Curtis James Jackson III, better known as 50 Cent, is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers in history.
The Grammy Award winner is behind hit songs like “In da Club,” “Candy Shop,” and “P.I.M.P.”
As one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world, 50 Cent is known for his iconic presence. However, there was a time when his shocking transformation left fans stunned.
Images of 50 Cent, who is typically known for his muscular frame, took the internet by storm, with many people struggling to believe they were real.
One fan reacted to the photos, saying, “There is no way that is 50 Cent.”
Another person commented, “This definitely isn’t him, it has to be fake.”
Someone else humorously added, “No, this isn’t 50 Cent, this is 15 Cent.”
The 49-year-old rapper, 50 Cent, has built a successful career not just in music, but also in the film and TV industry.
On IMDb, he boasts over 180 acting credits, with his most notable movie role being in Get Rich or Die Tryin’, which mirrors aspects of his own life and shares the name of his debut album.
Fans of the rapper will also recognize him as the co-creator, executive producer, and star of the popular TV series Power.
However, what many may not know is that 50 Cent took on a film role that demanded a dramatic physical transformation.
For this part, he dropped from 214 pounds to 160 in just nine weeks, surviving on an all-liquid diet and running on a treadmill for three hours every day.
In an interview with Parade, 50 Cent shared that his manager grew worried about the rapid weight loss, telling him, “You better get yourself to a doctor.”
Despite the concern, 50 Cent was committed to the transformation, saying, “I was so into what I was doing that I wasn’t really concerned with that. I just kept looking at myself in the mirror feeling like I have to be smaller. I had to match.”
The drastic change was for his role as a college football star diagnosed with cancer in the film All Things Fall Apart, a story inspired by a childhood friend who died from the disease.
This wasn’t the first time the “Many Men” rapper had been on an all-liquid diet.
In 2000, 50 Cent was shot nine times, including in the face, which prevented him from eating solid foods. However, he admitted that his weight loss for All Things Fall Apart was far more difficult.
“This time it was a lot tougher for me,” he told the Associated Press (via Billboard). “I had to discipline myself… to actually put myself in the physical state to convey the energy I felt. It’s a passion project for me.”
All Things Fall Apart, a 2011 direct-to-video drama, also stars Ray Liotta, Mario Van Peebles, and Lynn Whitfield.
You can watch the trailer for All Things Fall Apart here…
All Things Fall Apart is streaming on Prime Video.