‘I was more afraid of my mom than kids who roughed me up’: 50 Cent on using his childhood on screen
Curtis Jackson also goes by the name 50 Cent, but despite the moniker suggesting otherwise it seems the star doesn’t do things by halves.
When he put out his first album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ it became the best-selling debut hip-hop record ever, while his TV show Power has been one of the most successful series on premium pay television in the US, according to network Starz.
It led to four spin-off series being commissioned and the latest, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, focuses on how Jackson’s character in Power, drug dealer Kanan Stark, became the man he did.
Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson starred in the original Power series, and now narrates a spin-off. Pic: Myles Aronowitz/Starz
Jackson tells Sky News he requested to the show’s creator Courtney A Kemp that he wanted to play “the worst character that they’ve seen on television – so if I play a bad guy, I want to play a real bad guy”.
But the prequel shows how he ended up that way, with Jackson narrating the story of Kanan’s younger years.
“To go into the prequel on his character is to show all of his trauma and all of the things that he – the things you go through make you who you are, I believe that – and the things that he went through and his experiences that hardened him to the point that he was that guy that we saw in Power at the beginning,” he says. “So you kind of see the things that he’s gone through that turned him into that.”
In order to give the character authenticity, Jackson borrowed from his own experiences growing up in the borough of Queens in New York City.
Mekai Curtis stars plays a young version of Jackson’s character Kanan in Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Pic: Nicole Rivelli/ Starz
One of the show’s opening scenes sees a young Kanan running home to his mother after being beaten up, but instead of comforting him she tells him he needs to learn to fight back and accompanies him for the rematch.
“These are real things, like, I really experienced being roughed up in the park before my mom sent me back to the park, and I was just more afraid of her than the kids in the park, so I ended up going back to fight them instead of dealing with my mom,” he says.
“And you deal with that and it kind of changes your perspective, like, I’m not going to go back whining to my mother for her to send me back, I’ll just handle it before she finds out that I’m scared or afraid of the other person, so it kind of changed a part of my character in the very early stages.
“It was probably the biggest thing to describe what my relationship with my mom was like fairly early on, you know, because she was the only provider, so she was like the source of everything that’s good; if she’s angry with you then nothing good is around, you know what I’m saying, and you’re like, wow, no, just take me back to the park, I’d rather fight than deal with this.”
Jackson narrates the story of Kanan’s upbringing. Pic: Myles Aronowitz/Starz
As a father himself now, Jackson recognises that idolising of parents by their children from the other side of the relationship.
“There’s a point where kids view their parents as superheroes because they don’t understand everything else in life that they have to do, work and everything else to create the comforts.
“My little guy now, he sees me like that, he thinks, ‘my dad could do it – there’s no question my dad could do it’, like if somebody can jump further and he’ll say ‘my dad can jump that far’, he thinks I can do everything, and it’s amazing.”
Jackson’s own mother passed away when he was eight, and he went on to be raised by grandparents. There, he was one of nine and there wasn’t a lot of money to go around, but his mother’s friends kept him in their lives; the star says it was them who inspired him to do whatever it took to make money.
“I look at my journey, some of the decisions that my mom made have guided mine, and it’s because people from her life had what was a representation of financial freedom, they had those nice things in front of me,” he says.
“They got everything that you would want, so it kind of led me down the same path of the hustling and going to do different things, and, you know, I just hit the roof of that and wanted to do more, so I got involved in music and entertainment where we do things that exceed that level of success, completely.
“Like, that [what his mum’s friends had] is the smallest thing, you know what I mean, it just felt big at that point, when I was little.”
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Jackson has returned to the studio to make new music for Raising Kanan. The tracks see him collaborating with up-and-coming artists – mirroring his own experiences of starting out in the music industry, when he worked with Eminem and Dr Dre – but now it’s Jackson who’s the experienced one boosting the profile of others.
The start of his career was strange to negotiate, he says. “My first album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ was the largest debuting hip-hop album – still – 13 million records sold on the first album. If your first record is that big – you know that saying, you never have a second chance at a first impression – so people will never really appreciate you as much as they did at that point.”
With a second series of Power Book III: Raising Kanan commissioned before the first even aired, another Starz show called Black Mafia Family and a series for Netflix in the works, Jackson has plenty to keep him busy.
He says that in terms of his TV career, he was inspired to make his own shows by someone he looks up to.
“Sylvester Stallone’s career is my hero career, and it’s because he made the projects that made his career work. He made Rocky, he made Rambo, made Escape Plan – he makes these franchises himself, comes up with the right idea that could work for him and writes the project and everything.”
“So I like that, to develop the things that I’m involved in, that I feel passionate enough about the project after I’ve gone through it step by step.”
Power Book III: Raising Kanan is out now on streaming service Starzplay
Entertainment
Idris Elba joins Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for launch of new anti-knife crime coalition
Idris Elba will join the prime minister to launch a new anti-knife crime coalition in Downing Street on Monday.
The actor and musician, 52, will attend what is set to be the first annual knife crime summit with Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday morning.
As an anti-knife crime campaigner, he will help bring together community groups and victims’ families who have first-hand experience that can be used to change policy.
With the help of the coalition, which will include his Elba Hope Foundation, the government hopes to halve knife crime over the next 10 years.
It is currently in the process of banning ninja swords and strengthening the law on online knife sales.
As well as community leaders and grassroots organisations, the coalition will include tech companies, sports groups, and representatives from the NHS, education sector, and the police, the government said.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Ahead of the summit, Elba described the coalition as a “positive step toward rehabilitating our communities from the inside out”.
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The King met with Idris Elba in July. Pic: PA
Earlier this year, he met the King to discuss more ways to reduce youth violence – particularly through the King’s Trust.
When the Luther star was a teenager, he received a £1,500 grant from what was then the Prince’s Trust to attend the National Youth Music Theatre.
In January, he launched his own initiative, Don’t Stop Your Future, when he called for an immediate ban on zombie knives to speed up the previous government’s plans for one later this year.
Idris Elba launched his Don’t Stop Your Future campaign in Parliament Square in January. Pic: PA
Review into online knife sales
As the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Keir says he “saw first-hand the devastating impact knife crime has on young people and their families”.
Describing it as a “national crisis that we will tackle head-on” he reiterated Labour’s promise to halve offences over the next decade.
A rapid review into how knives are sold and delivered to under-18s online is being led by Commander Stephen Clayman, the national policing lead for knife crime.
As part of the new coalition, he will report back to the home secretary by the end of the year.
He warned that “knives are far too easily accessible” and that he hopes to work with “government, retailer and the third sector to find ways we can bring meaningful, long-term change”.
Home Secretary Ms Cooper described the coalition as “crucial” and promised: “We will not sit back while precious lives are being lost and young people’s futures destroyed.”
The launch of the coalition and summit is part of the government’s 10-year plan on knife crime and builds on the Home Office’s Young Futures programme, which is working to offer young people a path away from violence.
Entertainment
Liam Gallagher ‘seriously gutted’ over Oasis ticket chaos as fans join lottery for extra gigs
Fans have started receiving invites to join a lottery to buy tickets for two extra Oasis concerts next year.
It follows a major backlash over ticketing issues for the UK and Ireland gigs, which sold out in less than a day and triggered an investigation by competition watchdogs.
A message posted on Oasis’s X account said they would be sending the invites out to “eligible fans we have been able to identify” who were signed into a Ticketmaster account on Saturday 31 August – when tickets initially went on sale.
Those who were able to join a queue for tickets “may be eligible to take part” and will receive an email on how to register for the ballot.
Ticketmaster was widely criticised for dynamic pricing – a system used during high demand and limited supply – which caused the cost of a standard ticket to more than double from £148 to £355.
The Competition and Markets Authority has asked for evidence from fans, including website screenshots during the buying process, as it examines concerns over whether the policy is fair.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also promised a government review and the European Commission said it would examine the issue too.
Ticketmaster defended dynamic pricing and said concert prices are down to the “event organiser” who “has priced these tickets according to their market value”.
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Mercury artists on dynamic pricing outcry
But dynamic ticket pricing has prompted strong criticism from other artists, including this year’s Mercury Prize winner, English Teacher.
Extra Wembley dates announced
Fans were also furious after being left empty-handed, despite waiting in an online queue for hours.
On Wednesday, Oasis announced they would play two more dates at Wembley Stadium on 27 and 28 September as part of next year’s Live ’25 tour using the new ticketing plan.
In a statement, the band said they hoped the strategy would make “the process far smoother for fans by reducing the stress and time it takes” to obtain tickets.
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Meanwhile, Liam Gallagher has been speaking about his brother Noel.
Liam will ‘blow kisses’ to Noel on stage
During a series of messages on X he said he “won’t have a bad word said” about him, and added he would be “blowing him kisses in between each song”.
He also addressed the chaos over ticketing: “I’m seriously gutted for people that can’t get tickets, I can’t even go there it hurts my heart and I know people will think I’m taking the piss, but I’m not.”
On Friday he had joked about the price of tickets.
Liam talks setlist for reunion gigs
Replying to one fan who was kicked off Ticketmaster’s website while trying to buy tickets for the band’s Cardiff gig, Liam replied: “If that’s what happened I’m sure someone will be in touch coz that ain’t cool, good luck.”
Liam also gave away some details about their tracks for their reunion gigs, telling one fan Don’t Go Away from their 1997 album Be Here Now was “not on the list”.
Formed in the early 1990s, Oasis rose to fame with songs such as Supersonic, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Live Forever, before second album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory gave them their first number one single, Some Might Say.
As film festival season gathers pace, the 68th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) has announced its full 2024 programme, featuring a whopping 39 world premieres.
Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig and Sir Elton John are among the stars to head up the 255-strong collection of movies from around the world.
Here are seven LFF films to look out for – with some hotly tipped for the coming awards season.
Saoirse Ronan in Blitz. Pic: BFF via Getty
Blitz
London-born director Steve McQueen opens the festival for the third time, with the world premiere of his World War Two drama Blitz. The movie re-creates a war-torn London, bombarded by nightly air raids, as battle rages all around.
Saoirse Ronan stars as Rita, an East End mother who makes the heartbreaking decision to send her young son George, played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan, to safety in the countryside. But, George has other ideas, and is determined to return home despite the many dangers ahead.
The ensemble cast includes Kathy Burke, Benjamin Clementine, Harris Dickinson and Stephen Graham, with a score by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.
Angelina Jolie stars as Maria Callas. Pic: BFF via Getty
Maria
Angelina Jolie makes a return to the big screen after several years away, starring in the biopic about famed opera singer Maria Callas, one of the greatest sopranos of all time.
While the majority of the vocals we hear in the movie are from original recordings of Callas in her prime, the depictions of singing at the end of her life are mostly Jolie’s own voice. The Oscar-winning actress, who spent seven months training for the role, has called it the most demanding of her career.
Directed by Pablo Larrain, it depicts Callas’s final days in Paris when she was addicted to anti-anxiety drugs, looking back to the peak of her career when she wowed audiences around the world. Larrain has said he hopes it will encourage people to listen to more opera.
Daniel Craig in Queer. Pic: BFF via Getty
Queer
Bond star Daniel Craig plays a drug-addicted American living in 1950s Mexico, in the historical drama Queer.
Based on the 1985 semi-autobiographical novel by Beat Generation author William Burroughs, the film delves into the nightlife of Mexico City, in an immersive flood of colour, and doesn’t shy away from full-on sex scenes.
With some reviewers praising it as Craig’s best performance to date, it also stars Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville and newcomer Drew Starkey.
Amy Adams in Nightbitch. Pic: BFF via Getty
Nightbitch
A comedy horror starring the ever-adaptable Amy Adams as a stay-at-home mother who slowly thinks she may be turning into a dog.
Based on the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder, it’s pitched as a modern feminist fable, examining a society in which women are told they can “have it all”.
The movie is directed by Marielle Heller, who in 2020 was one of the female filmmakers many felt were snubbed by the Oscars and Golden Globes when she failed to get a nomination for her movie A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. Heller will no doubt be hoping this film – as offbeat as it is – is a different story.
Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan (L-R). Pic: Apprentice Productions Ontario / Profile Productions/ Tailored Films
The Apprentice
One of the most polarizing political figures of the 21st century, this film unpacks the young Donald Trump, examining his life before politics, and his career in real estate in New York in the 1970s and 1980s.
Directed by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, it stars Sebastian Stan stars as Trump, with Succession actor Jeremy Strong (aka Kendall Roy) playing attorney Roy Cohn.
Possibly the most controversial film of the year, it’s been beset with legal issues, not least of which include a cease-and-desist letter from Mr Trump’s legal team.
With a US election due in November, this one will at least be topical when it finally makes it to cinemas.
Sadie Frost with her subject, Twiggy. Pic: BFF via Getty
Twiggy
This is the first fully approved documentary to tell British model Twiggy’s life story.
Directed by actor-turned-director Sadie Frost it tells the story of the fashion icon – whose real name is Lesley Lawson – going back to her working-class childhood in northwest London, through to her international stardom as a celebrity model, and her career as an actor, singer, fashion designer, writer and TV presenter.
Other noteworthy documentaries screening at LFF include Elton John: Never Too Late, about the singer’s final US live shows, and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which looks back at the late actor’s rise to fame as the superhero and his life following a horse-riding accident that left him paralysed from the neck down.
Pharrell Williams’s life story in Lego. Pic: Courtesy of Focus Features
Piece By Piece
A movie about the life of musician Pharrell Williams will close the festival – but told entirely using Lego.
Directed by Morgan Neville, and produced by Williams himself, it depicts the Happy singer’s early life in Virginia, through to his rise to fame as he tops the charts.
Williams recorded five new songs for the soundtrack, and many think it’s a likely contender for best animated feature and best original song come awards season.
LFF takes place from Wednesday 9 October to Sunday 20 October.
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