Curtis Jackson ~ aka ~ 50 Cent

Pay $41 millionPower Rank 8 ~ 50 CENT
Despite the bidding war, Eminem indeed got his man, signing 50 to a joint deal with Shady/Aftermath -- the former label Em's, the latter Dr. Dre's. During the successive months, 50 worked closely with Em and Dre, who would co-executive produce his upcoming debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', each of them producing a few tracks for the highly awaited album. Before Get Rich dropped, though, Em debuted 50 on the 8 Mile soundtrack. The previously released (via the underground, that is) "Wanksta" became a runaway hit in late 2002, setting the stage for "In da Club," the Dre-produced lead single from Get Rich. The two singles became sizable crossover hits -- the former peaking at number 13 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, the latter at number one -- and Interscope (Shady/Aftermath's parent company) had to move up Get Rich's release date to combat bootlegging as a result.
Amid all this, 50 made headlines everywhere. Most notably, he was tied to Jam Master Jay's shooting in October 2002, the F.B.I.'s investigation of Murder Inc's relationship to former drug dealer Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, and the shooting incident at the offices of Violator Management. Furthermore, he made more headlines when he was jailed on New Year's Eve 2002 for gun possession. The media relished his life story, particularly his storied brush with death -- and not just the expected media outlets like MTV -- even such unlikely mainstream publications as The New York Times ran feature stories ("Amid Much Anticipation, a Rapper Makes a Debut"). By the time Get Rich finally streeted on February 6, 2003, he had become the most discussed figure in the music industry, and bootlegged or not, his initial sales figures reflected this (a record-breaking 872,000 units moved in five days, the best-selling debut album since SoundScan started its tracking system in May 1991), as did his omnipresence in the media.

CD's
Get Rich or Die Trying 5 out of 5
The Massacre 3.5 out of 5
The Massacre re-release 4 out of 5
Includes remix of Outta Control "featuring Mobb Deep" & video's to every song on CD.

Get Rich or Die Trying
872,000 units moved in five days, best selling debut album since soundscan started its tracking system.
In da Club
PIMP "featuring SNood Dogg"
21 Quesitons
Wanksta
Patiently Waiting "featuring Eminem"

The Massacre
Piggy Bank
Disco Inferno
Candy Shop "Featuring Olivia"
Just A Little Bit
In My Hood
Outta Control

Sales of his 2003 debut album, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," and last year's follow-up, "The Massacre," have sold a combined 20 million copies worldwide. But 50 Cent--Fiddy to fans--also lords over G-Unit, a vast multimedia empire that includes apparel, videogames, ringtones, even a stake in Glaceau Vitamin Water, which named its low-cal grape flavor Formula 50 after the former drug dealer. Despite the only modest performance of the "Get Rich" film last year, 50 is slated to appear in at least two more films, including the soon-to-be-released Iraq war flick "Home of the Brave." Stay tuned for his next album before year's end