In a photo studio on Manhattan’s West Side, Curtis Jackson III — better known to the world as 50 Cent — is tugging on a crisp white shirt and sumptuous velvet blazer for our Alexa cover shoot. In his state of undress, the handsome rap king-turned-actor, producer and designer grabs his phone and flashes a pic of the regal bathroom in one of his homes (he’s rumored to have three in the tristate area, including a Midtown apartment).
Said Versace toilet is, indeed, a thing to behold. The seat is decked out in gilded patterns, which reflect the dazzling chandelier hanging above. In a nearby bedroom, mind-bending 3-D wallpaper makes the walls appear to shrink, fun house-style, in the distance. An enormous photo of the Brooklyn Bridge covers an entire wall of the blinged-out living room.Modal Trigger
“People don’t expect this s–t of me,”he says.
But those expectations may soon be changing. Despite recent reports of financial woes, the Grammy-winning songwriter and rapper is throwing his silken top hat into several high-end arenas. This month he landed a Fox comedy series called “My Friend 50,” in which he’ll star as himself.
“I think [comedy] comes naturally to me,” Fiddy says of the new show. “I try to bring humor to every situation I’m in. And I like the ability to become a different person and create a character.”Modal Trigger
A seasoned performer, Fiddy not only showcased his acting chops on the Starz drama “Power” (top and bottom right), but he’s about to toss his hat into the comedic ring on a new sitcom, “My Friend 50.”Photo: WireImage; Myles Aronowitz (2)
This year he also appeared as Jake Gyllenhaal’s former manager in the boxing flick “Southpaw” and snagged a third season of “Power,” the Starz show he executive-produces and appears in, about a drug runner/nightclub owner trying to go straight.
That plotline hits close to home for Fiddy, who was born and raised in the none-too-plush South Jamaica region of Queens. His mother, Sabrina, dealt drugs. “It was either that or welfare,” he says matter-of-factly. “When the goal is to achieve something, shortcuts are not bad options.” She died when he was only 8 years old, and he was taken in by his grandmother, Beulah, with help from his aunts.
“My mom was one of nine kids, so when she died, I became the new number nine for my grandma,” he remembers fondly. He quickly gained a taste for the high life:
Life would soon get wildly better as he rose to the top of the gangsta-rap world, with help from mentors Eminem and Dr. Dre. His 2003 “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ” album, featuring smash anthem “In da Club,” was Billboard’s album of the year and earned five Grammy nods — it went on to sell 8 million copies in the US and earned Fiddy an ASCAP songwriter of the year award. He dove headlong into the dizzying success — dating actress Vivica A. Fox and splurging on friends and family.Modal Trigger
This year he also appeared as Jake Gyllenhaal’s former manager in the boxing flick “Southpaw” and snagged a third season of “Power,” the Starz show he executive-produces and appears in, about a drug runner/nightclub owner trying to go straight.
That plotline hits close to home for Fiddy, who was born and raised in the none-too-plush South Jamaica region of Queens. His mother, Sabrina, dealt drugs. “It was either that or welfare,” he says matter-of-factly. “When the goal is to achieve something, shortcuts are not bad options.” She died when he was only 8 years old, and he was taken in by his grandmother, Beulah, with help from his aunts.
“My mom was one of nine kids, so when she died, I became the new number nine for my grandma,” he remembers fondly. He quickly gained a taste for the high life:
“One year, she bought me the Atari 7600 for Christmas. I had Pac-Man and Centipede. Life was good!”Modal Trigger
He also elevated his clothing game, favoring chic, tailored business attire over street wear.
“Where I come from, suits are associated with court dates and funerals, but I made the adjustment as I grew,” he says. “I still get people asking me, ‘Why are you wearing that?’ But they don’t mean enough for me to care.”
That unabashed confidence has served him well. His sixth album, “Street King Immortal” — which keeps his tough image firmly intact — is slated to drop early next year, with the singles “Get Low,” featuring Jeremih, 2 Chainz and T.I., and “9 Shots” already out. And he recently signed a $78 million endorsement deal with high-end men’s underwear line FRIGO — which sell for $100 a pair.
He grabs a sample from an assistant and elegantly points out its features, Vanna White-style. “Most luxury underwear is for women,” he explains, practically purring. “But men deserve to treat themselves better, too.”
Fiddy also invested early in VitaminWater (he reportedly cashed out for $100 million), and is vocal about his EFFEN vodka sponsorship. (This fall he Instagrammed a shot of a freezer stuffed with stacks of cash, along with a vodka bottle staged front and center.)
The hustle still comes natural to Fiddy, but he says he’ll scale back during the holiday season. “Christmas revolves around my little guy,” he says, referring to 3-year-old son Sire, whose mother is model Daphne Joy (she and Fiddy have since split). “I entertain myself by entertaining him.”
His older son, Marquise, now 18, is more distant. The two have had public fallings-out, particularly in 2013, when Marquise revealed private, vitriolic texts from his dad. Fiddy is clearly rueful about the damaged relationship.
“When you pray for success, you don’t pray for envy, jealousy or entitlement,” he says, leaning in. “But those things are common side-products.”
While there’s currently no official lady in his life, “I have options,” he says with another cheeky smile. “But with options come confusion.” For now, he’s focused on work — and Yuletide celebrating.
His favorite holiday track? “Christmas in Hollis,” naturally, by fellow Queens natives Run-DMC. “It’s hard to do a Christmas song that’s good — that was the first one I was ever excited about,” he says.
Despite his sophisticated new style and projects, Fiddy remains anchored by his love of playful, no-pretense mischief. He’ll ditch his glam Manhattan apartment and head home to Queens for the holidays. His grandmother died in 2014, but two of his aunts, Geraldine and Laurie, and his grandpa will make sure the big day goes off with a bang.
“My aunt Geraldine is my favorite,” he says warmly. “She knows it, too. They still buy me stuff like socks for Christmas, but you can never have enough. They cook the food on Christmas too.
“What do I bring to the table?” he continues, pausing for half a beat. “I bring me! I’m the entertainment!”
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