On Monday, Curtis Jackson, better known as rapper 50 Cent, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following a messy lawsuit in which he was forced to pay his rival Rick Ross' ex-girlfriend $5 million.
The news came as a shock, especially considering the rapper was just ranked No. 4 on Forbes' May list of the wealthiest hip-hop artists thanks to his reported $155 million net worth and his massive 2007 deal with Vitamin Water in which he was awarded between $60 million and $100 million.
50's lawyers have said the filing is simply to "reorganize his financial affairs as he addresses various professional liabilities," but in the meantime, we only want to live in a world 5o Cent is synonymous with his hit 2003 album title, "Get Rich or Die Tryin.'"
Curtis James Jackson III was born July 6, 1975 in Queens, New York, where he grew up dealing drugs. In 2000, he was struck by 9 bullets during a shooting in his neighborhood.
After he released the compilation album 'Guess Who's Back?' in 2002, the young rapper was discovered by Eminem and signed by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records as part of a $1 million deal.
Source: BBC
With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre — who produced his first label album in 2003, 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' — 50 Cent became one of the world's most successful rappers, selling over 30 million albums worldwide.
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