How long was curtis jackson in jail

As a result, the young rapper was constantly in the press, and his life became an open book. This was not a "studio gangsta," meaning a musician who makes up stories about drugs, violence, and murder in order to sell records; 50 Cent was the real deal. He grew up on the streets of New York, survived being shot at nine times, and used those experiences to fuel his songs. As a result, critics noted that his music had a gritty edge, and they predicted that 50 Cent would be the next hip-hop heavyweight.

It is a tough neighborhood, plagued by gang violence; it is also the birthplace of many rappers, including LL Cool J — and the female trio Salt N' Pepa.

Fifty Cent was surrounded by violence from the day he was born. His mother, Sabrina Jackson, was only fifteen years old when he was born on July 6, She turned to dealing drugs in order to support her son, and eventually became one of the most feared drug dealers in Queens.

Sabrina was killed mysteriously when her son was eight, perhaps the result of a drug war. Fifty Cent was raised by his grandmother, whom he adored.

However, because she had nine other children in her charge, the boy spent a good deal of time on the streets. By the time he was twelve, he was dealing crack, a strong form of cocaine that is smoked. As 50 Cent explained to Allison Samuels of Newsweek, he had to fend for himself because he did not want to burden his grandmother: "I didn't want to ask her for a pair of Air Jordans when I knew she couldn't afford them, so I began working to get my stuff and not stress her out.

He had dropped out of high school and was spending most of his time in jail; 50 Cent was also listening to his favorite musicians, including KRS-1, Rakim, and Run-DMC, and trying his hand at writing his own rhymes. He dreamed about breaking into the music business but was not sure he should give it a try. When his son, Marquise, was born, 50 Cent knew it was time to make a change: he decided to stop dealing drugs and start making music.

Eminem is one of the biggest superstars in the music business, but he is also one of the most controversial. His lyrics are full of profanity; his CDs are boycotted by women's organizations and gay and lesbian groups; and he makes news headlines because of his public rampages against his mother, his ex-wife, other musicians, and fans. On the other hand, Eminem, a white rapper from Detroit, Michigan, has an enormous number of steadfast followers.

He also has been credited with infusing new life into a genre that some considered to be growing old and stale. When he was young, he and his mother, Debbie Mathers-Briggs, divided their time between Missouri and Detroit, Michigan.

When he was twelve, the family finally put down roots in the east side of Detroit. Because they were constantly moving, Mathers found it difficult to make friends, so he turned to television and comic books. He also started tuning in to rap music, and soon he was writing rhymes like his favorite musicians, LL Cool J and 2 Live Crew.

By high school, Mathers was skipping most of his classes, and focusing his energies on his music. He failed the ninth grade, and ended up dropping out of Osbourne High School. Mathers paid his dues over the next few years, releasing independent CDs until he was noticed by veteran rapper Dr. With Dr. Dre's help, the world was introduced to Marshall Mathers, also known as Eminem, also known as Slim Shady, the title of his debut CD. His songs were harsh, filled with references to rape, violence, and drug use.

In particular, Mathers lashed out at his ex-wife, Kim, and his mother, whom he blamed for his hard childhood. Critics loved him or hated him, parents protested, but millions of people bought his music and attended his concerts. Both sold millions of copies and earned several Grammy Awards. Mathers also starred in the film, playing Jimmy Smith, a would-be rapper who battles the streets of Detroit. Smith was a character that Eminem knew well since he moved from those same streets to become one of the most unlikely hip-hop heroes in music history.

Jay was from the same neighborhood, and he saw a spark in the fledgling rapper. Soon, 50 Cent was studying with the seasoned musician. Once he said it, I got it. He was raised by a single mother in the neighborhood of Jamaica.

His mom worked as a drug dealer and died in an unexplained fire when Jackson was only eight years old; after her death, he was raised by his grandmother. Jackson had boyhood aspirations to be a boxer, and fought at the junior level, but began selling drugs when he was At the age of 19, an undercover police officer arrested Jackson for selling four vials of cocaine and when his home was raided three weeks later, police found crack and heroin.

Sentenced to three-to-nine years, he instead went to a boot camp and got his GED. At this time, he was already rapping and took on the name 50 Cent, which was the original moniker of a Brooklyn crook from the s. Jay was impressed by Jackson's rapping ability and produced an album for him, but it never came out.

Jackson also made a false start with the Columbia label, recording an album that was shelved before its release. In , Jackson was the victim of a severe shooting incident that left him with multiple injuries. He returned to music after his recovery and made several low-budget recordings with his friends Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, as a crew called G-Unit. Their efforts came to the attention of Eminem and Dr.

It was a massive commercial success that eventually sold 9 million units. Its gritty singles, including "Wanksta" and "In Da Club," were underpinned by strong hooks that helped turn them into crossover pop hits.

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