FOCUS
page C4
November 16, 2005
in ^ ’ ^ ïo rtla n i» (O bseruer
Curtis “50 Cent"
Jackson, one of the
most popular stars
in hip-hop, makes
his motion picture
debut as an or
phaned street kid
who makes his mark
in the drug trade but
finally dares to
leave the violence
behind and become
the rap artist he was
meant to be in Get
Rich or Die Tryin.’
(AP photo)
Get Rich or Die Try in’
50 Cent delivers his life story
(AP) — The story of 50 Cent
being shot nine times has been
repeated so often it’s become
pop folklore, told again and again
through his hit songs, videos,
cameo appearances, recent auto
biography — and now, his new
movie.
It’s the most shocking detail
in 50’s bullet-ridden bio, which
in abbreviated form goes some
thing like this: Crack dealer-
turned-rapper gets shot, releases
mixtapes on his own, verbally
slays competitors with gleeful
gangsta bravado and becomes
a w o rld -fa m o u s su p e rstar,
dominating the rap game.
But while the film “Get Rich
or Die Tryin’” relies heavily on
50’s well-publicized exploits,
the rapper says it also show
cases overlooked as
pects of his life.
“The part th at’s
been pounded on by
journalists and other
media outlets is the
shooting part. I think
that overshadows my
talent to an extent,”
says 50. “For me, I
think when (fans)
r»
— W -
watch the actual film they get a
chance to see more about my
experience than I’ve been able to
deliver to the general public
through my music.”
The film chronicles a charac
ter named Marcus, who, like the
real-life Curtis “50 Cent” Jack-
son, starts dealing drugs after his
mother, also a dealer, is slain.
The movie Marcus moves up in
the crack organization and finds
a mentor in one of the lieutenants.
But when Marcus tries to forsake
crack for rap to support his new
born son, things get ugly.
Elliott Wilson, editor in chief
of the hip-hop magazine XXL,
says the movie will finally end the
glamorization of 50’s shooting.
—* Æ bx . ¿ I
J <*• *• ■*!
‘The Fan’ Opens at UP
The Fan, a delightful comedy by Italy's Carlo Goldoni, consid
ered among the top comic dramatist of the 18th century is coming
to the Mago Hunt Center Theater on the University of Portland
campus, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd.
The play, open to the public, will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
through Saturday, Nov. 16-19, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20.
Graduate student Linda Lewis will direct the play, which opens
in the afternoon of another typical day in the Italian sunshine on a
quite town square. However, on this day, a seemingly insignificant
event, the breaking of a fan, sets off a series of confusions that
THE POINTER SISTERS
quickly turn village life upside down.
Featured perform ers include W illiam Steele, Pat M oran,
Kyle Burch, Jacob W ilhelm i, Albert Abbene, Maire Creegan,
Brie Lind, Ami Jhaveri, and Heather Petersen. For tickets, call
503-943-7287.
NOVEMBER 18 & 19, 8PM • TICKETS S 2 0-Î40
ON SALE NOW! CALL 1 -8 88 -M A IN ACT OR TICKETSWEST AT 1-800-992-TIXX
Advertise with diversity in
al’r |.hirtlanh (Bbseruer
Call 503-288-0033
of email: ads@portlandobsefver.com
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