50 Cent From His Start: Photos Of The Rapper From His Young Days To His 47th Birthday

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50 Cent: Then & Now

50 Cent: Then & Now — Get rich or die trying! 50 Cent was born Curtis James Jackson III on Jul. 6, 1975 in New York City. The rapper grew up in gangs, but caught the attention of Eminem with a 2002 mixtape. He produced 50’s major label debut ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in 2003, giving the world hits like ‘In da Club’ and ’21 Questions.’ His success would continue over his next albums, selling over 30 million albums worldwide.

50 is also an actor. He made his debut in the semi-autobiographical film ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005), and was also in ‘Brave’ (2006), and the crime thriller ‘Righteous Kill’ (2008). He executive-produced and starred in the television series ‘Power’ (2014–2020) as well.

There is simply so much that 50 Cent has done, it’s wild to look back at where he started. Here, the rapper is seen back in 2003 when he was just getting famous. He looked tough in a bulletproof vest with tons of diamond jewelry on.

Want to see how 50 Cent transformed from a young rapper into a full-blown, rap legend? Look no further than our gallery here.

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50 Cent & Vivica A. Fox In 2003

50 Cent & Vivica A. Fox In 2003 — 50 Cent and Vivica A. Fox attend the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards together in New York on Aug. 28, 2003. He wore a grey pinstriped suit and she donned a next-to-nothing dress. The couple dated for just a few months back in 2003.

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50 Cent At A Reebok Launch

50 Cent At A Reebok Launch — 50 Cent attends a launch for Reebok’s new footwear collection in New York on Nov. 4, 2003. He wore a white outfit and a custom G-Unit hat.

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50 Cent Plays The 2004 BRIT Awards

50 Cent Plays The 2004 BRIT Awards — 50 Cent takes the stage during the 2004 BRIT Awards in London on Feb. 17. He wore a camo outfit and khaki vest.

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50 Cent Wins A BRIT Award

50 Cent Wins A BRIT Award — 50 Cent shows off his trophy at the 24th BRIT Awards in 2004. He repped his hometown of New York with a Yankees ballcap.

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50 Cent, Eminem & Dr. Dre

50 Cent, Eminem & Dr. Dre — Eminem, left, 50 Cent, center, and Dr. Dre pose for photographers after arriving at the Roseland Ballroom for the ‘The Shady National Convention,’ concert in New York in 2004. They were dressed sharp for the event, which poked fun at political conventions. Em discovered 50, and before that Dre was the one to find Eminem as a young talent in Detroit.

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Gwen Stefani, 50 Cent & Gavin Rossdale In 2005

Gwen Stefani, 50 Cent & Gavin Rossdale In 2005 — Famous friends! No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani (left) and husband Gavin Rossdale (right) flank 50 Cent at CAA’s Pre-Golden Globes Party on Jan. 15, 2005.

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‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’

‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ — 50 Cent is seen in a poster for his fim debut ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. The 2005 film was based on the rapper’s own life story and named after his debut studio album.

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50 Cent In ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’

50 Cent In ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ — 50 Cent makes a deal in a scene from 2005’s ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. Though the film received lackluster reviews, 50 was praised for his acting.

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50 Cent In 2005

50 Cent In 2005 — 50 Cent looks great in green as he arrives for a Nov. 7, 2005 appearance on ‘The Late Show With David Letterman’. His shirt was from his own G-Unit brand.

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50 Cent Plays Kosovo In 2007

50 Cent Plays Kosovo In 2007 — 50 Cent takes the stage in Pristina, Kosovo on dec. 17, 2007. He wore a bulletproof vest customized to have ‘Curtis’ written on the front in silver rhinestones.

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50 Cent In Berlin In 2012

50 Cent In Berlin In 2012 — 50 Cent smiles during a presentation for SMS Audio headphones in Berlin, Germany on Aug. 31, 2012. Looking like a true American, he wore a flag tee and plaid shirt with a Yankees cap.

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50 Cent At The 2016 Yeezy Show

50 Cent At The 2016 Yeezy Show — 50 Cent is super fashionable in all black during the 2016 Yeezy fashion show in New York on Feb. 11. Dressing up the winter look, he added a gold chain with a giant Jesus pendant.

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50 Cent In 2021

50 Cent In 2021 — 50 Cent debuts the South Side Goblet drink at the Sugar Factory American Brasserie at Resorts World in New York on Sep. 10, 2021. He was happy to chat with other party guests.

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50 Cent Plays Super Bowl LVI

50 Cent Plays Super Bowl LVI — 50 Cent brought down the house during halftime at Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California on Feb. 12, 2022. He was surrounded by sexy dancers at the halftime show, which was a tribute to hip hop.

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50 Cent Plays Wembley In 2022

50 Cent Plays Wembley In 2022 — 50 Cent appears in concert at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on Jun. 10, 2022. He was happy to perform.

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