Jackson was born and raised in South Jamaica, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. His mother Sabrina, a drug dealer, died in a fire when he was 8. Since his father had already abandoned the family, young Curtis was sent to live with his grandparents. Growing up during the crack epidemic of the 80s and 90s, Jackson dealt drugs when he wasn't "killing time" at school or boxing at a local gym. His grandparents assumed he was at after-school programs when he was out selling crack. In tenth grade, Jackson was caught with guns and drug money passing through the metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School in Queens. In 1994, Jackson was arrested again for selling vials of cocaine to an undercover officer, and three weeks later he was arrested yet-again after police found heroin, crack cocaine, and a starter pistol in his home. Jackson was sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison, but opted to join a 6 month boot camp program and get his GED. Around this time, Jackson began going by "50 Cent," inspired by deceased Brooklyn stick-up man Kelvin "50 Cent" Martin.
After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he released his debut album Guess Who's Back Again in 2002. He was discovered by Eminem and Dr. Dre and then signed to Interscope Records. He has since released Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003), The Massacre (2006), Curtis (2007) and Before I Self Destruct (2009).
50 Cent has engaged in feuds with other rappers including Jay-Z, Ja Rule, The Game, Cam'ron, Fat Joe, and Rick Ross. He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005, the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006, and Righteous Kill in 2008. 50 Cent is one of the richest hip-hop performers, having a net worth estimated at US $440 million in 2008.
Before 50 Cent ever inked a major deal, he built up a substantial fan base in New York through underground mixtapes. 50 Cent met up with Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC and was signed to his label to write all of Jay’s music. After he’d left JMJ, he signed to Columbia Records in 1996. On this label, he released Power of the Dollar, and the singles How to Rob and Ghetto Qua Ran. Columbia Records released him from the label after being shot on May 24th, 2000.
Around this time, Eminem had heard one of 50 Cent’s demo tapes and expressed a huge interest in him on MTV, as did Dr. Dre. Shortly after this, 50 Cent officially signed to Interscope Records. He was the first rapper to sign to the joint label owned by Dr. Dre and Eminem. The first song he released on this record was entitled Wanksta and was featured on the 8 Mile soundtrack.
In its first week of release, his debut ”Get Rich Or Die Tryin’” sold 872,000 units - easily reaching Gold status. Within the second week it went Platinum (1 mil) and on April 12th, 2004 the RIAA certified it six times Platinum.
In 2005 he followed the success of his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ with a new release - The Massacre (originally called St. Valentines Day Massacre until the release date was pushed back). The first single released off this, Disco Inferno, was a huge hit - he followed this hit up by the release of Candy Shop and then again with Just a Lil Bit.
In 2003 Interscope Records allowed 50 Cent to have his own label - G-Unit Records. He first signed Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Young Buck as the established members of G-Unit Records. In 2004, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent had signed The Game under a joint venture.
Places To Go )
50 Cent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shady
Aftermath
G-Unit
I got places to go, I got people to see,
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me,
I'm warning you, do not tempt me,
And put a hole in you, hole in you
You mistaken me for somebody that you should be testing,
You should be stressing I'm gonna fucking teach you a lesson,
MAC 101's in session and lace the track that I'm blessing,
Smith and Wesson's, the weapon, in case you just guessing, (God Damn)
These straight busters kept-in, kept-in my Benz, hop-in the end's,
Watch the twenty two spin , my hoe's they perfect ten
I got shot up but I got up and I'm back at it again,
Motherfuckers they thought I would'nt win, pretend to be friends,
At first you fail, try, try, try, try again,
I'm the best don't you get it, forget it, when I spit it, its crazy,
You love it, admit it, you like it, I live it, its Shady,
Aftermath in your ass bitch, if its not a classic,
When it's dumpy, trash it, so I got it mastered,
Stop and get your ass kicked, bastered, your misses get drastic,
Glock made out of plastic, cock-it and get blasted, run nigga and stash it
I got places to go, I got people to see,
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me,
I'm warning you, do not tempt me,
I'll run up and squeeze
And put a hole in you, hole in you
There is a genie in that bottle of that Dom Perignon,
I'm a drink till I get to that bitch Em and Dre going,
Introduce me to the booth they gonna listen to my words,
In the hood they feel my shit
(break-it down)
Picture a perfect picture, picture me in the paper
Picture me starting shit, picture me busting my gat,
Picture police man dey ain't gotta picture of that,
Picture me being broke, picture me smokin' a sack,
Picture me comin' up, picture me rich from rap,
Picture me blowin' up, now picture me going back,
To my momma basement to live, shit, picture that,
Where I'm from its a fact, you gotta watch your back,
You wear a vest without a gat, you's a target jack,
Hastle hard, money stack, sell that dope, sell that crack,
Sell that pack, sell that gat, sell that pussy, crew are back,
50 Cent, too much spent?, man I'm bent, I'm outta here
I got places to go, I got people to see,
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me,
I'm warning you, do not tempt me,
I'll run up and squeeze
And put a hole in you, hole in you
Ha ha
Man I ain't going to jail
Not even to visit a nigga
You want to holla at me, you write me,
Matter a fact, you gotta send it to Sunset Boulevard,
In Montreal,
Ha ha
Riding around in one of Dre's Ferrari's nigga,
Or matter a fact I might be in Detroit,
Riding down 8 Mile Road,
You know for one of them en-joints and shit,
Ha ha
Ya heard, I got place to go man,
You know, Shady aftermath,
We finished our print money,
Puttin' our faces on this motherfuckin' bill thug shit,
Ha ha ha ha ha,
Ain't seem to be doing much
In 50 Cent's song "Places To Go," he talks about how he has important places to be and people to see, and warns others not to test him because he's not afraid to use violence. He boasts about his skills with a gun and how he's been able to overcome adversity, and describes a perfect picture of success while acknowledging the danger that comes with living in the hood. He concludes by saying he has no intention of going to jail and that he's too busy making money to waste time on anything else.
The lyrics of this song are a representation of the struggles and dangers of living in a rough neighborhood. The lyrics describe someone who is always on the move and has to be careful because danger could be around every corner. People who come from a similar background can relate to this song, as it gives them a voice that speaks to their daily experiences. Also, through this song, 50 Cent shows his fans his bravado in bravely confronting danger.
Line by Line Meaning
I got places to go, I got people to see,
I have a busy schedule with appointments and meetings
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me,
I don't belong in prison, it's not where I want to end up
I'm warning you, do not tempt me,
Don't test me or try to provoke me
I'll run up and squeeze
I'm not afraid to use force to protect myself
And put a hole in you, hole in you
I'll shoot you if I have to
You mistaken me for somebody that you should be testing,
You're underestimating me and that's a mistake
You should be stressing I'm gonna fucking teach you a lesson,
You should be worried and intimidated because I'm going to punish you
MAC 101's in session and lace the track that I'm blessing,
I'm a skilled rapper who is about to deliver some powerful lyrics
Smith and Wesson's, the weapon, in case you just guessing,
I carry a gun for protection
These straight busters kept-in, kept-in my Benz, hop-in the end's,
My enemies are jealous of me and want to ride in my fancy car
Watch the twenty two spin , my hoe's they perfect ten
I'm showing off my success and the attractive women that are attracted to me
I got shot up but I got up and I'm back at it again,
I was injured in a shooting but I recovered and I'm still pursuing my goals
Motherfuckers they thought I would'nt win, pretend to be friends,
People doubted me and pretended to support me, but I proved them wrong
At first you fail, try, try, try, try again,
If you don't succeed at first, keep trying until you achieve your goal
I'm the best don't you get it, forget it, when I spit it, its crazy,
I'm the greatest rapper and my lyrics are amazing
You love it, admit it, you like it, I live it, its Shady,
You enjoy my music and my lifestyle is unique and daring
Aftermath in your ass bitch, if its not a classic,
My record label will punish subpar artists and only release high-quality music
When it's dumpy, trash it, so I got it mastered,
If a song is bad, we'll throw it away and only produce the best music
Stop and get your ass kicked, bastered, your misses get drastic,
If you mess with me or my crew, you'll get hurt and your girlfriend will be upset
Glock made out of plastic, cock-it and get blasted, run nigga and stash it
My gun is easy to conceal and if you try to run, I'll shoot you
There is a genie in that bottle of that Dom Perignon,
There's something magical about expensive champagne
I'm a drink till I get to that bitch Em and Dre going,
I plan on celebrating with my friends and colleagues Eminem and Dr. Dre
Introduce me to the booth they gonna listen to my words,
I want to impress my friends and show off my rap skills in the recording studio
In the hood they feel my shit
People in the inner city can relate to and enjoy my music
Picture a perfect picture, picture me in the paper
Imagine a flawless image of me in the newspaper
Picture me starting shit, picture me busting my gat,
Imagine me getting into a fight and shooting my gun
Picture police man dey ain't gotta picture of that,
There's no photographic evidence of me committing a crime
Picture me being broke, picture me smokin' a sack,
Imagine me being poor and smoking marijuana
Picture me comin' up, picture me rich from rap,
Imagine me becoming a successful and wealthy rapper
Picture me blowin' up, now picture me going back,
Imagine me becoming famous and then losing my success
To my momma basement to live, shit, picture that,
Imagine me going back to live with my mom in a small basement
Where I'm from its a fact, you gotta watch your back,
In my neighborhood, it's dangerous and you have to be careful
You wear a vest without a gat, you's a target jack,
If you wear a bulletproof vest without a gun, you're vulnerable to attack
Hastle hard, money stack, sell that dope, sell that crack,
Work hard, make money, and sell illegal drugs to survive
Sell that pack, sell that gat, sell that pussy, crew are back,
Sell drugs, guns, and sex for money as a member of my gang
50 Cent, too much spent?, man I'm bent, I'm outta here
People are criticizing me for spending too much money, but I don't care and I'm leaving
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CURTIS JAMES JACKSON, MARSHALL B. III MATHERS, LUIS EDGARDO RESTO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jitendra Kumar
Yeah
Shady
Aftermath
G-Unit
I got places to go, I got people to see
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze
And put a hole in you, hole in you
I got places to go, I got people to see
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze
And put a hole in you, hole in you
You mistaking me for somebody that you should be testin'
You should be stressing, I'm finna fucking teach you a lesson
Rap 101's in session, Em laced the track that I'm blessin'
Smith and Wesson's the weapon in case you was guessin'
Capping 'em, kept in my Benz, hot beginning to end
Watch the 22's spin, my hoes they perfect ten
I got shot up but I got up and I'm back at it again
Motherfuckers that thought I wouldn't win pretend to be friends
At first you fail, try, try, try, try again
I'm the best, don't you get it? Forget it, when I spit it, it's crazy
You love it, admit it, you like that I live it, it's Shady
Aftermath in your ass, bitch
If it's not a classic when it's done we trash it
Flow I got it mastered, stunt and get your ass kicked, bastard
When measures get drastic, Glocks made out of plastic
Cock it, aim it, blast it, run nigga, now stash it
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
If there's a genie in a bottle of that Dom Perignon
I'mma drink til I get to that bitch
Em and Dre gonna introduce me to the 'burbs
They gonna listen to my words
In the hood they feel my shit
(Break it down)
Picture a perfect picture, picture me in a pimp hat
Picture me starting shit, picture me busting my gat
Picture police mad, they ain't got a picture of that
Picture me being broke, picture me smoking a stack
Picture me coming up, picture me rich from rap
Picture me blowing up, now picture me going back
To my momma basement to live, shit, picture that
Where I'm from it's a fact, you gotta watch your back
You wear a vest without a gat, you's a target, Jack
Hustle hard, money stack, sell that dope, sell that crack
Sell that pack, sell that gat, sell that pussy, holla back
50 Cent, too much Henny, man, I'm bent, I'm outta here
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
Man, I ain't' going to jail, not even to visit a nigga
You wanna holler at me you write me
Matter of fact you gotta send it to Sunset Blvd up in the Mondrian
Riding around in one of Dre's Ferrari's, nigga
Oh, matter fact, I might be in Detroit riding down 8 Mile Road
You know, in one of Em's joints and shit, you heard?
I got places to go man, you know
Shady Aftermath, we fitting to start printing money
Putting Em's faces on these motherfucking bills, shit
Ain't shit you can do about it
Tyler Durden
Picture a perfect picture, picture me in a pimp hat
Picture me starting shit, picture me busting my gat
Picture police mad, they ain't got a picture of that
Picture me being broke, picture me smoking a stack
Picture me coming up, picture me rich from rap
Picture me blowing up, now picture me going back
To my momma basement to live, shit, picture that
Where I'm from it's a fact, you gotta watch your back
You wear a vest without a gat, you's a target, Jack
Hustle hard, money stack, sell that dope, sell that crack
Sell that pack, sell that gat, sell that pussy, holla back
50 Cent, too much Henny, man, I'm bent, I'm outta here
Donnie Brasco
This second verse... I swear this is one of the most brilliants versions ever!
Picture a perfect picture, picture me in a pimp hat
Picture me startin' shit, picture me bustin' my gat
Picture police mad, they ain't gotta picture that
Picture me bein' broke, picture me smokin' a stack
Picture me comin' up, picture me rich from rap
Picture me blowin' up, now picture me goin' back
To my momma basement to live, shit, picture that
Where I'm from it's a fact, you gotta watch your back
You wear a vest without a gat, you's a target, Jack
Hustle hard, money stack, sell that dope, sell that crack
Sell that pack, sell that gat, sell that pussy, holla back
50 Cent, too much Henny, man I'm bent, I'm outta here
Luka Chakhnashvili [LC]
Picture a perfect picture, picture me in a pimp hat
Picture me start shit, picture me busting my gat,
picture police mad they ain't gotta picture of that,
picture me being broke, picture me smokin the sack,
picture me comin up, picture me rich from rap,
picture me blowin up, now picture me going back,
to my momma basement to live, shit, picture that
DAAAAAMNN
King Khan
Yeah
Shady
Aftermath
G-Unit
I got places to go, I got people to see
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze
And put a hole in you, hole in you
I got places to go, I got people to see
The penitentiary, ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze
And put a hole in you, hole in you
You mistaking me for somebody that you should be testin'
You should be stressing, I'm finna fucking teach you a lesson
Rap 101's in session, Em laced the track that I'm blessin'
Smith and Wesson's the weapon in case you was guessin'
Capping 'em, kept in my Benz, hot beginning to end
Watch the 22's spin, my hoes they perfect ten
I got shot up but I got up and I'm back at it again
Motherfuckers that thought I wouldn't win pretend to be friends
At first you fail, try, try, try, try again
I'm the best, don't you get it? Forget it, when I spit it, it's crazy
You love it, admit it, you like that I live it, it's Shady
Aftermath in your ass, bitch
If it's not a classic when it's done we trash it
Flow I got it mastered, stunt and get your ass kicked, bastard
When measures get drastic, Glocks made out of plastic
Cock it, aim it, blast it, run nigga, now stash it
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
If there's a genie in a bottle of that Dom Perignon
I'mma drink til I get to that bitch
Em and Dre gonna introduce me to the 'burbs
They gonna listen to my words
In the hood they feel my shit
(Break it down)
Picture a perfect picture, picture me in a pimp hat
Picture me starting shit, picture me busting my gat
Picture police mad, they ain't got a picture of that
Picture me being broke, picture me smoking a stack
Picture me coming up, picture me rich from rap
Picture me blowing up, now picture me going back
To my momma basement to live, shit, picture that
Where I'm from it's a fact, you gotta watch your back
You wear a vest without a gat, you's a target, Jack
Hustle hard, money stack, sell that dope, sell that crack
Sell that pack, sell that gat, sell that pussy, holla back
50 Cent, too much Henny, man, I'm bent, I'm outta here
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
I got places to go, got people to see
The penitentiary ain't the place for me
I'm warning you, do not tempt me
I'll run up and squeeze it, put a hole in you
Man, I ain't' going to jail, not even to visit a nigga
You wanna holler at me you write me
Matter of fact you gotta send it to Sunset Blvd up in the Mondrian
Riding around in one of Dre's Ferrari's, nigga
Oh, matter fact, I might be in Detroit riding down 8 Mile Road
You know, in one of Em's joints and shit, you heard?
I got places to go man, you know
Shady Aftermath, we fitting to start printing money
Putting Em's faces on these motherfucking bills, shit
Ain't shit you can do about it
Remedy
Shout out to Eminem for bringing people back to this classic 50 Cent track
TM Nation
Remedy brought it way back. I haven't bumped this in a minute.
Tharsan Jeyachandran
word cant believe it dropped almost 20 years ago
Tharsan Jeyachandran
word i was bumping this when i was in 2002.
Lee Nield
That's right
justin Baronofsky
@Tharsan Jeyachandran yeah that's insane man
Neil A.
No bs.. 50 cent was the grimiest rapper ever.. listening to this guy after years you really appreciate the superior talent.. there's a reason rappers got crushed by him..he took gangster rap to a wholeeee new level that hasn't been touched yet
Violent
Pop Smoke was the only one who was able to get close to that level of aggression and gangster, raw AF, dude was 50 cent's son, RIP.
James Parker
@Violentyou funny bro 😂😂😂😂💀💀💀💀
TJ
@Violent POP SMOKE? LMFAO