TTO – Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s story unfolds from surviving the tough streets of South Jamaica, Queens, enduring nine gunshots to becoming one of the most successful hip-hop artists in history. Now, he’s a multimedia mogul, juggling music, fashion, underwear, movies, books, video games, TV shows, fragrances, cars, and sports drinks, amassing a fortune of over $400 million in just seven years. In a recent interview with Dimitri Herlich of Interview magazine, 50 Cent reflects on his diverse ventures and the impact of his mother’s tragic death when he was eight years old, providing insights into his unique journey from the streets to success.
- PV: I’m amazed at how your career has expanded beyond the realm of music in recent years. You’re now the owner of a record label, an author, the face of a video game, the founder of the G-Unit fashion label, and G-Unit underwear, as well as your own fragrance line. Some even say you earned $100 million from shares in the Glaceau energy drink company. Do you now see yourself more as a business tycoon than a rap artist? Is that overstating it?
- 50 Cent: That’s accurate. My other ventures have been more profitable than music. Before, I had great ideas but lacked the financial support. However, the profits from my success in music, selling 19 million copies of my debut album “Get Rich or Die Trying” and another 13 million copies of “The Massacre,” gave me the opportunity to venture into other fields.
- PV: Do you know the current value of your assets? I read somewhere it’s around $400 million. Is that accurate?
- 50 Cent: I’m not sure, but that figure sounds about right.
- PV: With so much money, do you find yourself changing your views about yourself, or do you never feel wealthy enough?
- 50 Cent: I don’t think you can ever have enough money. Before, I equated success with money because I didn’t have a dime. When you don’t have money, it seems like money will solve all your problems. But then, when you have money, new problems arise.
- PV: Your first two albums sold a combined 32 million copies, but “Curtis” only sold a million. Do you think your latest album, “Before I Self Destruct,” will once again prove your worth?
- 50 Cent: Yeah, I understand that my music determines whether I’m still relevant or not. Whether I release an album or people download my music from the internet, it’s the same – music is the measure of whether I’m still in demand.
- PV: Do you get annoyed when people are afraid to say no to you?
- 50 Cent: Some of my friends still treat me the same as before I became a boss. They don’t demand anything from me.
- PV: Like who? Who is your closest friend?
- 50 Cent: Closest friend, huh? That’s hard. It’s probably Eminem. We don’t get to hang out much, but we often call each other. Every time I’m in Detroit, I stay at his place. He’s the one who gave me the opportunity to have everything I have.
- PV: I guess one of the most difficult things you had to overcome in life was losing your mother, being murdered when you were just eight years old?
- 50 Cent: That’s correct.
- PV: Do you remember anything about that time, when you heard the news? Does that loss continue to affect you in the long run?
- 50 Cent: At that time, I was still very young, only eight when my mother passed away. Do you know why my mother chose that way of living? It’s because of me. She was pregnant with me at fifteen, a time when teenage mothers weren’t as supported as they are now.
Back then, there was no green card (a program to protect mothers and children). You only had two choices: either go on welfare or live as my mother chose, standing on the street to make money. So, my memories of my mother are something beautiful because every time I saw her, she had a gift for me. Since I didn’t have a father, she was everything to me, you understand?
The day my mother passed away, I remember wanting to go to the park to play, but it was raining outside, and I felt like it was raining because my mother was gone. After that, whenever something bad happened, I thought it was because my mother was no longer there. Everything good had passed. Then, I met people who seemed well-off, had things I wanted like fancy cars and jewelry. They would say, “Hey kid, do something. Why do your shoes look so bad?” Then, they’d buy me shoes. Before you know it, I’d be selling that devilish stuff to them. I had to sneak around my grandmother to sell drugs to them.
- PV: So, while making deliveries, did you ever try using?
- 50 Cent: Never. When it comes to trying something for a high, let me think: should I spend $10 on a little powder to get high or save it to eat?
- PV: I read somewhere that you still fly economy class. Is that true? How do other passengers react when they see you sitting right next to them in a budget seat?
- 50 Cent: Oh yeah, if I have to sit in economy, it’s no big deal. If the front section is full, so be it. I’ll sit in the back. I know some people only endure flying first class. I think they’re afraid of being caught flying without sitting in first class. But I know where I stand in terms of wealth and poverty: I don’t need someone sitting next to me in first class to validate me. If you think a seat in first class makes you a star, then you’re not a star.
