The feud-friendly, thuggish, and apparently bulletproof rapper 50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson, became famous with his single, "In Da Club." He's also an actor and famed purveyor of flavored waters.

Curtis Jackson became an orphan at 12 when his mother died after someone drugged her drink. He moved in with his grandparents and competed as an amateur boxer in the 1980s, before turning to the well-worn rapper career path of crack dealing at age 12. Arrested on gun and weapons charges, he managed to avoid prison time by attending a seven-month boot camp for juveniles.

50 was signed to Columbia Records in 1999, and his first album Power of a Dollar became a massive success on the bootleg circuit. While label execs were uneasy about with the idea of signing him to another deal, 50 released his own mixtape that attracted the attention of Eminem and Dr. Dre, who signed him to a contract, helped him produce his official debut album, 2003's Get Rich or Die Tryin' (which was later made into a 2005 film of the same name), and set him up with an imprint, G-Unit Records.

Fitty's always had money on his mind and he's never been shy about taking a quick buck. There's his G-Unit line of clothing, sneakers, video game, and production company called G-Unit Films. And then there's his famous Formula 50 grape-flavored VitaminWater. And while he continues to act and release albums, none have been as successful as Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

50 shares custody of son Marquise with ex-girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins. Famous for his womanizing tendencies-he's been linked with Joy Bryant and Chelsea Handler-50 now claims he's ready to settle down. [Image via Getty]