NEW YORK (Reuters) - From rapper to clothing designer and author, U.S. hip-hop artist 50 Cent is adding a new branch to his business empire -- a book imprint of novellas set on the drug-ridden streets he grew up on. ADVERTISEMENT The bullet-scarred, tattooed rapper, whose given name is Curtis Jackson, launched G-Unit Books on Tuesday in a joint venture with Simon and Schuster's MTV/Pocket Books. 50 Cent, who took the name of a fabled New York thief, said the hip-hop novellas would feature gritty and true-to-life stories about sex, guns, cash -- and the brutal short lives of players on the street. "These ... are the kinds of dramas me and my crew have been dealing with our whole lives: death, deceit, double-crosses, ultimate loyalty, and total betrayal," the New York-born rapper, know as "Fiddy" to fans, said in a statement. "It's about our life on the street and no one knows it better than us." In 2000, 50 Cent was shot nine times in a drive-by near his grandmother's house where he was raised. He has also had numerous run-ins with the police, most recently in New York last September when he was arrested for traffic offenses while driving a silver, open-topped Lamborghini. 50 Cent will collaborate with several writers to produce the books including Nikki Turner, who has carved out a reputation as a street fiction writer, Noire, known for black urban erotica fiction, and street chronicler K. Elliot. The series kicks off with three titles -- "Death Before Dishonor," "Baby Brother," and "The Ski Mask Way" -- with the aim to release six to eight novellas a year 50 Cent is already planning to make the books into films in which he may also appear. In 2005, the 30-year-old rapper starred in a movie based on his life, "Get Rich or Die Trying"' and last year acted alongside Samuel L. Jackson in "Home of The Brave," a war drama set in Iraq. Since his debut album was released in 2003, 50 Cent has sold over 20 million records worldwide and used his fame to build a multi-platformed business with a record label, G-Unit Records, G-Unit clothing and footwear, ringtones, and video games. Reuters/VNU
A lot of people talk about how 50 cents was shot nine times. In reality, he was shot AT nine times, but only 3 bullets actually hit him:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Jackson In any event, 50 cents is a businessman, more so than many rappers today. If he keeps it up at this rate, he may eventually surpass Jay Z in wealth. At the same time, he bought a $4 million dollar home, which I don't think is smart. I like the sound of the song Window Shopper, but the message is very negative. Another thing that I don't like is that 50 Cent supports George W Bush.......believe it or not.