50 Cent

Born in Queens in 1975, Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, emerged from the streets of New York to become a hip-hop icon. After a near-fatal shooting in 2000, he was signed by Eminem and Dr. Dre, launching his career with the critically acclaimed "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," which topped the Billboard charts. His subsequent albums, including "The Massacre," solidified his commercial success, but later works like "Curtis" and "Before I Self Destruct" saw critical and commercial declines. Transitioning into television, he executive-produced and starred in the hit series "Power," earning accolades and cementing his status as a multifaceted entertainer.