The world of rap music—particularly gangsta rap—has been littered with artists rhyming about their lives on the streets without having ever lived such hard times. Every once and a while, however, one has come along who not only lived a rough life, but has exemplified the gangsta lifestyle. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has not only typified the street thug persona, he actually was one—he sold crack, robbed his street corner rivals and was shot nine times in a failed attempt on his life. But without his checkered past, which he has routinely mined for lyrics and self-promotion, Jackson might not