50 Cent

Rapper 50 Cent speaks at the launch of his headphone range from SMS audio, at the 52nd edition of the "IFA" trade fair in Berlin, August 30, 2012.

Curtis Jackson, better known as rapper 50 Cent, survived being shot nine times in 2000. Luckily, Jackson survived and has since thrived. He left his drug dealing past behind, to became one of the world's most successful recording artists, a budding actor, and a very rich investor and entrepreneur.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

Left: Rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) performs onstage during Screamfest '07 at Madison Square Garden, August 22, 2007 in New York City.

Street life was not so easy to escape for the rapper born in Queens, N.Y., who was a boxer and drug dealer. At age 24, Jackson was shot nine times in front of the house where his grandma was tending the garden. There are still bullet fragments in his body, including in his tongue.

An undated photo of Curtis Jackson (50 Cent), with a picture of his mother.

He was born to a single mom who made a living selling drugs. She died when Curtis was only eight, and he moved in with his grandmother; he started dealing drugs when he was 12 years old.

He saw music as his ticket out, and by the spring of 2000, he had a record deal, and a new rap name: 50 Cent.

CDs featuring rapper Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent. The artist has sold more than 32 million units.

His bestselling CD was 2003's "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," with sales of approximately 8 million copies.

Rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson poses with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (left) on stage during the official weigh-in for Michael Farenas and Yuriorkis Gamboa, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 7, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jackson debuted as a boxing promoter with former Cuban Olympic gold medalist Gamboa on the undercard of the Pacquiao-Marquez match, and Gamboa won a unanimous 12-round decision against Michael Farenas.

50 Cent also has been able to parlay his music success into other business ventures, including books, clothing, movies, boxing and . . . water. He reportedly earned $60 million as an investor in Glaceau Vitamin Water when it was sold to Coca-Cola.

He is also behind a new energy drink where some of the profits are going to the United Nations World Food Program. Donations, he said, have paid for almost four million meals in famine-plagued areas.

Left: Rapper Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent, with schoolkids in a Nairobi slum.

When asked by Tracy Smith if it bothered him that some people may still see him as a thug, despite his success as a musical artist and businessman, 50 Cent said no. "I don't mind that," he said. "They don't matter. Those are the people . . . they didn't support me to begin with."

He's now back in the studio working on his first CD in three years. "I like what it feels like," he told Smith. "It feels like magic. Feels like magic to create something that is just my idea."

Actress Ariel Winter and rapper 50 Cent attend the FOX After Party for the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 13, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Curtis Jackson (a.k.a. 50 Cent) arrives at Us Weekly's 25 Most Stylish New Yorkers Event at STK Midtown, September 12, 2012 in New York City.

Presenters Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) and Hayden Panettiere speak onstage during the 40th American Music Awards, held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson attend a Los Angeles screening of "Freelancers," at the Chinese Mann 6 on August 7, 2012, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Rappers Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (left) and Snoop Dogg perform onstage during Day 3 of the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, at the Empire Polo Field, April 15, 2012 in Indio, California.

Rap artist Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson poses at Fox Television's "The X Factor" season finale at CBS Television City, Dec. 22, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Rapper and businessman Curtis Jackson, also known as 50 Cent, poses with Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio from MTV's "Jersey Shore," at the G-Unit Offices, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011 in New York. DelVecchio signed a record deal with 50 Cent's G-Note record label, which specializes in dance and pop music.

Rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) shows off his riches in a Nov. 5, 2010, photo posted to his official Twitter account.

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson arrives at a screening of the film "Red" in Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 11, 2010.

Actor/rapper Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent, attends the Cinema Society screening of "Twelve" at Landmark's Sunshine Cinema on July 28, 2010, in New York.

Phil Zelner, Chris Lighty, Rapper "50 Cent" (a.k.a. Curtis Jackson) and Thomas Butkiewicz attend the debut of the new "Power By 50 Cent" fragrance at Avenue, June 23, 2009 in New York City.

Actors Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Al Pacino arrive for the British premiere of their movie "Righteous Kill," in London on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008.

Peter Kramer/Getty Images for Child Magazine

Recording artist 50 Cent, designer Kimora Lee Simmons, and businessman Russell Simmons attend the Child Magazine Fall 2007 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz fashion Week at The Salon in Bryant Park, February 9, 2007 in New York City.

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Child Magazine

Rapper 50 Cent and son Marquis Jackson pose backstage at the Child Magazine Fall 2006 fashion show at Bryant Park during Olympus Fashion Week on February 6, 2006 in New York City.

Rapper-actor Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and actor Samuel L. Jackson pose at the world premiere of "Home of the Brave," at the Academy Theater on December 5, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California.

Recording artist 50 Cent and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, at the 2007 Cipriani Wall Street Concert Series on June 20, 2007 in New York City.

Madonna and 50 Cent appear onstage during "Spankin' New Music Week" on MTV's Total Request Live, at the MTV Times Square Studios November 13, 2003 in New York City.

Singers 50 Cent and Eminem speak onstage during the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 28, 2003 in New York City.

Rapper 50 Cent appears on MTV's "TRL," at the MTV Times Square Studios February 6, 2003 in New York City.

Rapper 50 Cent performs on MTV's Direct Effect at MTV studios February 24, 2003 in New York City.

Rapper 50 Cent performs at the "Bravo" Supershow Gold-Otto Award 2005 at the TUI Arena on March 19, 2005 in Hanover, Germany.

For more info:
50 Cent (Official site)

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

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