50 Cent was born Curtis James Jackson III in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York, on July 6, 1975. He was initially raised by his single mother, Sabrina, before going to live with his grandparents following her passing. The rapper had a rough upbringing and lifestyle filled with gang violence and drug dealers.
In fact, he was arrested several times — the first time was in 10th grade when he was caught by metal detectors in high school. Then, in 1994, an undercover police officer caught him selling drugs. He was sentenced to between three and nine years in prison. Luckily, he only served six months in boot camp.