Back then: Raised without a father, 50 Cent's mother was reportedly killed when he was just 8 years old. Suddenly orphaned, he was taken in by his grandparents and spent much of his early adulthood immersed in the street drug trade. And even worse, he was shot nine times in a failed attempt on his life.

Now: In addition to chart-topping music, 50 Cent rakes in the cash through G-Unit, a multimedia empire that includes clothing, videogames and ringtones, among other things. If that werent enough, the hip-hop star-turned-actor has more movie roles on the way.