50 Cent Captured by Theo Wargo while attending MTV’s 2003 Spring Break “MTV Invades Miami” at Double Tree Surfcomber Hotel in Miami, FL-March 13, 2003.
On Monday, Curtis Jackson, better known as rapper 50 Cent, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following a messy lawsuit in which he was forced to pay his rival Rick Ross’ ex-girlfriend $5 million.
The news came as a shock, especially considering the rapper was just ranked No. 4 on Forbes’ May list of the wealthiest hip-hop artists thanks to his reported $155 million net worth. His massive 2007 deal with Vitamin Water alone awarded him between $60 million and $100 million.
50’s lawyers have said the filing is simply to “reorganize his financial affairs as he addresses various professional liabilities,” but in the meantime, we only want to live in a world in which 5o Cent is synonymous with his hit 2003 album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.”