up. And that new production company was Track Masters Entertainment, who worked with little known artists like Jay-Z.

Nas, Mariah Carey, JLo, LL Cool J, and R. Kelly. Trackmasters. But even after signing with the Trackmasters, 50 felt that he was still getting dicked around because he was six months into the contract and they hadn't done a thing for him. And it was then fueled by rage over being sidelined and jealousy over other artists whom he knew he could easily steal from or overpower if out on the street. Yeah.

50 Cent wrote the song How to Rob, released as a single in 1999 and featured on the soundtrack of the film In Too Deep. Oh, really? Yeah. The song gained significant attention for its humorous and controversial lyrics, where 50 imagines robbing various prominent figures in the music industry, such as that fuck P. Diddy, Jay-Z, and Missy Elliott. Yep. How to Rob. ODB. What? ODB.

He says, I rob ODB, but that'll be a waste of time. Really? How to Rob wound up playing a crucial role in putting 50 Cent on the map in the hip-hop scene. Huge. The angrier big artists like Big Pun, DMX, and Wu-Tang became over that song, the more his clout skyrocketed. And it was a good song, too. Yeah. In fact, at Summer Jam, Jay-Z even went up to 50 and said, quote, you know I'm about to go in on you, right? Yeah.

And then, in front of all of New York, Jay-Z spit the following, I'm about a dollar. What the fuck is 50 Cent? Well, fuck it. That was on Volume 3, Life and Time. Okay. It was on S. Carter. The next day, 50 actually thanked Jay-Z because from a business perspective, it was pure gold. Oh, yeah. Jay-Z's public outreach only fueled the buzz around 50 Cent, which served as a catalyst to further cement his presence in the hip-hop world. But then...

Until he encountered a slight hiccup in the form of what? Pop quiz. A, being sued for sampling a masterpiece sound without permission. B, getting into a fistfight with Ja Rule. C, having a public screaming match with Lil' Kim over a misinterpreted interview comment. A? No. C? No. B, he got into a fight with Ja Rule? Yes.

I mean, I know 50 Cent ruined Ja Rule's career. This is where it started. But it wasn't like that always. He wasn't always on top with Ja. Well, never. Yeah, it always starts out different. Although the exact circumstances to me remain unclear about how their beef started. At some point, they clashed, to put it lightly. Yeah. Which led 50 Cent to declare war on Ja Rule and the entire Murder, Inc. record label crew.

This ignited one of hip-hop's longest-lasting and most intense feuds, a rivalry that continues to simmer even today with it now being old enough to vote. And the most consequential. Like Ja Rule literally disappeared after that. He became like a nothing rapper. Nothing person.

In October 1999, 50 Cent released Life's on the Line, a single from his shell debut studio album, Power of the Dollar. Power of the Dollar. Which was a blatant diss track directed towards Ja Rule and Murder, Inc.,

And people knew it was a diss track because the murder chant throughout the song and obviously was an obvious dig at Murder, Inc. Yeah. Unfortunately for 50, that song had only become a minor street hit peaking at number 37 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. While Jaws debut album, Veni, Vedi, Vechi, which was released just four months earlier, sold over more than a million units. Oh, yeah. That album was gigantic. After that, 50 went back to dealing crack for a bit.

He wasn't making money fast enough through a rap, and he realized that you need money to make money. Without proper swag, he felt that he would never be taken seriously by industry people. Despite his time away, 50 expected to just pick right up in the drug game where he left off and to just start out on top. What he didn't anticipate was that his re-entry into the drug game would piss off a lot of dangerous people.

On top of that, he still had an ongoing unsettled beef with Ja Rule simmering. And this all came to a head on March 24th, 2000, when a rapper named Black Child from Ja Rule's crew at Murder, Inc. entered Hit Factory Studios in New York City and stabbed 50 in the gut while he was there recording. Yeah.

At this point, it seemed like 50 had nowhere to turn. People in the music industry, i.e. Ja and his crew, were trying to take him out. And people on the street in the drug world felt that he outstayed his unwelcomed reentrance. Mm-hmm.

But then, since 50 is nothing if not a comeback kid, he signed a deal with Columbia Records in 1999. He was all geared up to release his debut album, Power of the Dollar, which I mentioned earlier, when his life took the most dramatic turn yet. Because on May 24th, 2000, at about 12 o'clock p.m. in South Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent was walking to his friend's car outside his grandmother's house as she planted flowers and

when a black Ford Expedition slowly rolled up beside him and a man brandishing a 9mm handgun emerged from the passenger seat.

Then, without hesitation, the gunman unleashed a torrent of bullets, nine shots in total, that tore through the air with lethal intent. He only fired nine shots? The bullets ripped into 50's legs, hands, arms, chest, and face, with one lodging in his left cheek, exploding his mouth.

And altering his rap delivery. Yes, sir. The cacophony of gunfire echoed through the neighborhood and left a trail of chaos and eventually media in its wake. Bleeding profusely and on the brink of death, 50 Cent was rushed to the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he spent 13 harrowing days recovering from his life-threatening injuries. Both of his legs were broken in multiple places. His hip was fractured, but

A tooth was blown out of his mouth and his hand exploded.

His jaw was wired shut and he was fed through a tube for six weeks, causing him to lose a tremendous amount of weight, going from 230 pounds to 167. Wow. I want to just clarify here that he was, because you said the gunman fired nine shots. He may have fired more than that, but nine hit him. Oh, okay. So I know he got hit nine times. Yeah. I was going to say how impressive it is that he didn't miss at all. Oh, oh. If that's the case, if he fired nine shots. Right.

After his release from the hospital, 50 went up to the Poconos in Pennsylvania to recover, where he joined a gym to gain back his strength and come back even stronger than he had been before his attempted murder. Of course, the burning question on everyone's mind was, who shot you? 50 has always maintained that the shooting was a result of him, quote, not cooperating with the N-words in the street. Yeah.

And according to court documents released in 2005, the shooting of 50 Cent was allegedly orchestrated by Kenneth Supreme McGriff, a notorious drug lord and leader of the Supreme Team, a violent gang operating in Queens. Did you hear me mention him earlier? I did, yeah. I said it wrong. No,

You said Supreme. No, I said Ken Griff. Oh, oh. I thought it was, uh, whatever. McGriff was reportedly furious with 50 Cent for referencing him in the song Ghetto Quran, which exposed some of McGriff's criminal activities and connections. Oh, really? Believing that 50 Cent had broken the street code of silence, McGriff

McGriff hired a hitman to take him out. And that hitman was identified as Daryl Homo Baum, Homo being short for homicide, who was a close friend of Mike Tyson and a bodyguard for Lil' Kim. Three weeks following the attack on 50, Homo was killed in a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn. Obviously, many speculate that his death was a retaliation by 50 Cent's associates, while others believe it was a hit ordered by Supreme to eliminate any loose ends.

McGriff was eventually arrested and convicted of several murders, including that of Homo. He is currently serving a life sentence without parole in a federal prison. Now, while up in the Poconos recovering from his injuries, 50 wrote what is now considered the legendary album,

Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Yeah, it is. Before it even went on sale, the album was illegally downloaded more than 300,000 times. And before he was officially signed with anyone following his shooting, 50 started putting out mixtapes and giving out free samples of songs like the song Fuck You, which was a message to the man who shot him, as well as Guess Who's Back, which in an absolutely cinematic moment

caught the attention of none other than Marshall Mathers. Guess Who's Back is an album. Would I say song? I think so. It might be a song on the album. I kept waiting for you to mention Guess Who's Back because that's like my favorite. Get Rich or Die Trying is very good. Yeah. But Guess Who's Back is like, fuck, man, this guy is scary as hell. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

So 50 flew out to Los Angeles to meet Eminem on the set of a little movie he was filming called 8 Mile. 8 Mile, I think I've heard of it. Soon after 50 arrived, Dr. Dre rolled up in a blue Lamborghini bumping one of 50's songs. No way. When he got out of the car, Dre looked at 50 and said, you ready to make history? Oh my God. That's too much.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. We're buzzing. Yeah. Shortly after that, in 2002, a cute little hip hop group was formed known as the G-G-G-G-G-G-Unit. Come on. A little credit. Very good. The core members of the G-Unit included 50 Cent and his two boys from back home, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks.

Then during Tony Yayo's imprisonment in 2003, the group also recruited Tennessee-based rapper Young Buck as a temporary replacement and later as an official member. Californian rapper The Game also was made a member in late 2003 as well. Very short stay. But initially it was Yayo, Banks, 50, and Buck after Yayo got incarcerated. Mm-hmm.

DJ Who Kid helped lay the foundation of their first album called Beg for Mercy by producing many of their influential mixtapes before the album. But with high profile producers like Dr. Dre, Hi-Tech, and Scott Storch on the album, within a few short weeks of its release, G-Unit's music could be heard blasting from every car window, apartment building, and barbershop. It was inescapable, echoing through the streets and soon dominating major radio stations.

The infectious beats and raw lyrics captivated listeners everywhere from neighborhood block parties to urban clubs. Record labels and other artists quickly took notice and were chomping at the bit to work with G-Unit, eager to capitalize on their meteoric rise and the undeniable impact that they were making on the hip-hop scene. Did I ever tell you the story about me and the guy in the mall?

Need a little more than that. This was one of the best moments of my life. I hope I know about it. Okay. Listen, I'm exaggerating. Yeah, I get it. Go ahead. This DVD came with this magazine, The Source, and it had 50 Cent's life and kind of like where he was coming from and what he was doing and all that. And the song Back Down was basically like the backdrop for the entire DVD. Back Down is one of the...

scariest songs one person could ever make about another person. Wow. The beat was ominous, spooky, threatening. The lyrics were obvious. This was all about Ja Rule. This was like right up my alley. So 50 Cent, I've said on here before, nobody's ever had a bigger buzz before him or after him. And I'm in the mall. I'm 22 years old. I

I'm white. I love hip hop culture. All I want is for black people to like me. Right. So I'm in the mall and I hear the beat for back down coming from like, I don't even know, probably 15 stores away. And I go like this. And then the guy saw me, I guess somehow and looked at me and he went like this.

Oh, my God. The acceptance I felt. Oh, yeah. Was like, oh, yeah, it was. That's I'll be. This is going to sound crazy to say that's that experience is kind of like one of the reasons why I like 50 Cent so much. That was over with one of his songs. Sure. Yeah. That's I'm feeling good for 22 year old you right now. Really good. Real good.

Now, in terms of 50 Cent as a solo artist, Eminem signed him to his label Shady Records in 2002, which was an imprint of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Which was an imprint of Priority Records, which was an imprint of... Right. Keep going. Then in 2003, 50 Cent's premiere solo artist album debuted called Get Rich or Die Tryin', which set the hip-hop industry on fucking fire. Really did. And was met with instant, instant...

commercial success. Oh, yeah. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over 872,000 copies in its first week. And street success. Yes. Which is very, very rare for something to be that commercially viable but still be true to...

It's singles, In Da Club, and 21 Questions both topped the Billboard Hot 100, while P.I.M.P. became a number one hit in several countries. The album was the best-selling album of 2003 in the U.S. and was ranked number one on the Billboard Year End 2003. Was ranked number what? Number one. On the Year End 2003? Yeah. Yeah, nobody. I mean, he was Taylor Swift back then.

Amazing. Get Rich or Die Tryin' received Nonupil Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, meaning it sold 9 million copies in the United States. Oh, nine-tuple?

No, N-O-N-U-P-L-E. Non-U-P-L? Yeah. Wow. That same year, 50 launched the record label G-Unit Records. After Get Rich or Die Tryin', with success off the fucking charts, 50's discology went like this.

2005, he released his second album, The Massacre. It charted at number one in the U.S., as well as reaching the top 10 on many album charts worldwide, and sold 4.83 million copies in the U.S. in 2005, the second highest sales count by any album that year. The Massacre includes the U.S. top three hits, Disco Inferno and Just a Little Bit, and the U.S. number one hit, Candy Shop.

In 2007, he released his third album, Curtis. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 behind Kanye West's album Graduation after a much-hyped sales competition between the two albums. Yeah. In 2009, he released his fourth studio album, Before I Self-Destruct, which featured a return to the darker, more intense style of his music. Mm-hmm.

that 50 Cent exhibited on many of his mixtapes from earlier in his career. The album charted at number five on the Billboard 200 and peaked in the top 20 of several album charts worldwide.

In June 2014, he released his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition. The album debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200, giving 50 Cent his fifth consecutive top five album in the country, while also debuting at number one on Billboard's independent albums chart. When did Curtis come out? What year was that? Curtis came out in 2007, behind Kanye West's album Graduation.

2005 was the massacre. 2007 was Curtis. 2009 was before I self-destruct.

In the end, 50 Cent went on to become one of the best-selling and most influential rappers of all time, as well as a successful businessman, mogul, actor, and producer. At the height of his fame, 50 sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won several awards, including a Grammy Award, 13 Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards, and four BET Awards.

The musician was ranked the sixth best artist of the 2000s and was the third best rapper behind Eminem and Nelly.

What? Yeah. Nelly. I know. Gucci Mane on the list. 50 has been and or is currently involved in artist and talent management, boxing promotion, record television and film production, footwear, apparel, fragrances, liquor, video games, mobile apps, book publishing, headphones, as well as with health drinks, dietary supplements, and even a condom line called the Magic Stick.

So good, right? His success with vitamin water alone earned him between $60 million and $100 million. But not all of 50's decisions have been lucrative or smart or particularly gentlemanly.

For example, in 2009, 50 leaked a 13-minute sex tape featuring Lastania Leveston, in which he served as an obnoxiously crude narrator dubbed Pimpin' Curly. So 50, as Pimpin' Curly...

made explicit remarks about Leveston and taunted rap rival Rick Ross, who wasn't in the video but has a daughter with Leveston. So in 2015, after filing a lawsuit against 50 Cent, Levinson won and 50 was ordered by a judge to pay her $5 million. It was then that 50 Cent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

According to the Wall Street Journal, based on documents submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Hartford, Connecticut, 50 cents assets clocked in at between $10 million and $50 million. That's it? I know. Yes. Then, in 2016, he was arrested again for which of the following offenses? Committed in which of the following locations? Top quiz. Top quiz. A, drug dealing in Houston, Texas.

B, chewing gum in Singapore. C, swearing in public in St. Kitts. B. No. C? Yeah.

Yeah, I knew it wasn't drug dealing. I would have heard about that. While performing live and publicly in 2016... Oh, I remember that, yeah. ...he said motherfucker on stage and was promptly arrested. He went to court a few days later and paid a fine. Same thing happened to DMX in 2003, by the way. 50 also faced a potential ban from Canada in 2005 because Canadian authorities considered banning the rapper from entering the country due to his criminal record and the violent content of his lyrics...

which some officials believed would incite violence. Recently, 50 Cent has made headlines yet again for trolling P. Diddy on social media, particularly after the release of surveillance footage showing Diddy assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. Fucking piece of shit. Yeah. We're definitely going to do a case on him. Yeah. 50 Cent has taken a very public and aggressive stance against Diddy. He recently sold a multi-part documentary to Netflix titled...

Did he do it? Get it? Produced by G-Unit Film and Television, which delves into Diddy's legal troubles. P. Diddy is currently named in six civil lawsuits accusing him of various forms of sexual misconduct and other illegal activities. Additionally, he is under federal investigation by a Department of Homeland Security investigations team specializing in human trafficking and related crimes.

According to a recent TMZ story about the docuseries, 50 Cent remarked, quote, if more victims keep coming out, I'm gonna need more episodes.

He has also publicly stated his belief that P. Diddy is connected to the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. Yeah, of course. Diddy's always been a piece of shit. Yeah. His artist, Shine, I don't know if you remember him. He came out, he sounded like Biggie. No, I don't. He made this guy take the fall for a gun that he had. This is when he was dating J-Lo. Okay. Shine was like a brand new rapper having very big commercial success at the time.

and Diddy and him were out at a club and Diddy's, I don't remember what it was exactly, but he made Shine took the fall for him. That sucks. Everyone in the area was like, no, it was Diddy. And then Shine was like, no, it was me. Is that what he actually sounded like? Well, it's weird because he came out sounding like Biggie

Oh. His voice sounded like Biggie. Oh, oh, oh. So then after he got out of jail, he got deported back to Belize. He's been there since. But he makes music now. Does not sound at all like his original voice. But everyone knew that.

that he was doing this. Oh, come on. You could hear it. It's a little absurd, don't you think? I mean, I never heard it, but that sounds ridiculous. Well, I'll play it for you after we're done. Yeah, Shine is, I think the song is called Bad Boy. Whoa. Whoa. Shut up. Wow. Idiot. Pretty good. Yeah, was it? It was all right. Thank God for editing.

Meanwhile, just this year, on May 6th, 2024, 50 filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend, Daphne Joy Narvaez, who accused him of raping her last month. The lawsuit came after Joy made an Instagram post on March 28th, 2024, accusing 50 Cent of rape and physical abuse during their relationship. In the post, she claimed that she moved to New York with their son, Sire, to be closer to 50 Cent,

but that he only saw his son 10 times in two years. She expressed her frustration and accused him of being abusive, which prompted 50 Cent to take legal action. 50 Cent's lawsuit, which was filed in Texas, alleges that Joy's accusations are false and malicious, aimed at damaging his reputation and interfering with his relationship with their 11-year-old son. He claims that her post...

was a retaliatory move in response to his custody filing after she was alleged to have been a sex worker involved in the ongoing P. Diddy case. Oh, wow. Yeah, it's all so incestuous. Yeah. In conclusion, Curtis 50 Cent Jackson's life story embodies the essence of the 50th law, a philosophy of fearlessness outlined in the book he co-authored with Robert Greene.

You know it, right? I know Robert Greene. Well, you know the 48. 48 Laws of Power, yeah. So they co-authored a book called The 50th Law. Yeah. The 50th Law advocates for confronting and conquering fear to achieve success.

From his difficult upbringing in South Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent transformed his struggles into triumphs with his groundbreaking album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. While his path was definitely marred by less than admirable criminal choices, public feuds, violence, legal issues, and controversies, there is no denying that his relentless ambition and entrepreneurial spirit propelled him to greatness.

Truly embracing the 50th law, 50 Cent's journey is a case in point of the heights one can achieve by confronting and overcoming fear. Yeah. And that's the case of 50 Cent. Very best case scenario.

The best episode we've ever done. I mean, I was going to kind of guess you were going to say that. I can't wait to unhinge this one. Oh, hell yeah. Oh my God, man. Now you see why I was like, I got to get this one done before I go away for a couple weeks. Yeah. So I have a, I have a tanks tidbit, but it's different. And because you just brought up Robert Greene, do you know he did my podcast?

No, really? Oh, yeah. He's like, he would do this podcast in a heartbeat. Cool. Let's do it. Yeah. We got to figure out some kind of angle so that he can bring. First of all, The 48 Walls of Power is one of the most misunderstood books ever written. I know your favorite one is Law No. 4. 3.

I thought it was the less you say, the more intimidating and powerful. Oh, it's rule number four? Yeah. Okay, so yeah. That was my tidbit. Oh, go, go. No, go. No, I was just going to say, I just know. Since you're the expert, you know everything. I'm just kidding. Come on, man. I'm about to prop you up. Prop me up.

I lost it, but I'd like to hear you talk about it. In my research, it said it was law number four. It probably is. I think it is. It's just the law is always say less than necessary. And then it expounds upon that or expands upon it, whatever. I know we have a thing with that word. Well, you told me it expands. Okay. It extrapolates. Nope. Nope. No, you were right. It exercises. It expands.

um, it extra exorcisms on that topic. But like, that was the one that I needed the most out of all 48. I need that one bad. Always say less than necessary. Don't be too available in a business setting.

In a business setting. The first time it ever had an impact on my life was in a dating setting. See, I feel like you don't want to stifle communication. No, you're not stifling. You're just, I was, I'm an overshare. Okay. Or I was an overshare. Okay. I can see then where that would benefit you. And that's a turnoff. Right. It can be. It can be. It doesn't have to be. Like women, speaking, this woman, I appreciate communication.

With someone you're in a relationship with. Right, right, right, right. Not someone you're on a second date with. No, okay. Starts telling you that they fucking have a drug problem and can't, you know, can't drink safely. Well, you're being honest. Well, honestly. I get what you're saying, though. There is a fine line between having solid communication skills and being forthcoming versus being like...

Diarrhea of the mouth. Exactly. Yeah. Perfectly said. Yeah. So that's Tank's tidbit. But also, 48 Laws of Power said it's misunderstood. People think that that book is used to wield the laws. His intention, and I knew this already, but he said it publicly, it's to recognize the laws being used. A lot of people don't even know they're doing this stuff. It's unconscious.

But when you know about all these things people do to either establish themselves in a higher rank than you or kind of, you know, take credit from you or whatever. You know what I always recognize happening when people do it? What? When they say my name repeatedly. Like, I get it. You read somewhere that you should use the person's name to connect with them. Yeah.

but you know when it's being used. You know when somebody's using that technique. Maybe they're trying to remember it. It's like in a sales setting or a business setting. Oh, so overdone and so almost funny. Yeah. You know what I mean? So yeah, if you're going to use any of these like strategies or whatever, just use them well. Yeah, be moderate. Otherwise, you're outing yourself. Yeah. And it loses the oomph. Dale Carnegie has a line that he said something like,

The most beautiful sound in any language to any person in any time in history is the sound of their own name. Unless it's my dad yelling at me. Yeah. Then I hate my name. Well, if you use it properly like the people that you're talking about do not, you can use or abuse. There you go. You want to use. That's a good tidbit. Yeah. All right, good. That's my tidbit. Yeah, well done. That's my titty. Titty has been flopped out. And my ass is twitching. Maybe we'll do tits and butt cheeks next week.

It's such a mess. I'm going to be so sore. I'm so scared. What? I'm so scared of being how sore I'm going to be. Oh, it's all right. You know it doesn't last and it's worth it. You know what I did? I went to the gym before I went to Pilates and I did legs. Oh, I can't believe you're not biting my head off. Dumbass. Right now. No, that'll be tomorrow. Oh. Yeah. Me and Dave have, we've shared that experience multiple times. Yes, I know. It's so good.

It's like he can always tell my time of the month. I can always tell when he's done legs. Yeah, three days before. Exactly. What'd you do legs? You're being a fucking asshole. Exactly. Yeah. All right. Well, listen, if you made it this far, you're a real one. I can hear that intro music coming. Outro.

outro. So I'm going to wrap it up. I'm going to send it over to you. Say thank you for doing all that work. Thank you for presenting it with such skill and care. Thank you for that compliment. It was my pleasure to deliver this to you and to our listeners. I hope they liked it. A little bit different for us. I hope it clicked with enough people to make it worth it. I bet they did. And we will see you guys at the next episode. Thanks for listening. Bye.