Anish Vij
Without Eminem, there wouldn't be a 50 Cent. But without 50 Cent, Eminem might not have made it this far.
Their impact on the music industry and fans around the world is unquestionable.
But talent alone won't secure longevity and the entertainment industry has said goodbye to many well before their time.
The story of the iconic duo Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, and 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, all started back in 2002, which makes me feel old.
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It all happened very quickly as the Detroit rapper signed fifty to Shady Records, under Dr. Dre’s Aftermath, on the back of hearing his mixtape 'Guess Who’s Back?'.
"Theo, my attorney, and Paul Rosenberg work close together like they know each other," Jackson explained.
"They came up together so, I had a CD called 'Guess Who’s Back' and Em, right got a copy of it and he was in the middle of completing 'The Eminem Show', so he didn’t get a chance to properly listen to it, but after he got that done he heard it and he was like 'Ya’ll need to come out here now!' So they flew me out on like Friday night, I fly to Los Angeles the next day and I met wit him and Dre and then after we met it was kinda all alright."
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The rest was history as the Queens rapper signed a $1 million deal with Eminem and Dr. Dre.
Fifty's debut album 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' went straight to number one and is a multi-platinum record.
His second album sold over one million copies in its first week in the US, and was the 6th-largest opening week for an album at the time.
After breaking record after record, Jackson eventually left Aftermath in 2014, but the run he went on was one of the greatest in the history of the genre.
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Back in 2020, Fifty was officially recognised for his impact and received the Hollywood Hall of Fame star, both Em and Dre were in attendance.
At the ceremony Mathers explained how Jackson was always there for him, when he needed him the most.
“I’m here today because he’s not only a business partner to me, this is one of the best friends I’ve known in the world,” said Eminem.
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“I would say it’s much more fun to be his friend than it is to be his enemy, ’cause this guy is f**king relentless.
“And he won’t stop. He pretty much does it all.
“And he’s also helped me through a lot of hard times in my own life and he’s always been there when I need him.
“So, 50, congrats on your star, man.
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“Hollywood is making it official what I knew from the beginning and Dre knew from the beginning.”
Doesn't it bring a tear to your eye? Could also be hay fever.