Ever wondered how Jay Z and 50 Cent rose to stardom? When he was young, Shawn Carter used to sneak away from the putrid halls of his ratty Brooklyn apartment to walk the busy streets of a city alive with success. The young boy who grew up in the shadow of the towering skyscrapers of New York City ascended to the pinnacle of music recognition through hard work and determination. As the subject of one of the first and most famous rap rags to riches stories, rapper Jay Z’s career has had an influential impact on a new generation of rappers who cite the rap godfather’s passion and hard-working attitude as inspiration for their own career paths. Starting as an amateur rapper in the Brooklyn underground scene, Jay Z quickly rose to the heights of rap superstardom. Looking at 50 Cent’s career, one would hardly expect that the rapper’s impressive rise to stardom could have been cut short by an early life of crime and violence. As a musician, an actor, and a businessman, 50 Cent has consistently proven his instincts for choosing successful projects in which to involve himself. However, 50 Cent was actually born into an environment full of poverty and bloodshed and had to fight his way out of a deadly cycle of incarceration and physical confrontation before he truly realized his full potential. For more interesting facts you must read the biographies. Grab your biography books now!