50 Cent Screensaver - Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975) is an American rapper commonly known by his stage name 50 Cent. He rose to fame following the success of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. 50 Cent achieved multi-platinum success with both albums, selling over 21 million records worldwide. Born in South Jamaica, Queens in New York, 50 Cent began drug dealing at an early age during the 1980s' crack epidemic.After leaving drug dealing in favor of pursuing a career as a rap artist, 50 Cent was shot several times in 2000. After the release of 50 Cent's mixtape compilation Guess Who's Back? in 2002, 50 Cent was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre—who produced his first major commercial successes—he became one of the most successful rap artists in the world. He is also the founder of the highly successful record label G-Unit Records. He currently resides in Farmington, Connecticut, in the former mansion of boxer Mike Tyson.50 Cent is planning to release two solo albums by February 2008.