Devalvation of half the dollar

From hip-hop to bankruptcy: what happened to the famous rapper 50 cent

The rapper 50 Cent is considered an extremely successful performer and businessman, Forbes estimates his fortune $ 150 million. During his career, 50 CENT sold more than 30 million records, but much more earned by a successful business - only the sale of a brand brand Vitamin Water brought him 100 million; How much he earns on the clothes of the G-UNIT brand, it remains only to guess. In July 2015, after several lost ships, the 50 Center filed a bankruptcy application. "Medusa" tells how the famous rapper has reached such a life.

Curtis James Jackson III began to engage in business in his school years - the future 50 Cent, as follows from his own stories, had trained drugs from the age of 12. Curtis graduated from the school already in prison, delaying the term in 1994 for trying to sell cocaine under the cover and storage of Crak and heroin. Having freed himself, Curtis became interested in ramp, began to copy Run DMC and develop his own style. In the end, he ended up on the label Jam Master Jay from Run DMC.

Most of all, the style of 50 Centes was influenced by one day of spring 2000, when an unknown criminal shot him nine times. Curtis survived, it took him about six months to restore, but one of the bullets that damaged his jaw forever changed the rapper’s speech and gave her a special sound. For which they shot at Curtis - it is unclear; According to one version, for the song “Ghetto Quʼran”, in which 50 Cento (and probably too frankly) told about the drug business.

Because of it, he lost the contract with Columbia Records and the opportunity to release a debut album on the major-label-no one wanted to contact such a “dangerous” artist. In fact, after the Ghetto Quran, Raper was closed to the American show business, and 50 Cent went to sign up for Canada. His tracks somehow reached Eminem, he showed them to Dr. Dre, and together they decided to help Curtis release “Get Rich or Die Tryin '”, which in February 2003 debuted in the charts in the first place and sold 800 thousand copies in the first week.

The disk turned out to be an ideal sample of a commercial hip-hop-there was an action movie about street life (“Wanksta”), a dance format hit (“In Da Club”) and a ballad about love (“21 Questions”). And Eminem, Dre, Snup Dogg, Nate Dogg and other hip-hop stars in the cashuet of invited stars. After the Get Rich or Die Trying ', dozens of, if not hundreds, albums recorded according to this scheme, including all other discs of 50 cent itself.

Rap monetization

Despite the impressive sales of records, the 50th Center did not earn his condition with music, but by monetizing his popularity. In this, he was supported by people from the numerous surroundings of the rapper, primarily influential in hip-hop manager Chris Lait. It was he who helped 50 centes on sweet vitaminized water Vitamin Water-Curtis, a big fan of a healthy lifestyle, loved this drink, and in exchange for a small share in the manufacturer began to advertise it everywhere. When Vitamin Water bought Coca-Cola, 50 cent earned $ 100 million. Chris Latya helped to create an entire empire under the 50 Cent brand and his pocket G-Unit label, including the brand of clothing and shoes, a business to sell ringtones and many other ways to attract as much money as possible. Thanks to Get Rich or Die Tryin ', 50 Cent became a superstar, and any product associated with it had a demand, whether it is a video game, clothes or a film about the life of a rapper.

After the breakthrough album, 50 Cent released several more discs and became the face of many brands. Now, for example, almost the entire rapper twitter is dedicated to Effen vodka, the face and investor of which he is. Curtis's music practically does not change over time, so it is not surprising that he is losing popularity in the era of rappers with more complex texts than stories about money and drug trafficking on the street. In 2009, 50 CENT admitted that he lost “several million” in the financial crisis, but from year to year, Forbes assesses Curtis in an amount exceeding $ 100 million. He has not been working with Light for a long time - a talented manager committed suicide in 2012.

Courts and bankruptcy

Difficulties with the law, if you do not take the times of drug trafficking, Curtis Jackson began in 2011 with the creation of SMS Audio. The company develops and sells wireless headphones, a little reminiscent of the brand products of Dr. Dre BEATS. The problem is that 50 Cent company, before starting to produce its headphones, was negotiating about working with Sleek Audio. They did not lead to any results, but SMS Audio headphones were too similar to those developed by Sleek Audio. In October 2014, the company sued $ 16 million in 50 cent, and in December of the same year it became known that his personal bank account by decision of the court was frozen.

In early July 2015, one more case was completed in relation to 50 cent - the court ordered him to pay five million dollars of Lastonia Levinston for publishing an intimate video on her participation on the Internet. Curtis denies the accusations, although the video was posted on his website. Levinston, the former girl of the rapper Rick Ross, with whom 50 cent at the moment when the scandalous video was published (Curtis also accompanied him with rude statements), was in a tense relationship; The rappers regularly exchanged attacks in songs, videos and interviews.

It was after this defeat that Curtis Jackson declared himself bankrupt. According to the statement, 50 Cent has an assets for the amount of 10 to 50 million dollars and debts - also in the amount of 10 to 50 million dollars. How it turned out that the rapper-multimillionaire did not have money to pay off the bills, is not quite clear; Apparently, not all of his assets, despite the high rating, can be turned into money. For example, the rapper has been unsuccessfully trying to sell his huge house for $ 18 million since 2007, but judging by bankruptcy documents, he still lives in it. 50 Centiles not so much by the standards of hip-hop: last year his income on the Forbes assessment amounted to $ 8 million. If we imagine that the rapper does not have any other free money, then the bankruptcy statement looks logical.

According to representatives of Curtis Jackson, bankruptcy is only a way to reorganize financial obligations and continue to engage in business, recognition of bankrupt will not affect all its current projects. Judging by Instagram, 50 cent itself, where he endlessly advertises his vodka, headphones and male underwear, is full of desire to return to business.

Pavel Borisov

Riga