- He's sold over 30 million albums
and has won several awards, including a grammy.
He has a shoe company, water business,
film production companies, and a headphone line.
He's 50 Cent, and here are his top 10 rules for success.
- A lot of us, under the circumstances, when you starting
where there ain't no plan b.
Shit got to work!
If it don't work, what's going to happen?
You know, so if you're in that point in position
you go, what's working?
And you start to get...
Influenced or you swayed
to what's actually working at the moment.
And your music changes and starts to sound a little bit like
what's happening on the radio right now.
I've heard demo tapes from 10 different Lil' Wayne's
that wasn't Lil' Wayne, you know what I mean.
I was like, "Damn they got that shit down pact.
"That shit sound like Lil' Wayne did it, right?"
(laughter)
You know what I'm sayin'.
And then it's tough like how do you say that it's not good?
If what's working right now is that?
You know what I'm sayin'.
So you go, "Damn it's good,
"but it's hard for me to really embrace it
"because you ain't Lil' Wayne."
Like you want me to invest money in a copy?
Nah man, know what I'm sayin'.
(laughter)
That shit ain't going to work man.
I thought I was ready in '97.
And I didn't have a major record company marketing
to promote my project 'til 2003.
So for that time period I had to be run on my own energy.
You know, I had to convince myself that I'm going to make it.
You know, regardless to how people felt at that time.
What it does is it makes you feel like,
well it made me feel like...
There's going to be points that people going to
mistake my confidence for arrogance
because I've had to.
They don't understand the process I went through,
and how much I've had to believe in myself
in order to make these things happen.
I kind of, I felt like you can will yourself
into a good space.
Things that are meant to happen will,
and if you believe in yourself enough,
you can help yourself learn.
You can inspire yourself in different ways
where you can actually discipline yourself
to the point that you can become good enough.
Like, from '97, when I started writin'
it was full-time, everyday I was writin' music
because I had no choice.
If I was going to stop hustlin',
then how was I going to provide or create,
continue the lifestyle that I created for my son's Mom,
my son, and myself.
I think the things you go through make you who you are.
So I don't regret those things.
I don't regret 'em because
I don't think I'd be who I am today.
If I wasn't exposed to those situations,
if you asked me what I...
Those are unfortunate situations
that I've had to experience.
And if I had a choice, I would have definitely went
in a different direction.
I might've went to school for business instead of
having to go through this portion of my life.
No matter how much you feel like you prepared for something,
it never happens on your term.
Like when you think you're ready.
Like it's suppose to happen.
It always happens when it's suppose to happen.
Because the period that you feel ready
and people are not acknowledging the material
the way that you feel like they should, 'cause it's good,
is the time that you actually develop skin thick enough
to survive when it does work.
Yeah I'm not interested in the financial outcomes
of continued success.
But there's no specific mark of finances that'll work
'cause to be honest with you, if I'm sitting here with you,
a year from now, two years from now,
and they like, "You did it, you're a billionaire."
(laughs)
I'm a still be sayin', "Yeah but I got another idea."
A new idea,
is what I think is representational of a person
who's truly ambitious.
Because ambition isn't a learned behavior,
it's a part of your natural character
and you'll always find something to be passionate about
or a new goal, or a new...
You see guys sell companies five, six billion dollars,
and go, "Yeah okay now what's the next one."
I'm a rapper...
Entrepreneur, a person that doesn't see limitations.
I have personally high expectations of myself.
And when I actually start to look at some of the things
that I've accomplished, and I become a little more interest
in my legacy, like what people remember me as,
is what made it more important
that I involve myself in philanthropy.
Because the people that resonate the strongest
in their absence have done more for people
when they were actually in good positions.
And it's why I'm here.
There's nothing that can actually compare
to when it's right.
What it feels like when it's right.
The music is just dead right and it's like (exhales sharply)
that energy is there.
That's a special kind of high
that you'd get addicted to and you'll chase it
for the rest of your actual career.
When you feel that feeling
whether it's your first album, second album,
third album, just a single.
'Cause a lot of artists have a career long enough
for one song, you know.
But when you feel what that feeling is
you ain't going to replace it.
We even brought it down to the perspective of a person
that's in a staff meeting that won't,
is watching someone else raise their hand
and answer a question that they know the answer to.
That means that person deserves to be ahead of you
in life because your fear of being wrong at that point
is not allowing you to create your value.
Guys this is crazy!
I grew up without money but I didn't grow up hungry.
Whats going on in this world is out of control.
I mean there's so many people suffering from hunger.
I mean dying from hunger every day.
I went to Africa,
and the devastation I witnessed changed me forever.
I mean to see people who don't know
when they're going to receive their next meal,
or if they're going to receive their next meal,
is crazy.
I want to feed a billion hungry people,
and I need your help to do that.
This is our world.
These are our streets.
I need your energy.
Let's do this!
Wassup! This is 50 Cent.
I just want to thank everybody for showing their support,
and all the "get well" messages I got on thisis50.com.
Yesterday, I listened to Fat Joe's record and it hurt me.
And I told you people, not to listen to his music,
and some people didn't listen, and look what happened.
("Lean Back" by Terror Squad ft. Fat Joe and Remy Ma)
Young Buck...
("Shorty Want to Ride" by Young Buck)
Tried to buy his motorcycle after
listening to Fat Joe's record.
(motorcycle revving)
("Cupcake" by Fat Joe)
The skateboarders...
("Cupcake" by Fat Joe)
The people who ride they bikes.
("Cupcake" by Fat Joe)
These people all over the place, these people playing
the music trying to work out.
("Cupcake" by Fat Joe)
It's terrible, I mean Fat Joe
that guy is the worst thing ever happened to hip-hop. (sobs)
And it hurts, it hurts bad, because I love hip-hop.
I don't know what else to say, I mean,
everywhere it's just happening all over the place (sobs).
It's because his music sucks so bad
it's going to kill people.
Don't listen to it, please. (sobs)
Please.
("Cupcake" by Fat Joe)
- [Man] You think I'm going to make it dude?
I mean, I probably won't make it past the first light.
- [Man] You're going to make it baby!
Hold up kid, don't take me with ya.
- [Steve-O] Alright, 50 fucking barge it.
One, two, three, go!
- [Man] And he's off.
(laughter)
- We're talking about film.
You've got a big, big, big film coming out very soon.
- Yeah, I did a project.
Man, look...
I did a big one.
- [Jimmy] You did a real big one, yeah.
- [Woman] I know who you are.
Are you a shadow?
It's been following me ever since I was small.
- [Narrator] The story you know.
- [Woman] Don't be afraid.
- [Narrator] The villain you don't.
- (evil laugh) I've been shot nine times,
I'm not afraid of no little white girl.
(laughter)
- [Narrator] MaleFiftyCent.
(applause)
- (evil laugh) This shit just got magical.
- Thank you guys for watching.
I made this video because "quickdhh" asked me to.
So if there's a famous entrepreneur
you want me to profile next, leave it in the comments below
and I'll see what I can do.
I'd also love to know which of 50 Cent's top 10 lessons
are most applicable to you.
Which one do you love most and why.
Leave it below.
I'm going to join in the discussion.
Thank you so much for watching.
Continue to believe and I'll see you soon.