Ramat Gan gears up for 50 Cent

50 Cent, the reigning king of American rap, performs his first Israeli concert Saturday evening at the Ramat Gan Stadium.

By NATHAN BURSTEIN
50 cent 298 ap (photo credit: AP [file])
50 cent 298 ap
(photo credit: AP [file])
50 Cent, the reigning king of American rap, performs his first Israeli concert Saturday evening at the Ramat Gan Stadium. Born Curtis Jackson in Queens, New York, the 29-year-old rapper scored a massive breakthrough in early 2003 with the release of Get Rich or Die Tryin', an effort produced with the help of rap superstar Eminem. It's been a steady stream of hits since then, with singles like "In da Club," "21 Questions" and "P.I.M.P." dominating global radio waves and helping to ensure the runaway success of the rapper's 2005 follow-up album, The Massacre. That effort spawned its own register of radio mainstays, starting with last spring's ubiquitous "Candy Shop" and later including hits like "Hate It or Love It" and "Disco Inferno." The album ultimately became the second biggest of 2005 - it was outsold only by Mariah Carey's Emancipation of Mimi - and the rapper built on its success by starring in his first movie, also entitled Get Rich or Die Tryin', late last year. For tickets, call (03) 521-5200.