50s Stabbing and Shooting

On March, 2000, 50 Cent was confronted by Ja Rule and other artists from Murder In. At the Hit Factory recording studio in Harlem, after he recorded a believed diss song called "Your Life's On The Line", which was related to an earlier confrontations and theories of Ja Rule's jewellry being robbed by a friend of 50 Cent. 50 Cent was stabbed by Murder Inc artist Black Child, and was treated for lacerations and a partially collapsed lung at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

On May 24, 2000, 50 Cent was attacked by a gunman, alleged to be Darryl "Hommo" Baum, outside his grandmother's former home in South Jamaica, Queens. He went into a friend's car, but was asked to return to the house to get jewelry. His son was in the house while his grandmother was in the front yard. Upon returning to the back seat of the car, another car pulled up nearby. An assailant then walked up to 50 Cent's left side with a 9mm handgun and fired nine shots at close range. He was shot nine times: in the hand (a round hit his right thumb and came out of his little finger), arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek. The face wound resulted in a swollen tongue, the loss of a wisdom tooth, and a small slur in his voice. His friend also sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. They were driven to the hospital where 50 Cent spent thirteen days. Baum, the alleged shooter, was killed three weeks later. Baum was also Mike Tyson's close friend and bodyguard.

50 Cent recalled the incident saying, "It happens so fast that you don't even get a chance to shoot back.... I was scared the whole time.... I was looking in the rear-view mirror like, 'Oh shit, somebody shot me in the face! It burns, burns, burns.'" In his memoir, From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens, he wrote, "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life... How much more damage could that shell have done? Give me an inch in this direction or that one, and I'm gone". He used a walker for the first six weeks and fully recovered after five months. When he left the hospital, he stayed in the Poconos with his then-girlfriend and son. His workout regime helped him attain his muscular physique.

While in the hospital, 50 Cent signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records. However, he was dropped from the label and "blacklisted" in the recording industry because of his song "Ghetto Qu'ran". Unable to find a studio to work with in the U.S, he traveled to Canada. Along with his business partner Sha Money XL, he recorded over thirty songs for mixtapes, with the purpose of building a reputation. 50 Cent's popularity rose and in 2002, he released material independently on the mixtape, Guess Who's Back?. Beginning to attract interest, and now backed by G-Unit, 50 Cent continued to make songs. They released the mixtape, 50 Cent Is the Future, revisiting material by Jay-Z and Raphael Saadiq

21 questions

Is a song performed by a rapper called 50 Cent. Nate Dog, who gives additional vocals, is featured uncreditedly on the chorus and intro. The song was written by 50 Cent, K. Risto, J. Cameron, and V. Cameron for 50 Cent's commercial debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin in 2003. It was released in 2003 as the album's second single, it became his second number one song in the United States after "In Da Club". It reached number six in the UK Single Chart while "In Da Club" was at #23, giving him the rare feat of having two singles in the Top 30 at the same time. The track was produced by Dirty Swift and Bruce Waynne of Midi Mafia and samples Barry White's "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing". R&B singer Lil Mo created the answer-back remix titled "21 Answers". Her version received decent airplay, and was often merged together with 50 Cent's version for club play.

The song 21 questions is about 50 Cent getting arrested for drug money and is trying to keep in touch with his girlfriend whilst he is inside but keeps getting harassed by a rival gang. In this song he is asking his girlfriend 21 questions to find out if she will still love him if something happened between them.

21 questions lyrics

[50 Cent] New York City! You are now rapping...with 50 Cent You gotta love it... I just wanna chill and twist a lot Catch suns in my 7-45 You drive me crazy shorty I Need to see you and feel you next to me I provide everything you need and I Like your smile I don't wanna see you cry Got some questions that I got to ask and I Hope you can come up with the answers babe [Nate Dogg] Girl...It's easy to love me now Would you love me if I was down and out? Would you still have love for me?

Girl...It's easy to love me now Would you love me if I was down and out? Would you still have love for me? Girl... [50 Cent] If I feel off tomorrow would you still love me? If I didn't smell so good would you still hug me? If I got locked up and sentenced to a quarter century, Could I count on you to be there to support me mentally? If I went back to a hoopty from a Benz, would you poof and disappear like some of my friends? If I was hit and I was hurt would you be by my side?

If it was time to put in work would you be down to ride? I'd get out and peel a nigga cap and chill and drive I'm asking questions to find out how you feel inside If I ain't rap 'cause I flipped burgers at Burger King would you be ashamed to tell your friends you feelin' me? And in bed if I used to my tongue, would you like that? If I wrote you a love letter would you write back? Now we can have a lil' drink you know a nightcap And we could go do what you like, I know you like that [Nate Dogg] Girl...It's easy to love me now Would you love me if I was down and out?

Would you still have love for me? Girl...It's easy to love me now (Woo!) Would you love me if I was down and out? Would you still have love for me? Girl... [50 Cent] Now would you leave me if you're father found out I was thuggin'? Do you believe me when I tell you, you the one I'm loving? Are you mad 'cause I'm asking you 21 questions? Are you my soulmate? 'Cause if so, girl you a blessing Do you trust me enough, to tell me your dreams? I'm staring at ya' trying to figure how you got in them jeans If I was down would you say things to make me smile?

I treat you how you want to be treated just teach me how If I was with some other chick and someone happened to see? And when you asked me about it I said it wasn't me Would you believe me? Or up and leave me? How deep is our bond if that's all it takes for you to be gone? And always remember girl we make mistakes, to make it up I do whatever it take I love you like a fat kid love cake You know my style I say anything to make you smile [Nate Dogg] Girl...It's easy to love me now Would you love me if I was down and out?

Would you still have love for me? Girl...It's easy to love me now Would you love me if I was down and out? Would you still have love for me? Girl... Could you love me in a Bentley? Could you love me on a bus? I'll ask 21 questions, and they all about us Could you love me in a Bentley? Could you love me on a bus? I'll ask 21 questions, and they all about us

get rich or die trying

The film begins with the protagonist Marcus (Jackson), his manager Bama (Terrence Howard), and two associates together robbing a store that is a front for a money laundering operation. After they leave, Marcus is shot nine times by a man with a bandana covering his face.

A flashback shows Marcus as a child driving with his mother down the street. His thoughts reveal that he is constantly looking for his father, whom he does not know. This scene also shows that Marcus knew his mother sold drugs, but he felt that it was only for his benefit. Marcus's mother is murdered and her body is burned along with the rest of the house.

Marcus goes off to live with his grandparents in a crowded house, and is taunted by the other children.

Marcus begins to sell drugs on a corner. During a fight with two other dealers who say that he is selling on their turf, he is taken away by Majestic, a well known drug kingpin who worked with Marcus's mother and will now work with Marcus.

He buys a .357 gun and begins pushing drugs more often. The police find packets of cocaine hidden in Marcus's socks and arrest him. This leads to a fight between Marcus and his grandfather, after which Marcus leaves his grandparents' home.

Marcus buys an apartment after running away from home, and after giving up on his rapping dream after three hours trying, begins to sell drugs again. Majestic then holds a meeting between the local drug pushers in the gang Marcus's mother was in, which is run by a man named Levar, where Majestic makes cocaine in crack form.

These drug dealers, all of them African American, are in a turf war with the Colombians. Many are slain on both sides, leading Levar to shake hands with the Colombian head after all the escalation led to a Korean liquor store owner shooting two innocent young African-American teens.

Shortly after, Marcus forms a 'crew' with a childhood friend named Antwan, a man named Justice he helped in a drug turf fight with the Colombians, and another man named Keryl. At this time too, he rekindles his romance with his childhood friend Charlene, who was sent away from the neighborhood when her parents found a mix-tape from Marcus, where he dubs himself Young Caesar.

One night while at a club, Marcus is shot at by the Colombians and Antwan is hit, leaving him a paraplegic. In retaliation, Marcus shoots the Colombian who crippled Antwan, and is about to execute him, but ends up shooting him in the leg after the man cries out for his father, which reminds Marcus of his own search for his father.

Due to the hit Marcus made, Levar is forced to pay a "political debt" to the police, and thus is leaving for some time to "let some heat off the business", leaving a political associate in charge. However, the plot eventually leads to Marcus being arrested for the shooting, with cocaine being found in his apartment. (This is odd because Majestic's rule number 1 was not to leave the product at home.) Subsequently, Marcus is sent to prison.

While incarcerated, he meets his future manager and friend, Bama, who saves him from a knifing in the shower which was organized by the Colombian Marcus almost killed earlier in the movie. Charlene visits him during this time and reveals she is pregnant with Marcus's child.
During this time Levar is sent to prison due to a betrayal of Magestic, who intentionally sent to shoot a police officer, breaking the deal Levar had with the police force. Part of Magestic's plan was to frame the new leader Levar had left in charge blaming him of the betrayal move done to Levar. This leads to the killing of the right hand of Levar that was in charge, thus letting Magestic become the gang leader.

After leaving jail with Bama, Marcus informs Majestic he wants out of the game, to pursue his rap career because he is going to be a father and needs to be responsible. Bama and Justice don't get along owing to Bama's relationship with Marcus. At a recording studio, Marcus records a song to insult Dangerous, a rapper that Majestic supports. Also, after Marcus's child is born, Majestic visits Charlene in the maternity ward, picking up the recently born Antwan, and tells her it is in everyone's best interest that Marcus should not continue with his career and apologize. Marcus becomes enraged when he learns about this, and starts giving 24 hour protection to Charlene and Antwan. Back in the studio, Marcus swears to kill Majestic by humiliating him in a song called Break The Walls Down (Officer Down). Justice reports this to Majestic, who orders him and Junebug to end Marcus and get rid of Bama. Since Majestic could not get to him, he made sure Marcus could not get a record deal.

After Marcus is unable to get a record deal, his crew (at this time Marcus, Bama, Justice, and Keryl) ends up robbing a store run by the Colombian head, and the story leads back to the beginning of the movie. Right before he's about to be shot, the shooter takes off his mask, revealing himself to be Justice, who had followed Marcus alone after Bama and Keryl left in a separate car. As Marcus is shot, his grandmother screams out his name, the final bullet meant for his head shattering his jaw instead. Justice arrives at Majestic's hideout only to find out Marcus was still alive even after shooting him nine times. Majestic in rage stabs him vigorously with his sword in an executionary style. Just to be sure he was dead, Majestic locked in The Walls...

After a long and painful recovery by Marcus, he begins his rapping dream again. Marcus "Young Caesar" begins independent rapping instead of working for a record deal. After a while, he becomes even more famous, and plans to do a live concert at Pelham Hall.
Before the concert Marcus goes to Levar, who was still imprisoned by the betrayal move of Majestic, to ask about his mother's death. Levar confessed that he and Marcus's mother Katrina were in a relationship and Majestic had grown very jealous of him.
Before his rap concert, he drops off little Antwan and Charlene at his mother's house, leaving big Antwan with an Uzi. His grandmother, remembering his near fatal shooting, warns Marcus that if he goes out there tonight, he endangers not only himself, but his child and Charlene. Marcus tells her he has to go out there.

On the night of the concert, people are outside in the streets protesting the crack cocaine pandemic at the time. Marcus and Majestic also meet face to face at this time. Majestic demands that Marcus not go through with the concert, because it will humiliate him, and that to show respect Marcus must go outside and take a picture with him. After Marcus declines, Majestic tells Marcus that he raped his mother then murdered her. The two then face off and fight.
At the end, Marcus leaves to start the show, after nearly beating Majestic to death, leaving him on the ground. Majestic rises from the floor and pulls out a sword, and is shot in the arm by Bama, falling to the ground and begging Marcus to be the one to kill him. But, as Marcus walks away and down the hall, Bama shoots Majestic three more times, killing him.

Marcus approaches a mirror, and has a revelation on his life, saying "All my life, I had been looking for my father. I realized, I had been looking for myself." And then continuing to say "It felt like I was walking away from the old me, and the new me was being born.", representing his change from cold-blooded drug-dealing murderer, robber and gangster, to a responsible father, adult, and now rapper, his rivalry and former drug situations resolved with the death of Majestic, and revolt by the population of the area to crack cocaine, among other drugs. He ends up going out to perform the concert, performing the song "Hustler's Ambition", which summarizes most of his life, talking about his time in jail, the fighting between drug runners in the city, his drug pushing, and other things from the movie, the story ending with him finishing off the song "Hustler's Ambition". At the start of the concert he takes off his bulletproof vest as a symbol to show he himself is bulletproof.