50 Cent (also known as Fitty" or "Fifty") is an American rap artist, hip hop artist, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and executive producer. He was born in Queens, New York City on July 6, 1975. "50 Cent" is his public name, but his birth name is Curtis Jackson. Growing up, he never knew his father and his mother was murdered when he was just 8 years old. He grew up mostly in a neighborhood called STP. He learned how to play basketball and football. He got shot nine times in STP. Before he was a rapper he was a drug dealer.