The origin of both the name and the title are deeply rooted in the New York City streets. Curtis Jackson did not invent the moniker "50 Cent." Instead, he took it as a tribute to Kelvin Martin, a notorious Brooklyn stick-up kid from the 1980s. Martin was a cold-blooded figure, the 'hood's version of Billy the Kid, who bragged that he would one day get rich or die trying. Jackson chose the name because it represented a change of style: "50 Cent is about taking, not giving". It signaled a shift from simply surviving to actively conquering.
Building an empire around his brand.
3. The Vitaminwater Heist: Rewriting the Celebrity Endorsement get rich or 50 cent