Icon vs. Icon

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who is known for not only his legendary mic skills but also for his chiseled physique, has a whole new look these days. The rapper has lost an incredible amount for weight for his upcoming role in Mario Van Peebles’ upcoming football flick, ‘Things Fall Apart’.

According to Thisis50.com, the rapper dropped 54 pounds to star as a football player who discovers he has cancer. “He went from 214 pounds to an astonishing 160 with a liquid diet and three-hour-a-day treadmill walks for nine weeks.” he tells Us Weekly. 50 is co-producing the film with Randall Emmett, his partner in Cheetah Vision Films. The film also features Ray Liotta, Lynn Whitefield and Steve Eastin.

Check out the astonishing photos below!

50 Cent will soon launch The Invitation, a 19-date US tour which is set to kick off at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland on March 28th. The tour will take him across the country to mid-size theaters before winding up with a June 25 show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 50 Cent is expected to preview songs from his forthcoming album ‘Black Magic’ during the cross country trek.

The dates for The Invitation tour are:

5/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Wolstein Center
5/29 – Detroit, MI @ Chene Park Riverfront Amphitheater
5/30 – Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion
6/1 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
6/3 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
6/4 – Los Angeles @ Club Nokia at L.A. Live
6/6 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theater at The Palms
6/7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theater
6/10 – Kansas City, KS @ Midland Theatre
6/11 – Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park
6/12 – Houston, TX @ Arena Theater
6/15 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore
6/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
6/18 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
6/19 – Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
6/22 -New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
6/23 – Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theater
6/24 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
6/25 – Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues

50 Cent recently partnered with VH1 for a new documentary called ’50’s Roots’ where he makes an unprecedented trek to the Deep South in search of his family’s slave lineage. Along the way he reunites with living family members and connect the dots on his ancestral heritage. An airdate has not yet been announced.

Legendary rapper 50 Cent has announced that he will launch The Invitation, a 19-date US tour which is set to kick off at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland on March 28th.

The tour will take him across the country to mid-size theaters before winding up with a June 25 show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

50 Cent is expected to preview songs from his forthcoming album ‘Black Magic’ during the cross country trek.

The dates for The Invitation tour are:

5/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Wolstein Center
5/29 – Detroit, MI @ Chene Park Riverfront Amphitheater
5/30 – Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion
6/1 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
6/3 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
6/4 – Los Angeles @ Club Nokia at L.A. Live
6/6 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theater at The Palms
6/7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theater
6/10 – Kansas City, KS @ Midland Theatre
6/11 – Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park
6/12 – Houston, TX @ Arena Theater
6/15 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore
6/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
6/18 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
6/19 – Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
6/22 -New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
6/23 – Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theater
6/24 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
6/25 – Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues

50 Cent recently partnered with VH1 for a new documentary called ’50’s Roots’ where he makes an unprecedented trek to the Deep South in search of his family’s slave lineage. Along the way he reunites with living family members and connect the dots on his ancestral heritage. An airdate has not yet been announced.

Source: MTV

50 Cent‘s fourth studio album, Before I Self Destruct, will be released exclusively on the iTunes Store on November 9th at 12:00AM EST (midnight, Sunday night).

The album will be available exclusively on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) until its November 16 street date.

Selling more than 30 million albums worldwide, 50 Cent continues his phenomenal rise from street culture hero to pop culture icon.

About the album:
For the explosive Before I Self Destruct album, 50 Cent returned to working closely with Dr. Dre and Eminem as he did on Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, his first official album. With Dr. Dre and Eminem producing and guesting, Before I Self Destruct is darker and harder than 2007′s Curtis, as shown by the grimy single and video to “OK, You’re Right” (produced by Dr. Dre), which was released earlier this year. In early September, 50 released the hit single “Baby By Me” produced by Polow da Don (Fergie, T.I., Ludacris).

This November 50 Cent will be hitting the road to screen his latest film, Before I Self Destruct. Beginning on Tuesday Oct. 27th, fans can log on to www.movietickets.com/50 to download their tickets* to these exclusive screenings.

Date and Market
2-Nov – Boston
3-Nov – Philadelphia
4-Nov – DC
5-Nov – NYC
7-Nov – Atlanta
9-Nov – Chicago
10-Nov – San Francisco
11-Nov – Los Angeles
12-Nov – Houston
13-Nov – Dallas

About the Film:
Inspired by 50 Cent’s latest album of the same title, Before I Self Destruct is a gritty 90-minute film, written, directed and starring Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent). The film is a coming of age story about an inner city youth raised by a hardworking single mother. When his dream of becoming a basketball player fails to materialize after his mother is tragically gunned down, Clarence (played by Jackson) is consumed by revenge and takes up a life of crime in order to support his younger brother.

About the album:
For the explosive Before I Self Destruct album, 50 Cent returned to working closely with Dr. Dre and Eminem as he did on Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, his first official album. With Dr. Dre and Eminem producing and guesting, Before I Self Destruct is darker and harder than 2007′s Curtis, as shown by the grimy single and video to “OK, You’re Right” (produced by Dr. Dre), which was released earlier this year. In early September, 50 released the hit single “Baby By Me” produced by Polow da Don (Fergie, T.I., Ludacris).

For a limited time, the album and movie package will also include a second DVD featuring “Two Turntables and a Microphone: The Life and Death of Jam Master Jay,” a documentary about 50 Cent’s late mentor and friend.

Before I Self Destruct continues 50 Cent’s phenomenal rise from street culture hero to pop culture icon. Both album and film will be released on Shady/Aftermath on November 23, 2009.

Logon to Yahoo! Movies for the debut of the new Before I Self Destruct trailer.

*Tickets will be downloadable while supplies last. No purchase necessary. One pass per person. Each pass admits two people. Admission is not guaranteed. This movie is rated R. Please visit www.movietickets.com/50 for additional screening details.

50 Cent just made a new song, entitled “OK, You’re Right,” from his upcoming Before I Self Destruct album available for streaming on ThisIs50.com. The song was produced by Dr. Dre. The two have been hard at work recently crafting new tracks for Before I Self Destruct, which is due sometime this year.

The song is available for streaming at this location >

In other 50 Cent news, it was recently announced that Forest Whitaker and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson are attached to play the lead roles in the classic tale about a doctor who invents a potion that unleashes his violent alter ego. Abel Ferrara set to direct the lastest re-imagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” which will be contemporized and titled “Jekyll and Hyde.”

Forest Whitaker and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson are attached to play the lead roles in the classic tale about a doctor who invents a potion that unleashes his violent alter ego. Abel Ferrara set to direct the lastest re-imagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” which will be contemporized and titled “Jekyll and Hyde.”

Glasshouse Pictures’ Brett Walsh and Cheetah Vision Films’ Randall Emmett are producing; Luc Roeg, Michael Robinson and Andrew Orr are exec producing for U.K. production banner Independent. ”The combination of such formidable talent in front of and behind the camera will turn this wonderful gothic story into a modern classic for a whole new generation,” said Roeg.

The film is set to begin filming in late summer.

It seems that almost as fast as he was added, 50 Cent is now out of the cast of Sylvester Stallone’s upcoming action film The Expendables. Late last week, the veteran rapper had been confirmed to be replacing Forest Whitaker as Hale Caesar. Now the role appears to be going to Terry Crews.

MTV reports that a representative for 50 Cent issued a statement Tuesday (March 24) explaining why the MC will not be appearing in Sylvester Stallone’s film:

“50 Cent was offered the role of Hale Caesar in ‘The Expendables,’ however as he is currently in the process of completing his forthcoming album Before I Self Destruct with Dr. Dre and Eminem,” a rep for the MC told MTV News in a statement. “He was unfortunately not able to commit to the project.”

The Expendables was written by Stallone, who is also set to direct the project. which focuses on a group of mercenaries heading to South America to overthrow a ruthless dictator.

It has been a week or so since the last time we got a heaping helping of news on Sylvester Stallone’s upcoming action-powerhouse The Expendables. The wait is now over as it was announced today that Rapper 50 Cent has been added to the all-star cast , replacing Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

Whitaker, who was previously announced to join film, had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts because the film is a month behind on shooting. According to Stallone’s letter, which was sent to AintItCool.com, there are some who are displeased over 50 Cent’s taking over the role, he’s sticking to his guns.

Stallone wrote:

“Trust me, the change of Forest Whitaker to 50 Cent AKA Curtis Jackson is a good one.Nobody wanted Eric Roberts over Ben Kingsley, but I believe it’s a vastly improved cast. The point is, you either believe in me and the project, setting your personal feelings aside, or you take a darker approach, which really serves no purpose since your insight and suggestions and overall are a great thrill for me to behold everyday I sign on.”

The Expendables was written by Stallone, who is also set to direct the project. which focuses on a group of mercenaries heading to South America to overthrow a ruthless dictator.

The cast includes Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Charisma Carpenter, Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke. Arnold Schwarzenegger will appear as himself in a cameo role. Shooting is slated to begin in Brazil later this month and the film is aiming for an April 23rd, 2010 release date.