Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter

by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

For the first time, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson opens up about his amazing comeback—from tragic personal loss to thriving businessman and cable’s highest-paid executive—in this unique self-help guide, his first since his blockbuster New York Times bestseller The 50th Law.

In his early twenties Curtis Jackson, known as 50 Cent rose to the heights of fame and power in the cutthroat music business. A decade ago the multi-platinum selling rap artist decided to pivot. His ability to adapt to change was demonstrated when he became the executive producer and star of Power, a high-octane, gripping crime drama centered around a drug kingpin’s family. The series quickly became “appointment” television, leading to Jackson inking a four-year, $150 million contract with the Starz network—the most lucrative deal in premium cable history.

Now, in his most personal book, Jackson shakes up the self-help category with his unique, cutting-edge lessons and hard-earned advice on embracing change. Where The 50th Law tells readers “fear nothing and you shall succeed,” Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter builds on this message, combining it with Jackson’s street smarts and hard-learned corporate savvy to help readers successfully achieve their own comeback—and to learn to flow with the changes that disrupt their own lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062953810
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/21/2021
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	15,051
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson III, is an award-winning rapper, entrepreneur, actor and producer from Queens, New York. Recognized as one of the most talented and prolific music artists of his time, the Grammy Award winner rose to fame with his record-shattering debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' and has since sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and been awarded numerous prestigious accolades. Jackson has leveraged his star power to cross over with unparalleled success as an entrepreneur, actor and producer. From Get Rich or Die Tryin' being one of the fastest selling albums in history to creating one of the most influential deals in hip-hop with the sale of Vitaminwater, Jackson continues to break records. He currently has the critically-acclaimed #1 show on Starz, Power, in which he not only co-stars but also serves as executive producer and director.

Jackson has carved out a thriving television and film career as both a best in class producer and star. In 2005, he founded G-Unit Film & Television, Inc. which has produced a wide variety of content across numerous platforms and sold a myriad of shows to various networks. Among these is Power, which premiered in June 2014. In October 2018, Jackson and Starz/Lionsgate closed an unprecedented deal for Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television, Inc. The partnership, touted as among the most significant deals to date for an Executive Producer in premium television will focus on expansion of the POWER universe, recently announced power spin-off Power Book II: Ghost, new scripted, non-scripted, feature and gaming/interactive development via Lionsgate. He also has in development new projects for the network, including BMF Starz, Intercepted Starz and Trill League Quibi/Lionsgate. ABC ordered the series For Life from Jackson, a serialized legal and family drama which premiered in February 2020. Jackson received a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in January 2020. 

Additional credits include the variety show 50 Central on BET and The Oath on Sony Crackle the networks most-watched new original series. Jackson’s successful film career has included roles in several blockbusters: most recently Den of Thieves, co-starring opposite Gerard Butler, which Jackson has signed on to produce the sequel along with Butler. Jackson has also appeared in Antoine Fuqua’s boxing drama Southpaw, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Spy with Melissa McCarthy, and reprised his role in Escape Plan 3.

The exceptional businessman serves as CEO of G-Unit Records, which he founded in 2003 and has since signed a host of multi-platinum artists. Jackson continues to dominate the charts with hits like the recently released Still Think I’m Nothing, and he is continuously recording new music.  

 Jackson continues to extend his brand, which encompasses a broad spectrum of businesses including Sire Spirits which Jackson formed in 2016, a luxury Wine and Spirits company that owns Le Chemin du Roi Champagne and Branson Cognac. In 2018 Jackson joined forces for a strategic partnership with Viacom’s Bellator.  

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 Finding Fearlessness 1

2 Heart of a Hustler 21

3 Constructing Your Crew 55

4 Knowing Your Value 87

5 Evolve or Die 123

6 Power of Perception 155

7 If We Can't Be Friends 197

8 Learning from Your Ls 227

9 The Entitlement Trap 239

Acknowledgments 283

Editorial Reviews

2020-05-03
The successful rap artist and media mogul reflects on surviving the streets of Queens, New York, blowing up in the 2000s hip-hop scene, and now thriving in the executive boardroom.

“I’ve managed to make it to the top twice,” writes Jackson, popularly known as 50 Cent, who distinguishes himself from the gangster persona he adopted “in order to help deal with the chaos and insanity that I saw all around me growing up.” After semiretiring from a generation-defining hip-hop career (more than 30 million albums sold worldwide), his transition into Hollywood with the hit drama series Power landed him one of the biggest deals in premium cable history. Jackson’s previous book, The 50th Law, co-written by 48 Laws of Power author Robert Greene, was a bestseller; here, the author emphasizes the maturity and growth, as well as the ruthlessness, that come with “moving in corporate America.” Through nine interrelated principles—fans will know he survived being shot nine times—Jackson lays out a key framework for improving one’s personal and professional lives. While the Machiavellian-esque advice (see “how to influence others,” “maintain control”) may read a little rehearsed and rehashed, what promises to keep readers intrigued are the scintillating short stories that reveal the advice’s utility. The author has consistently made headlines through the detailed advertising of the behind-the-scenes lives of celebrities. Indeed, that is one of the lessons: “How To Control the Conversation.” Just like his rhyming, Jackson is adept at delivering a big punchline, such as his call to embrace honesty: “Whether you’re the boss, a partner, or just a worker, you have to create an environment where people can be honest about their character with you. Otherwise, you’re going to build unsustainable situations. That’s what ruined Ja Rule’s career.”

Savor the celebrity gossip and push through to the lessons of one of hip-hop’s most successful businessmen ever.

Kirkus Reviews