name	The Bank Job
director	Roger Donaldson
producer	Chuck Roven Steve Chasman
writer	Dick ClementIan La Frenais
starring	Jason StathamSaffron BurrowsRichard Lintern Stephen Campbell MooreJames FaulknerDaniel Mays
music	J. Peter Robinson
cinematography	Michael Coulter
editing	John Gilbert
casting	Lucinda Syson
studio	Mosaic Media GroupOmnilab MediaRelativity Media
distributor	Lionsgate
released	29 February 2008
runtime	111 minutes
country	United KingdomUnited States
language	English
gross	US$64,068,159 }}

''The Bank Job'' is a 2008 British crime film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, directed by Roger Donaldson, and starring Jason Statham, based on the 1971 Baker Street robbery in central London, from which the money and valuables stolen were never recovered. The producers allege that the story was prevented from being told because of a D-Notice (now known as a DA-Notice) government gagging request, allegedly to protect a prominent member of the British Royal Family. According to the producers, this movie is intended to reveal the truth for the first time, although it includes significant elements of fiction.

The premiere was held in London on February 18, 2008, and the film was released in both the UK and USA on February 29, 2008.

Plot

Petty-criminal-gone-straight Terry Leather (Jason Statham) owns a struggling car-sales garage. His friend, the photographer Kevin Swain's (Stephen Campbell Moore) ex-girlfriend, a former model named Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) offers Terry a chance to earn enough money to never worry about debt again: a bank robbery in Baker Street, London, where she has critical details. Terry gathers his petty-criminal friends, including Kevin, a sometime pornographic actor Dave Shilling (Daniel Mays), a mechanic named Bambas (Alki David), and an elegant con-man "Major" Guy Singer (James Faulkner). While scouting the branch of Lloyds Bank, Terry and Martine inspect the vault while Kevin and Dave case the exterior. The Soho gangster Lew Vogel (David Suchet), who keeps records of his police payoffs at the same branch, happens upon Dave and Kevin.

The newly-formed gang leases a leather accessories shop two lots away from the bank, and dig a tunnel under a fast-food restaurant to reach the underground bank vault. Terry employs Eddie Burton (Michael Jibson), one of his garage workers, as a watchman with a walkie-talkie on a nearby roof. Martine, once caught smuggling heroin into Britain and wanting to avoid jail, has set up the gang for this job on behalf of MI5, which desires the contents of a certain safe deposit box, No. 118. This box contains compromising photos of a British Royal (in the film, Princess Margaret). Martine is having an affair with ambitious MI5 operative Tim Everett (Richard Lintern); the photos and box belong to a black militant gangster who calls himself Michael X (Peter de Jersey); he uses the photos to avoid trouble with the Metropolitan Police, and MI5 is charged with recovering the photos.

As the gang digs, their radio chatter draws the attention of a local amateur radio operator, who realizes a robbery is in progress. He calls the police, who search their ten-mile radius and listen for concrete details to pin the robbery down. Terry's crew enter and loot the vault, as Martine goes for the photo deposit-box. A suspicious Terry opens it with her and, upon seeing the pictures, wonders if Martine has a hidden agenda. Another box has many photos of high-ranking government officials, including a minister, in compromising positions in a local S&M; brothel. The gang takes these with money and other valuables. Terry arranges for alternate transportation "to be safe", throwing off MI5 which had intended to intercept them. Guy and Bambas escape with their share and Terry confronts Martine over the photos; she explains the unfolding predicament. With the robbery discovered, the police -— corrupt ones receiving payoffs and honest ones —- began separate investigations while MI5 continues their search. Also joining the search for Terry's crew is Vogel, an organized crime figure worried about the contents of his ledger, which lists payoffs he made to police, which was also stolen in the robbery. He informs Michael X that the Royal 'portraits' have gone missing, and Michael X becomes suspicious of Gale Benson (Hattie Morahan), an MI5 spy who loves his American colleague Black Power militant, Hakim Jamal (Colin Salmon), and has travelled with him and Jamal to Trinidad, with instructions to find the Royal portraits.

Recalling the chance encounter with Dave outside the bank before the robbery, Vogel has him tortured for information. Dave breaks and Vogel's associates go to Terry's garage and kidnap Eddie, the lookout. Meanwhile, a senior government minister, Lord Drysdale, is shown photos of himself in the brothel run by Sonia Bern (Sharon Maughan), given by Terry to Tim and then to MI5 Executive Director Miles Urquhart (Peter Bowles); Drysdale and Urquhart agree to cooperate in absolving the robbers and securing them safe passage, in exchange for covering up the mess. Meanwhile, MI5 issues a D-Notice forbidding press reports. Police simultaneously release recordings of the walkie-talkie conversations in the hope that someone will recognize the voices. These recordings are heard on the radio by Terry's young daughters, who tell their mother; her worries over Terry's absence increase. Vogel's accomplice, corrupt Detective Gerald Pyke (Don Gallagher), shoots Dave and threatens to shoot Eddie unless Vogel gets his ledger back. Vogel agrees with Terry to meet him at Paddington Station in London. Meanwhile, Guy and Bambas are murdered by persons unknown, and Michael X has Gale killed in Trinidad by associates. Terry has Kevin give updates to Detective Sergeant Roy Given (Gerard Horan), the officer in charge of the investigation, citing knowledge of corrupt officers under Vogel's control. He convinces Vogel to go to Paddington Station at the same time, offering him the ledger in return for Eddie's safe return.

Terry heads to the rendezvous while Martine meets Tim, her original contact in MI5, overlooking the scene. Vogel and his corrupt police arrive with Eddie, but recognize the MI5 agents and run. The deputy head of MI5 (accompanied by Lord Mountbatten) exchanges the fresh passports Terry negotiated for the photos of the princess. Terry then chases Vogel and in a fight knocks out Vogel and his thugs, including corrupt Detective Nick Barton (Craig Fairbrass). Detective Given, officer in charge of the true investigation, arrives to see the robbers arrested. He speaks with the MI5 officers present, who direct police to let the bank robbers go. Terry gives the ledger to Given before he, Kevin, and Eddie leave the scene. Vogel and the corrupt officers are arrested instead. Everett personally supervises Michael X's arrest in Trinidad, and has Gale's remains exhumed for reburial in Britain. The final scenes have Terry and Martine saying good-bye, and Terry and his reunited family enjoying a carefree life on their small motor yacht off a sunny beach.

The epilogue states that the revelations about the brothel forced many government officials to resign. Scotland Yard investigates the corrupt officers named in the ledger. Michael X was hanged in 1975 for Benson's murder and his personal files are kept hidden in the British National Archives until 2054. Vogel is imprisoned for eight years for crimes that were unrelated to the robbery. The murderers of Guy and Bambas have never been found. About ₤4 million worth of materials and money were stolen from the robbery. At least 100 safety-deposit box owners neither claim insurance nor identify the items in their boxes.

Cast

Jason Statham as Terry Leather

Saffron Burrows as Martine Love

Richard Lintern as MI5's Tim Everett

Stephen Campbell Moore as Kevin Swain

James Faulkner as Guy Arthur Singer

Daniel Mays as Dave Shilling

Alki David as Bambas

Michael Jibson as Eddie Burton

Georgia Taylor as Ingrid Burton

Keeley Hawes as Wendy Leather

Gerard Horan as Det. Sgt. Roy Given

Craig Fairbrass as Det. Nick Barton

Don Gallagher as Det. Gerald Pyke

Julian Lewis Jones as MI5 Agent Snow

Andrew Brooke as MI5 Agent Quinn

David Suchet as Lew Vogel

Sharon Maughan as Sonia Bern

Peter Bowles as MI5 Executive Director Miles Urquhart

Alistair Petrie as Philip Lisle

Peter de Jersey as Michael Abdul Malik a.k.a. Michael X

Colin Salmon as Hakim Jamal

Hattie Morahan as Gale Benson

Angus Wright as Eric Addey, Ham Radio Operator

Les Kenny-Green as Pinky

Jamie Kenna as Perky

Rupert Frazer as Lord Drysdale

Christopher Owen as Lord Mountbatten of Burma

Historical background

The film is in part based on historical facts. A gang tunnelled into a branch of Lloyds Bank at the junction of Baker Street and Marylebone Road, in London, on the night of 11 September 1971 and robbed the safe deposit boxes there. The robbers had rented a leather goods shop named ''Le Sac'', two doors down from the bank, and tunnelled a distance of approximately 40 feet (12 metres), passing under the intervening ''Chicken Inn'' restaurant.

Robert Rowlands, a radio ham operator, overheard conversations between the robbers and their rooftop lookout. He contacted police and tape-recorded the conversations, which were subsequently made public. The film includes lines recorded by Rowlands, such as the lookout's comment that "Money may be your god, but it's not mine, and I'm fucking off." After four days of news coverage, the British authorities supposedly issued a D-Notice, requesting that news coverage be discontinued for reasons of national security, however ''The Times'' was still reporting the case over two months later. Contrary to its portrayal in the film, a D-Notice cannot be legally enforced.

The film's producers claim that they have an inside source, identified in press reports as George McIndoe, who served as an executive producer. The film's claims that the issuance of the D-Notice was because a safe deposit box held sex pictures of Princess Margaret, and the possible connection to Michael X (whose governmental file purportedly is secret until 2054), are apparently based on information provided by McIndoe, though the basis and extent of his information are unclear. The film-makers apparently have acknowledged that they made up the character Martine, and ''The New Yorker'' is apparently right to conclude that it is "impossible to say how much of the film's story is true".

The fictitious character of Lew Vogel may in part allude to pornographer and racketeer Bernie Silver, a key figure in Soho in the 1960s and early 1970s, who was jailed in 1975 for the 1956 murder of Tommy "Scarface" Smithson; and also to later events surrounding his associate the real-life pornographer James Humphreys. After an outcry in 1972 when the ''Sunday People'' published photographs of the head of the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, Commander Kenneth Drury, spending a luxurious two-week holiday with their wives with Humphreys in Cyprus, a police raid on Humphreys' house uncovered a wallsafe containing a diary cataloguing detailed itemised payments to seventeen different officers. Humphreys was jailed for eight years in 1974 for wounding his wife's former lover. He then turned Queen's Evidence, testifying against some of Scotland Yard's most senior officers in two major corruption trials in 1977; for which he received a Royal Pardon and was released from prison. In 1994 Humphreys was jailed for twelve months for living off the earnings of prostitutes. Vogel's role as a slum landlord using Michael X as his enforcer draws on the career of Peter Rachman, who employed Michael X in this role.

The major political sex scandal of the period was the resignation of Lord Lambton in 1973. Again the circumstances were somewhat different to those shown in the film. Lambton resigned after a photograph was circulated around Fleet Street by the husband of one of two prostitutes he was shown in bed with, smoking marijuana; along with more photographs of other "prominent people". The prostitute, Norma Levy, did specialise in sado-masochism as a dominatrix, but remembers Lambton as being "relatively straight", and if anything more interested in the marijuana. She had been introduced to Lambton in July 1972 by upmarket madame Jean Horn. The affair was subsequently investigated by DCS Bert Wickstead of the Serious Crime Squad, who had also led the investigations into Silver and Humphreys. A confusion led to the additional resignation of another minister, Lord Jellicoe, although he had not been directly connected with Levy.

Part of the filming took place on location at the offices of Websters, 136 Baker Street where the rooftops were actually used for lookout purposes. The majority of outside shots, namely shots including the bank and adjacent shops, were done on a specially constructed set of Baker Street, to retain an authentic feel of the period and to allow for greater control of visible elements. This partial set was extended using VFX by the Australian company Iloura.

Reception

The film was well received by critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 79% of the T-Meter critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 138 reviews. Rotten Tomatoes also reports that 90% of the "Top Critics" gave the film positive reviews based on 29 reviews. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 69 out of 100, based on 32 reviews.

Box office performance

The film grossed US$63,754,550. The film opened at #4 in North America and grossed US$5,935,256 in 1,603 theaters, averaging to about $3,703 per theatre.

Soundtrack

"Get It On" - T.Rex

"Lola" - The Kinks

"Hey There" - The Basics

"Money (That's What I Want)" - The Storys, seen early in the film as the wedding band

"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" - The Hollies

"In the Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett

"Gunshot" - Anthony Johnson

References

External links

The Bank Job at Movies World

Category:2008 films Category:2000s crime films Category:British crime films Category:Criminal comedy films Category:Docudramas Category:English-language films Category:Films set in 1971 Category:Films set in London Category:Heist films Category:Films directed by Roger Donaldson Category:Lions Gate Entertainment films Category:Paramount Pictures films Category:Relativity Media films

ar:المهمة المصرفية (فيلم) ca:The Bank Job de:Bank Job fr:Braquage à l'anglaise it:La rapina perfetta (film 2008) hu:Banki meló nl:The Bank Job ja:バンク・ジョブ pl:Angielska robota pt:The Bank Job ru:Ограбление на Бейкер-стрит (фильм) th:เดอะแบงค์จ็อบ tr:Banka İşi

name	Jason Statham
birth date	September 12, 1967
birth place	Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
occupation	Actor
years active	1998–present
website	}}

Jason Statham (; born 12 September 1967) is an English actor and former diver, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films ''Revolver'', ''Snatch'' and ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''. Statham appeared in supporting roles in several American films, such as ''The Italian Job'', as well as playing the lead role in ''The Transporter'', ''Death Race'', ''Crank'', ''The Bank Job'' and ''War'' (opposite martial arts star Jet Li). Statham also appeared alongside established action film actors Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren in ''The Expendables''. He normally performs his own fight scenes and stunts.

Early life

Statham was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the son of Eileen (née Yates) and Barry Statham, a lounge singer. He moved to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where he chose not to follow his father's career working the local market stalls, and decided to pursue the arts. He grew up with Vinnie Jones, alongside whom he would later go on to act. Jones introduced him to football, and Statham went on to play for the local grammar school (1978–83), which he had attended since the age of eleven, but his real passion was diving. He practised daily in perfecting his diving techniques – in particular, he finished 12th in the World Championships in 1992. He was also a member of Britain's National Diving Squad for twelve years.

Statham's life in the media began when he was spotted by a talent agent specialising in athletes while training at London's Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Afterwards, he became a model for the clothing brand French Connection.

Career

While working for French Connection, he was introduced to fledgling British director Guy Ritchie who was developing a film project and needed to fill the role of a street-wise con artist. After learning about Statham's past as a Black Market Salesman, Ritchie cast him to play the role of "Bacon" in his break-out 1998 hit, ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''. The movie was well received by both critics and audiences, and helped catapult Statham into the public eye. Statham's second collaboration with Ritchie came in the 2000 film ''Snatch'', playing the role of "Turkish". Cast alongside popular actors Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio del Toro, and with the movie earning more than $80 million in box-office revenue, Statham was able to break into Hollywood and appeared in two movies in 2001: ''Ghosts of Mars'' and ''The One''.

Statham was offered more film roles and in 2002 was cast as the lead role of driver Frank Martin in the action movie ''The Transporter'', in which his background in martial arts enabled him to do most of his own stunts. He has studied Wing Chun kung fu, karate, and kickboxing. The film spawned two sequels, ''Transporter 2'', in 2005 and Transporter 3 in 2008. He also played in supporting roles in ''Mean Machine'' (2002), ''The Italian Job'' (2003) (in which he played Handsome Rob), and ''Cellular'' (2004) where he played the lead villain. In 2005, Statham was once again cast by Ritchie to star in his new project, ''Revolver'' which was a critical and box office failure. He also played a dramatic role in the independent drama ''London'' in 2006. In 2006 he played the lead role in ''Crank''. Statham compares his role in ''Crank'' to his real life in the September 2006 issue of ''Maxim''. The success of ''Crank'' led to a sequel in 2009 titled ''Crank: High Voltage''.

In 2008, Statham starred in the British crime thriller ''The Bank Job'' which was both a critical and box office success. In 2008, American film critic Armond White hailed Statham's ascension as the leading international action film star. On the occasion of ''Death Race,'' White championed Statham's "best track record of any contemporary movie star." Later in 2008, White praised Statham's ''Transporter 3'' as a great example of kinetic pop art.

In 2009, Statham started to develop a new movie written by David Peoples and Janet Peoples (''Twelve Monkeys''). Statham stated "We've got a movie we're trying to do, written by David Peoples and Janet Peoples, in the vein of an old film, ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre''. It’s not a remake or anything, but it's a little bit like that, about relationships and how greed contaminates the relationships these three people have. The working title is ''The Grabbers''," and the release date is still unknown.

In 2010, Statham appeared alongside fellow action stars Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jet Li and Mickey Rourke, among others in ''The Expendables''. Statham plays Lee Christmas, a former SAS soldier and expert at close quarters combat using knives. In 2011, Statham starred in the remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson film, ''The Mechanic'' and returned to British film in the police drama ''Blitz''.

He will also star in the action film, ''Killer Elite''. According to ''Variety'', the film will be based on real events, which were the subject of Sir Ranulph Fiennes' fictional novel ''The Feather Men''. Statham will play a former SAS officer named Danny who comes out of retirement to save an old friend who will be played by Robert De Niro. In August 2011, he is to begin filming ''Parker'', for director Taylor Hackford; Statham will star as Parker, the criminal antihero previously played by Mel Gibson in 1999's Payback and by Lee Marvin in 1967's ''Point Blank''.

Personal life

Statham was in a seven year relationship with model Kelly Brook, until 2004. Since April 2010, he has been dating Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Statham has studied Wing Chun kung fu, karate and kickboxing.

Filmography

''Snatch (film) ''Ghosts of Mars'' ''The Transporter'' ''The Italian Job (2003 film) ''Collateral (film) ''Transporter 2'' ''Chaos (2006 film) ''War (film) ''The Bank Job'' ''Crank: High Voltage'' ''13 (film) ''The Mechanic (2010 film) ''The Expendables 2''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1998	''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''	Bacon
rowspan="2"	2000	Snatch'' ||	Turkish
''Turn It Up (film)	Turn It Up''	Mr. B
rowspan="3"	2001	|	Sgt. Jericho Butler
''The One (2001 film)	The One''	The One (2001 film)#MVA Personnel and Agents>MVA Agent Evan Funsch
''Mean Machine (film)	Mean Machine''	Monk
2002	|	Frank Martin (character)>Frank Martin
2003	The Italian Job'' ||	Handsome Rob
rowspan="2"	2004	Collateral'' ||	Airport Man	Cameo appearance
''Cellular (film)	Cellular''	Ethan Greer
rowspan="3"	2005	|	Frank Martin (Transporter character)>Frank Martin
''Revolver (2005 film)	Revolver''	Jake Green
''London (2005 film)	London''	Bateman
rowspan="3"	2006	Chaos'' ||	Det. Quentin Conners
''The Pink Panther (2006 film)	The Pink Panther''	Yves Gluant
''Crank (film)	Crank''	Chev Chelios
	2007	War'' ||	FBI Agent John Crawford	second time partnered with Jet Li
rowspan="4"	2008	|	Terry Leather
''In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale''	Farmer Daimon
''Death Race (film)	Death Race''	Jensen "Frankenstein" Ames
''Transporter 3''	Frank Martin (Transporter character)>Frank Martin
	2009	|	Chev Chelios
rowspan="2"	2010	13'' ||	Jasper
''The Expendables (2010 film)	The Expendables''	Lee Christmas
rowspan="5"	2011	The Mechanic'' ||	Arthur Bishop
''Gnomeo & Juliet ''	Tybalt
''Blitz (film)	Blitz''	Detective Sergeant Tom Brant
''Killer Elite (film)	Killer Elite''	Danny Bryce
''Safe (2011 film)	Safe''	Matt Jimmy
rowspan="1"	2012	|	Lee Christmas	TBA

Box office performance

Since 1998, Statham has appeared in over twenty films. Several have been box office hits, such as ''Snatch'' and ''The Bank Job''. He has starred in two film series, ''The Transporter'' and ''Crank''. The films he has been in have grossed a total of more than $1 billion USD at the box office, with the highest individual film being ''The Expendables''.

Video game voice-overs

Video game	!Year	!Character
''Red Faction II''	2002	Shrike
''Call of Duty''	2003

References

External links

Category:1967 births Category:English film actors Category:English male models Category:English voice actors Category:Hollywood United players Category:British practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:British karateka Category:English kickboxers Category:British wushu practitioners Category:Living people Category:People from Sydenham

ar:جيسون ستاثام az:Ceyson Stethem bg:Джейсън Стейтъм ca:Jason Statham cs:Jason Statham da:Jason Statham de:Jason Statham et:Jason Statham el:Τζέισον Στέιθαμ es:Jason Statham fa:جیسون استاتهام fr:Jason Statham ko:제이슨 스테이섬 hr:Jason Statham id:Jason Statham it:Jason Statham he:ג'ייסון סטיית'ם kn:ಜೇಸನ್ ಸ್ಟಾತಮ್ sw:Jason Statham lt:Jason Statham hu:Jason Statham ml:ജെയ്സൺ സ്റ്റെയ്‌തം ms:Jason Statham nl:Jason Statham ja:ジェイソン・ステイサム no:Jason Statham pl:Jason Statham pt:Jason Statham ro:Jason Statham ru:Стэтхэм, Джейсон sk:Jason Statham sr:Џејсон Стејтам sh:Jason Statham fi:Jason Statham sv:Jason Statham ta:ஜேசன் ஸ்டேதம் te:జాసన్ స్టాథమ్ th:เจสัน สเตธัม tr:Jason Statham uk:Джейсон Стейтем vi:Jason Statham zh:傑森·史塔森

name	Mark Kermode
birth name	Mark Fairey
birth place	Barnet, North London, England
birth date	July 02, 1963
residence	Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire, England
nationality	British
citizenship	British
known for	''Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews,'' ''The Culture Show,'' ''The Dodge Brothers''
education	PhD (English)
alma mater	University of Manchester
employer	BBC, ''The Observer'', ''Sight and Sound''
occupation	Film critic, presenter, musician }}

Mark Kermode (born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to ''Sight and Sound'' magazine, ''The Observer'' newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents ''Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews'' with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons. He also co-presents the BBC Two arts programme ''The Culture Show'' and discusses other branches of the arts for the BBC Two programme ''Newsnight Review''. Kermode writes and presents a film-related video blog for the BBC.

Early life and education

Kermode, born Mark Fairey in Barnet, North London, England, attended Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, an independent boys' school in Elstree, a few years ahead of comedians Sacha Baron Cohen, Matt Lucas and David Baddiel and in the same year as actor Jason Isaacs. He was raised as a Methodist, and is now a member of the Church of England.

Mark Fairey's parents divorced when he was in his early 20s and he subsequently changed his surname to his GP mother's maiden name by deed poll. (Neither of them is related to the literary critic Frank Kermode.)

He earned his PhD in English at the University of Manchester in 1991, writing a thesis on horror fiction. Kermode has stated that "I was a revolutionary communist affiliate in the 80s", but that "none of us had any respect for Stalin".

Personal life

Kermode lives in Brockenhurst with his wife, Linda Ruth Williams, a professor who lectures on film at the University of Southampton and has written ''The Erotic Thriller in Contemporary Cinema'' and co-edited ''Contemporary American Cinema''. In October to November 2004, they jointly curated a History of the Horror Film season and exhibition at the National Film Theatre in London. Kermode and Williams have two children. Kermode has been described as "a feminist, a near vegetarian (he eats fish), a churchgoer and a straight-arrow spouse who just happens to enjoy seeing people's heads explode across a cinema screen".

Career

Horror specialisation

Kermode is a visiting fellow at the University of Southampton, having gained a PhD at the University of Manchester in modern English and American horror fiction. This, he believes, makes him something of a horror film expert, together with his former contributions to ''Fangoria'' magazine, his authoring of the monograph ''The Exorcist (BFI Modern Classics)'', and his work on film-related documentaries like ''The Fear of God; 25 Years of the Exorcist'', ''Hell on Earth: The Desecration and Resurrection of Ken Russell's The Devils'', and ''The Cult of The Wicker Man''. He calls ''The Exorcist'' (1973) "the best film ever made". He recommends ''The Witch Who Came From the Sea'' as one of the best video nasties of the 1970s.

Kermode is sometimes critical of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the censor for film in the UK, calling for horror films from abroad to be shown in their uncut versions. However, in recent years, he has stated on numerous occasions that the BBFC do a good job in an impossible situation, and expressed his approval of their decisions.

Print media

Kermode began his film career as a print journalist, writing for Manchester's ''City Life'', and then ''Time Out'' and the ''NME'' in London. He has also written for ''The Independent'', ''Vox'', ''Empire'', ''Flicks'', ''Fangoria'' and ''Neon''. Until September 2005, Kermode reviewed films each week for the ''New Statesman''. Since 2009 Kermode has written "Mark Kermode's DVD round-up" for ''The Observer'', a weekly review of the latest releases. He sometimes writes for the British Film Institute's ''Sight and Sound'' magazine.

In February 2010, Random House released his autobiography, ''It's Only a Movie'', which he describes as being "inspired by real events". Its publication was accompanied by a UK tour. In September 2011 he released a follow-up book entitled ''The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex'', in which he puts forth his opinion on the good and bad of modern films, and vehemently criticizes the modern multiplex experience and the 3D film craze of the early 2000s.

Radio

Kermode began working at BBC Radio 1 in 1993, on a regular Thursday night slot called ''Cult Film Corner'' on Mark Radcliffe's ''Graveyard Shift'' session. He later moved to Simon Mayo's BBC Radio 1 morning show. He also hosted a movie review show with Mary Anne Hobbs on Radio 1 on Tuesday nights called ''Cling Film''. Between February 1992 and October 1993, he was the resident film reviewer on BBC Radio 5's ''Morning Edition'' with Danny Baker.

Kermode also co-hosted an early 1990s afternoon magazine show on BBC Radio 5 called ''A Game of Two Halves'' alongside former Blue Peter presenter Caron Keating.

He currently reviews and debates new film releases each Friday afternoon with Simon Mayo on Mayo's ''BBC Radio 5 Live'' show, which is also available as a podcast. The programme won Gold in the Speech Award category at the 2009 Sony Radio Academy Awards on 11 May 2009. The judges' citation was:

The winner of the Gold Award made the judges laugh out loud. They found this programme witty and entertaining, cheeky and irreverent, and they admired the sustained passion and energy of its presenters who made listening an effortless and rollercoaster pleasure.

His derisive review of the Christopher Columbus film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief inspired the Australian comedy film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins.

Television

Kermode is currently a regular presenter on BBC Two's ''The Culture Show''. He also appears regularly on ''Newsnight Review'' and ''Film 24'' on BBC News. It was during a 2006 interview with Kermode for ''The Culture Show'' in Los Angeles that Werner Herzog was shot by an air rifle. Herzog appeared unflustered, later stating "It was not a significant bullet. I am not afraid". On 19 May 2007 he was featured on the show playing with his skiffle band, The Dodge Brothers, in which he plays the double bass.

Kermode is also a film critic and presenter for Film4 and Channel 4, presenting the weekly ''Extreme Cinema'' strand. He also writes and presents documentaries for Channel 4. Once a week, he reviews films for ''BBC News at Five''.

Kermode rarely watches television, calling it "trivial" and stating that "I have been doing my best to avoid [TV] for the last 20 years." On being challenged by ''The Observer'' to watch TV, he admitted "if there's one thing I've learned from agreeing to take up the Observer's TV challenge this summer, it's that an awareness of what's going on in television is probably helpful to an understanding of movies. Worse, it may even be essential".

Kermode appeared in a cameo role as himself in the revival of the BBC's ''Absolutely Fabulous'' on January 1, 2012.

Other work

As of April 2008, Kermode has started a twice-weekly video blog hosted on the BBC website, where he posts clips of himself talking about films and telling anecdotes.

Kermode has recorded DVD audio commentaries for ''Tommy'', ''The Ninth Configuration'', ''The Wicker Man'' and (with Peter O'Toole) ''Becket''. He also appears in the DVD extras of ''Lost in La Mancha'', interviewing Terry Gilliam. Kermode has written books, published by the BFI in its ''Modern Classics'' series, on ''The Exorcist'' and ''The Shawshank Redemption'' and his documentary for Channel 4, ''Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature'', is on the film's 10th anniversary special edition DVD.

''Brazil (film) ''Citizen Kane'' ''The Devils (film) ''Don't Look Now'' ''Eyes Without a Face'' ''It's a Wonderful Life'' ''Love and Death'' ''Mary Poppins (film) ''The Seventh Seal''

+ Kermode's Top Ten films
Rank!! Film!! Year !! Director
1.	The Exorcist (film)>The Exorcist''	1973
2.	Brazil''||	1985
3.	|	1941
4.	The Devils''||	1971
5.	|	1973
6.	|	1960
7.	|	1946
8.	|	1975
9.	Mary Poppins''||	1964
10.	|	1957

Opinions

Kermode's appreciation of genre cinema is not always in line with popular taste. He dislikes all four ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, all of the live action''Transformers'' films and the ''Star Wars'' films, which he regards as "a gross infantalisation of the dark hearted 'serious' sci-fi" that he grew up with. Kermode has also expressed his dislike of director Chris Columbus, labelling him an "accountant director" and producing a negative analysis of the first two ''Harry Potter'' films, which Columbus directed. However, Kermode says he has "grown into the ''Potter'' story" as the films have advanced in their mature themes and content. He has made no secret of his dislike for 3D films and is particularly disdainful of the trend for what he calls "retrofitting" 2D movies into 3D, and he also detests the Cannes Film Festival. Kermode's emphasis on genre cinema has also meant he often expresses a liking for films panned by other critics, such as ''Basic Instinct 2'' (2006) because it follows genre expectations. Kermode has been critical of documentary maker Michael Moore (despite praising ''Capitalism: A Love Story'' on his radio show), accusing him of "feeding his own ego".. However he expressed his admiration for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, directed by David Slade, a film dismissed by the majority of critics. Kermode has very strong views and is well known for his rants against certain blockbuster movies such as the Michael Bay films mentioned above, often citing the director as a bad example of filmmaking.

Music

Kermode played double-bass for a skiffle/rockabilly band called The Railtown Bottlers in the early 1990s. The Railtown Bottlers were also the house band on the BBC show ''Danny Baker After All'' for a series, starting in 1993, where he performed with Madness lead singer, Suggs. He currently plays bass in skiffle quartet The Dodge Brothers.

Awards and other recognition

! Year	! Ceremony	! Award	! Result
2010	Sony Radio Academy Awards	Best Specialist Contributor of the Year
2009	Sony Radio Academy Awards	Speech Award

Kermode is 75th on ''The Guardian''s ''Film Power 100''; According to ''The Screen Directory'', Kermode is tenth in the list of the best film critics, in company that includes Alexander Walker, Pauline Kael, Roger Ebert, David Thomson, and James Agee.

Kermode is a patron of the Phoenix Cinema in North London.

References

External links

Profile of Mark Kermode at the University of Southampton

Archive of selected articles by Kermode in ''Critics / Authors Review and Articles'' at Rotten Tomatoes

Interview with Mark Kermode at subtitledonline.com

Video interview with Mark Kermode regarding The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex at subtitledonline.com

Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester Category:English Anglicans Category:English film critics Category:English journalists Category:English double-bassists Category:English radio personalities Category:English television personalities Category:Film historians Category:Old Haberdashers Category:People from Barnet Category:People from Brockenhurst Category:1963 births Category:Living people

de:Mark Kermode ru:Кермод, Марк sr:Марк Кермод sh:Mark Kermode sv:Mark Kermode

Name	50 Cent
Background	solo_singer
Alias	5-0
Birth name	Curtis James Jackson III
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, United States
Birth date	July 06, 1975
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, Businessman, Actor
Years active	1997 – present
Label	Shady, Aftermath, Interscope
Associated acts	G-Unit, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Akon, Mary J. Blige, Jadakiss, Nicole Scherzinger
Website	}}

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums ''Get Rich or Die Tryin''' (2003) and ''The Massacre'' (2005). His album ''Get Rich or Die Tryin''' has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA.

Born in South Jamaica, Queens, Jackson began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing his album ''Guess Who's Back?'' in 2002, Jackson was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre, who produced his first major commercial successes, Jackson became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo.

Jackson has engaged in feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, Nas, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Cam'ron, Puff Daddy, Rick Ross, and former G-Unit members The Game and Young Buck. He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film ''Get Rich or Die Tryin''' in 2005, the Iraq War film ''Home of the Brave'' in 2006, and ''Righteous Kill'' in 2008. 50 Cent was ranked as the sixth best artist of the 2000s by ''Billboard'' magazine. The magazine also ranked him as the fourth top male artist and as the third top rapper behind Eminem and Nelly. ''Billboard'' magazine also ranked him as the sixth best and most successful Hot 100 Artist of the 2000s and as the number one rap artist of the 2000s. ''Billboard'' ranked his album ''Get Rich or Die Tryin''' as the twelfth best album of the 2000s and his album ''The Massacre'' as the 37th best album of the 2000s. As of September 2011, 50 Cent is working on his fifth studio album, which is set to be released in 2012.

Early life

Curtis Jackson III grew up in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, in New York City. He grew up without a father and was raised by his mother, Sabrina, who gave birth to him at the age of fifteen.

Sabrina, a cocaine dealer, raised Jackson until the age of twelve, when she was killed in 1988. Twenty-seven at the time, she became unconscious after someone drugged her drink. She was then left for dead after the gas in her apartment was turned on and the windows shut closed.

After her death, Jackson moved into his grandparents' house with his eight aunts and uncles. He recalls, "My grandmother told me, 'Your mother's not coming home. She's not gonna come back to pick you up. You're gonna stay with us now.' That's when I started adjusting to the streets a little bit".

Jackson began boxing around the age of eleven.

At fourteen, a neighbor opened a boxing gym for local kids.

"When I wasn't killing time in school, I was sparring in the gym or selling crack on the strip", he recalled. In the mid 1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics as an amateur boxer. He recounts, "I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ". At the age of twelve, Jackson began dealing narcotics when his grandparents thought he was at after-school programs. He also took guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School. He later stated, "I was embarrassed that I got arrested like that... After I got arrested I stopped hiding it. I was telling my grandmother [openly], 'I sell drugs.'"

Following time spent in a correctional boot camp, Jackson adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a metaphor for "change". The name was derived from Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber known as "50 Cent". Jackson chose the name "because it says everything I want it to say. I'm the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means".

Music career

1996–2000: Early career

Jackson started rapping in a friend's basement where he used turntables to record over instrumentals. In 1996, a friend introduced him to Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC who was organizing his label Jam Master Jay Records.

Jay taught him how to count bars, write choruses, structure songs, and how to make a record. Jackson's first official appearance was on a song titled "React" with the group Onyx on their 1998 album ''Shut 'Em Down''. He credited Jam Master Jay as an influence who helped him improve his ability to write hooks. Jay produced Jackson's first album; however, it was never released.

In 1999, after leaving Jam Master Jay, the platinum-selling producers Trackmasters took notice of Jackson and signed him to Columbia Records. They sent him to a studio in Upstate New York where he produced thirty-six songs in two weeks. Eighteen were included on his unofficially released album, ''Power of the Dollar'' in 2000. He also started the now-defunct Hollow Point Entertainment with former G-Unit affiliate Bang 'Em Smurf.

Jackson's popularity started to increase after the successful but controversial underground single, "How to Rob", which he wrote in half an hour while in a car on the way to a studio. The track comically explains how he would rob famous artists. He explained the reasoning behind song's content as, "There's a hundred artists on that label, you gotta separate yourself from that group and make yourself relevant". Rappers Jay-Z, Kurupt, Sticky Fingaz, Big Pun, DMX, Wyclef Jean and the Wu-Tang Clan replied to the song and Nas, who received the track positively, invited Jackson to travel on a promotional tour for his ''Nastradamus'' album. The song was intended to be released with "Thug Love" featuring Destiny's Child, but two days before he was scheduled to film the "Thug Love" music video, Jackson was shot and confined to a hospital due to his injuries.

2000–01: Shooting

On May 24, 2000, Jackson was attacked by a gunman, alleged to be Darryl "Hommo" Baum, outside his grandmother's former home in South Jamaica, Queens. He went into a friend's car, but was asked to return to the house to get jewelry.

His son was in the house, while his grandmother was in the front yard. Upon returning to the back seat of the car and already seated, another car pulled up nearby. An assailant then walked up to Jackson's left side with a 9mm handgun and fired nine shots at close range. He was shot nine times: in the hand (a round hit his right thumb, to where the bullet passed through and out his little finger), arm, hip, both legs, chest, and his face (his left cheek). The face wound resulted in a swollen tongue, the loss of a wisdom tooth, and a small slur in his voice. His friend also sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. They were driven to the hospital where Jackson spent thirteen days.

Baum, the alleged shooter, was killed three weeks later.

Baum was also Mike Tyson's close friend and bodyguard.

Jackson recalled the incident saying, "It happens so fast that you don't even get a chance to shoot back.... I was scared the whole time.... I was looking in the rear-view mirror like, 'Oh @#!*% , somebody shot me in the face! It burns, burns, burns.'" In his autobiography, ''From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens'', he wrote, "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life... How much more damage could that shell have done? Give me an inch in this direction or that one, and I'm gone". He used a walker for the first six weeks and fully recovered after five months. When he left the hospital, he stayed in the Poconos with his then-girlfriend and son. His workout regime helped him attain his muscular physique.

While in the hospital, Jackson signed a publishing deal with Columbia Records. However, he was dropped from the label and "blacklisted" in the recording industry because of his song "Ghetto Qu'ran".

Unable to find a studio to work with in the U.S, he traveled to Canada. Along with his business partner Sha Money XL, he recorded over thirty songs for mixtapes, with the purpose of building a reputation.

According to Shady Records A&R; Marc Labelle in an interview with HitQuarters, Jackson shrewdly used the mixtape circuit to his own advantage saying, "He took all the hottest beats from every artist and flipped them with better hooks. They then got into all the markets on the mixtapes and all the mixtape DJs were messing with them." Jackson's popularity rose and in 2002, he released material independently on the mixtape, ''Guess Who's Back?''. Beginning to attract interest, and now backed by G-Unit, Jackson continued to release music including ''50 Cent Is the Future''. The mixtape revisited material by Jay-Z and Raphael Saadiq.

2002–2009: Rise to fame

In 2002, Eminem listened to a copy of Jackson's ''Guess Who's Back?'' CD. He received the CD through Jackson's attorney, who was working with Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg. Impressed with the album, Eminem invited Jackson to fly to Los Angeles, where he was introduced to Dr. Dre. After signing a $1 million record deal, Jackson released the mixtape, ''No Mercy, No Fear''. It featured one new track, "Wanksta", which was put on Eminem's ''8 Mile'' soundtrack. He was also signed to Chris Lighty's Violator Management and Sha Money XL's Money Management Group.

In February 2003, Jackson released his commercial debut album, ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'''. Allmusic described it as "probably the most hyped debut album by a rap artist in about a decade". ''Rolling Stone'' noted the album for its "dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce" with Jackson complementing the production in "an unflappable, laid-back flow".

It debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 872,000 copies in the first four days. The lead single, "In da Club", which ''The Source'' noted for its "blaring horns, funky organs, guitar riffs and sparse hand claps", broke a ''Billboard'' record as the most listened-to song in radio history within a week.

Interscope granted Jackson his own label, G-Unit Records in 2003. He signed Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck as the established members of G-Unit. The Game was later signed under a joint venture with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.

In March 2005, Jackson's second commercial album, ''The Massacre'', sold 1.14 million copies in the first four days-the highest in an abbreviated sales cycle- and peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 for six weeks.

He became the first solo artist to have three singles on the ''Billboard'' top five in the same week with "Candy Shop", "Disco Inferno", and "How We Do". ''Rolling Stone'' noted that "50's secret weapon is his singing voice - the deceptively amateur-sounding tenor croon that he deploys on almost every chorus".

After The Game's departure, Jackson signed singer Olivia and rap veterans Mobb Deep to G-Unit Records. Spider Loc, M.O.P., 40 Glocc and Young Hot Rod later joined the label. Jackson expressed interest in working with rappers outside of G-Unit, such as Lil' Scrappy of BME, LL Cool J from Def Jam, Mase from Bad Boy, and Freeway of Roc-A-Fella, some of whom he recorded with. In September 2007, he released his third album ''Curtis'', which was inspired by his life before ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'''. It debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 691,000 units in the first week, behind Kanye West's ''Graduation'', whom he had a sales competition with, as both albums were released on the same day.

He confirmed on TRL on September 10, 2008 that his fourth studio album, ''Before I Self Destruct'', will be "done and released in November".

On May 18, 2009, Jackson released a song entitled "Ok, You're Right". The song was produced by Dr. Dre and was included in ''Before I Self Destruct''.

In Fall 2009, 50 Cent appeared in the new season of VH1's Behind The Music.

On September 3, 2009 months upon the release of his "Before I Self Destruct" album 50 Cent posted a video for the Soundkillers' Phoenix produced track "Flight 187" which introduced his mixtape, the 50th LAW, and was also featured as a bonus track on his iTunes release of Before I Self Destruct. The song ignited speculation that there was tension between rapper 50 Cent and Jay Z for Jackson's comments in the song.

2010 – present

In an interview with the British entertainment website ContactMusic, 50 Cent announced that he was working on a dance album named ''Black Magic''. 50 Cent said he was inspired by the European nightclubs. "First they played hip-hop which suddenly changed to uptempo songs, known as Eurodance". He went on The Invitation Tour in the summer of 2010, in support of ''Before I Self Destruct'' album, and the then shelved ''Black Magic'' album. He "recorded 20 songs to a whole different album concept" before he put those to the side and did something different.

50 Cent revealed that he wanted his new album to have the same "aggression" as his debut record, ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'''.

He later tweeted that the album was "80 percent done", and stated that fans can expect the album in the summer of 2011; however, the album has been delayed to 2012 at the earliest, due to tensions and disagreements at Interscope Records, Later 50 Cent said that he will release his album in November 2011 and it has also been confirmed that "Black Magic" will not be the album's title. 50 Cent has already confirmed that Eminem will appear on the album, but he also confirmed that he has been working with new producers such as Boi-1da and Alex da Kid. Cardiak, who produced Lloyd Banks' “Start It Up”, also confirmed that he had produced a song for the upcoming album.

DJ Whoo Kid confirmed in an interview that 50 Cent was filming a new movie with Robert DeNiro in New Orleans.

50 Cent released the first song from his fifth studio album, titled "Outlaw", to the Internet on June 16, 2011.

The single was produced by Cardiak.

It was released to iTunes on July 19, 2011, although 50 Cent confirmed through his Twitter account that the song was not the album's first single.

50 Cent is set to release a book titled ''Playground''.

Unlike his previous literary efforts — which focus on his life story and the rules of power — this time he's aiming at a teen audience with a semi-autobiographical novel about bullying. According to a statement from the book's publisher, the first-person novel is slated for release in January 2012 and will tell the story of a 13-year-old schoolyard bully "who finds redemption as he faces what he's done."

50 Cent has promised to deliver his fifth studio album album over the past few years, but the LP may be delayed until 2012. In a series of tweets, 50 Cent explained that him and his label Interscope Records aren’t on the same page on how to roll out the album and that he’s delaying its release until they see eye to eye.

50 Cent later suggested that his album will be releasing in November 2011, along with his headphone line ''SMS by 50''.

50 Cent spoke to MTV in relation to the possibility of leaving Interscope Records. "I don't know," 50 told MTV News when asked if he would ink back with Interscope once his five-album deal was fulfilled. "It will all be clear in the negotiations following me turning this actual album in. And, of course, the performance and how they actually treat the work will determine whether you still want to stay in that position or not."

On June 20, 2011, 50 Cent announced that he will release an LP titled ''Before I Self Destruct II''. The announced sequel to his 2009 LP is suggested to be released after his fifth studio album.

On June 26, 2011, 50 Cent planned to shoot a music video for the lead single from his fifth studio album titled ''I'm On It''. However, the music video never surfaced.

50 Cent spoke to Shade45 in relation guest appearances for his fifth studio album. "I did four songs in Detroit with Eminem. I did two with Just Blaze, a Boi-1da joint, and I did something with Alex da Kid. We made two that are definite singles and the other two are the kinds of records that we been making, more aimed at my core audience, more aggressive, more of a different kind of energy to it."

In September 2011, 50 Cent released a song titled "Street King Energy Track #7" in attempt to promote his charitable energy drink ''Street King''.

On September 28, 2011, it was confirmed that 50 Cent is shooting a music video for his lead single from his fifth studio album titled "Girls Go Wild", which features Jeremih.

On October 26, 2011, 50 Cent announced that his fifth studio album will be released in December 2011.

Other ventures

Jackson has established himself in a variety of fields. In November 2003, he signed a five-year deal with Reebok to distribute a "G-Unit Sneakers" line as part of his G-Unit Clothing Company. He provided the voice-over as the protagonist in the video game ''50 Cent: Bulletproof'', which was released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and the PlayStation Portable.

Its sequel, ''50 Cent: Blood on the Sand'', was released in early 2009. He worked with Glacéau to create a vitamin water drink called Formula 50. In 2007, Coca-Cola purchased Glacéau for US$4.1 billion. ''Forbes'' estimated Jackson, who owns a stake in the company, earned $100 million from the deal after taxes. He has teamed up with Right Guard to launch a body spray called Pure 50 RGX Body Spray and a condom line called Magic Stick Condoms, in which he planned to donate part of the proceeds to HIV awareness.

Jackson has signed a multi-year deal with Steiner Sports to sell his memorabilia.

In 2005, Jackson made a cameo appearance on ''The Simpsons'' episode "Pranksta Rap", in which he makes light of his legal troubles. The same year, he starred alongside Terrence Howard in the semi-autobiographical film ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'''. He starred in the 2006 film ''Home of the Brave'', as a soldier returning home from the Iraq War, traumatized after killing an Iraqi woman.

Jackson is working on a role as a fighter in an Angola State Prison in ''Spectacular Regret'' alongside Nicolas Cage, and starred opposite Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in 2008's ''Righteous Kill'', a movie regarding a police death.

He also started the film production companies G-Unit Films in 2007 and Cheetah Vision in 2008.

In August 2007, Jackson announced plans to launch a dietary supplement company in conjunction with his movie ''Spectacular Regret''.

In August 2005, shortly before appearing in ''Get Rich or Die Tryin''', Jackson published an autobiography entitled ''From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens''. In it, Jackson explores the cultural and economic forces that led him to sell cocaine and crack, details his entrepreneurship as a drug-dealer and then as a rapper, and reflects on his own ethos and on society.

On January 4, 2007, Jackson launched his G-Unit Books imprint at the Time Warner Building. He also co-wrote ''The Ski Mask Way'', a novel about a small-time drug dealer who attempts to rob his employers, which is to be turned into a film. Jackson said he read Robert Greene's ''The 33 Strategies of War'' and worked with the author on a book titled ''The 50th Law'', an urban take on ''The 48 Laws of Power''. In May 2008, Jackson met billionaire Patrice Motsepe to forge a joint venture selling 50 Cent-branded platinum.

In 2008, Jackson started a reality television show on MTV titled ''50 Cent: The Money and the Power''; the winning contestant, Ryan Mayberry, won a $100,000 investment from Jackson.

On September 8, 2009, he published his book ''The 50th Law''.

In 2010, Jackson's film company Cheetah Vision landed $200 million in funding.

In July 2011, 50 Cent revealed his initiative to provide food for millions of people in Africa by 2016. 50 Cent teamed up with Pure Growth Partners to launch a charitable energy drink called ''Street King'' that will help aid in combating world hunger. For every purchase of Street King, a portion of the sales will go to providing a daily meal to an underprivileged child around the world. The partnership coincides with Fiddy’s mission statement of feeding a billion people in Africa over the next five years.

“50 Cent and I share a common vision: To address the world’s problems through smart and sustainable business models,” said Chris Clark, the founder and CEO of Pure Growth Partners. “With the rampant starvation in Africa and hunger afflicting children worldwide, we need socially responsible businesses that affect real change now more than ever.”

50 concurs, stating, “I’m inspired by Clarke’s vision and innovative approaches to tackling serious issues. It’s our mission with Street King to really change children’s lives around the world.”

Jackson founded SMS Audio, selling headphones with the name Street by 50. He has pledged to donate a portion of the sales to charity.

Personal life

Jackson has a tattoo of "Marquise" with an axe on his right biceps. "The axe is 'cause I'm a warrior. I don't want him to be one, though," he explains. He also has "50", "Southside", and "Cold World" inscribed on his back because "I'm a product of that environment. It's on my back, though, so it's all behind me."

Family

On October 13, 1997, Jackson's then-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins gave birth to a son, Marquise Jackson.

The birth of his son changed Jackson's outlook on life: "When my son came into my life, my priorities changed, because I wanted to have the relationship with him, that I didn't have with my father." He credited his son for inspiring his career and being "motivation to go in a different direction".

Politics

In 2005, Jackson expressed support for President George Walker Bush after rapper Kanye West criticized him for the slow response in assisting the Hurricane Katrina victims.

If his felony convictions did not prevent him from voting, he claimed he would have voted for Bush.

He later stated that Bush "has less compassion than the average human. By all means, I don't aspire to be like George Bush."

Wealth

In 2007, Jackson was the second wealthiest performer in the rap industry, behind Jay-Z. He resides in Farmington, Connecticut, in the former mansion of ex-boxer Mike Tyson.

He put the mansion for sale at $18.5 million to move closer to his son who lives in Long Island with his ex-girlfriend. On October 12, 2007, the Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut declared it "50 Cent Curtis Jackson Day". He was honored with a key to the city and an official proclamation.

One of his homes in New York purchased for 2.4 million dollars in January 2007 and at the center of a lawsuit between Jackson and ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins caught fire on May 30, 2008 while he was out of town filming for a movie in Louisiana.

In December 2008 Jackson told the Canadian press that he had been affected by the recession, losing several million dollars in the stock market as an investor. He also went on to say that he had been unable to sell his Connecticut mansion and pushed ''Before I Self-Destruct'' back because of the recent economic downturn.

Legal issues

On June 29, 1994, Jackson was arrested for helping to sell four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was arrested again three weeks later when police searched his home and found heroin, ten ounces of crack cocaine, and a starter gun.

He was sentenced to three to nine years in prison, but managed to serve six months in a shock incarceration boot camp where he earned his GED. Jackson said that he did not use cocaine himself, he only sold it.

His ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins sued Jackson for $50 million, claiming that he said that he would take care of her for life; the suit, which includes 15 claims was later dismissed by a judge, calling it "an unfortunate tale of a love relationship gone sour."

50 Cent was sentenced to two years probation on July 22, 2005 from an incident in May 2004 when 50 Cent jumped into the audience after being hit with a water bottle. He was charged with three counts of assault and battery.

Lawsuits

On July 21, 2007, Jackson filed a $1 million lawsuit against advertising company Traffix Inc. of Pearl River, New York for using his image in a promotion which he claims threatens his safety.

He became aware of the internet ad after one of his staff members saw it on a MySpace page. According to court documents, the ad features a cartoon image of the rapper and the message: "shoot the rapper and you will win $5000 or five ring tones guaranteed".

Though the ad did not use his name, the image allegedly intended to resemble him, suggesting he endorsed the ad.

The lawsuit calls it a "vile, tasteless and despicable" use of 50 Cent's image that "quite literally calls for violence against him". The lawsuit seeks for unspecified punitive damages and a permanent injunction against the use of his image without permission.

In November 2009, 50 Cent won in a lawsuit against Taco Bell over the fast food chain using his name to promote the brand without his permission.

Feuds

How to Rob

50 Cent said that he intended the single to be a joke, and not meant to disrespect anybody. Nevertheless, a number of rappers mentioned on the song responded on record.

The comments made towards the Wu-Tang Clan were responded to on the Ghostface Killah album ''Supreme Clientele'' on a track called "Ghost Deini" and even more directly on a skit called "Clyde Smith" which included one of the Wu-Tang Clan members talking about how they intended to harm the rapper, which is identifiable as Raekwon when the track is sped up. A supposed diss song, "Who the Fuck Is 50 Cent", which circulated the web in the beginning of 2001 was rumored to be by the Clan, but was proven to be recorded by Polite of American Cream Team (Raekwon's then-side project).

Jay-Z also reacted to the comments in the track called "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)", off the album ''Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter'':

"Go against Jigga yo' ass is dense I'm about a dollar, what the fuck is 50 Cents?"

Sticky Fingaz responded to the diss with the track "Jackin' for Beats."

"The real 50 from Brooklyn god bless he got outed You just a fake clown who front and rout about it."

Big Pun responds to this track on his album ''Yeeeah Baby'', in the song "My Turn."

"And to the 50 Cent Rapper, very funny – get your nut off, 'cuz in real life, we all know I'd blow your motherfucking head off...If I'm gonna write a song, it'll be about how I had to beat your mothafuckin' ass. And that'll be the name of the motherfucker: 'That's Why I Had To Beat Your Motherfucking Ass', featuring Tony Sunshine."

Kurupt responded on the diss track "Callin' Out Names."

"Now it's 50 mc's that ain't worth shit Get ya ass kicked 50 times, beat to 10 cent"

Wyclef Jean responded on the song "Low Income", from his 2000 album, ''The Ecleftic''.

"I stay so hungry that if 50 Cent came to rob me he'd be part of my charity."

The Inc.

Before signing with Interscope, Jackson engaged in a well-publicized dispute with rapper Ja Rule and his label The Inc.. Jackson claims that a friend robbed Ja Rule of his jewelry and that Ja Rule accused him of setting it up. However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because Jackson did not like seeing him "getting so much love" from the neighborhood. In March 2000, while at The Hit Factory studio in New York, Jackson had an altercation with Murder Inc. associates. He was treated for three stitches after receiving a stab wound. Rapper Black Child claimed responsibility for the stabbing, saying he acted in self-defense because he thought someone reached for a gun.

An affidavit by an IRS agent suggested that Murder Inc. had ties to Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, a New York drug lord who was suspected of being involved in the murder of Jam Master Jay and the shooting of Jackson. An excerpt of the affidavit read:

In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule acknowledged his defeat against 50 Cent and stated that his new album, The Mirror, will not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said: There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn't want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I'm not bitter about anything that happened [in the past few years].

Fat Joe, Nas & Jadakiss

Before releasing ''The Massacre'', Jackson recorded a song "Piggy Bank", a response to Ja Rule's song "New York", which was leaked before the album's release. The song takes aim at rappers including Fat Joe, Nas, and Jadakiss. Fat Joe responded with a song, "My Fofo", accusing Jackson of taking steroids, hiding in his home, and being jealous of The Game. Jadakiss also responded with a song, "Checkmate", and said that Jackson was trying to "create a buzz for his new album". The "Piggy Bank" music video portrays animated caricatures of Jadakiss (as a Ninja turtle), Fat Joe (as King Hippo from ''Mike Tyson's Punch-Out''), Nas (as a kid chasing a "milkshake" truck in a Superman costume), and The Game (as Mr. Potato Head). He also disses all of them on the beef version of his single "Window Shopper" Kelis, Nas's then-wife, responded to the song on her single "Bossy". Nas later responded with "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)." Nas later dissed 50 on the song "Street Ridaz" on Game's mixtape "Brake Lights".

Sean Combs

Jackson spoke negatively about Bad Boy Entertainment mogul Sean Combs and recorded a song, "Hip-Hop", revealing the reasons behind his negative feelings: primarily, a contract dispute over Mase. In the song, he implied that Diddy knew about The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder and threatened to expose him through former associates. The feud was resolved, with both rappers appearing on MTV's ''TRL'' and ''Sucker Free'', respectively, stating that there were no longer problems. The feud reignited in 2010 with 50 Cent dissing Diddy, saying his music "sucks".

Cam'ron

On February 1, 2007, Cam'ron and Jackson had a live argument on ''The Angie Martinez Show'' on Hot 97 radio. Jackson commented that Koch Entertainment was a "graveyard", meaning major record labels would not work with their artists. Cam'ron then ridiculed the record sales of G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Mobb Deep by stating that Jim Jones outsold their albums despite being signed to an independent label and that his group, The Diplomats, had a distribution deal from several labels. Both rappers released "diss" songs with videos on YouTube. Jackson suggested in "Funeral Music" that Cam'ron is no longer able to lead The Diplomats and that Jim Jones should take his place. Cam'ron responded with "Curtis" and "Curtis Pt. II", in which he makes fun of Jackson's appearance, calling him "a gorilla, with rabbit teeth". Jackson responded by releasing "Hold On" with Young Buck.

Game

Although he was close with The Game, before The Game released his debut album ''The Documentary'', they soon became at odds. After its release, Jackson felt The Game was disloyal for saying he did not want to participate in G-Unit's feuds with other rappers and even wanting to work with artists they were feuding with. He also claimed that he wrote six songs on the album and was not receiving proper credit for his work, which The Game denied.

Jackson later dismissed The Game from G-Unit on Hot 97 radio. After the announcement, The Game, who was a guest earlier in the evening, attempted to enter the building with his entourage. After being denied entry, one of his associates was shot in the leg during a confrontation with a group of men leaving the building. When the situation escalated, both rappers held a press conference to announce their reconciliation. Fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt to boost the sales of the albums they had just released. Nevertheless, even after the situation deflated, G-Unit criticized The Game's street credibility. The group denounced The Game and announced that they will not be featured on his albums. During a Summer Jam performance, The Game launched a boycott of G-Unit called "G-Unot".

After the performance at Summer Jam, The Game responded with "300 Bars and Runnin'", an extended "diss" aimed at G-Unit as well as members of Roc-A-Fella Records on the mixtape ''You Know What It Is Vol. 3''. Jackson responded through his "Piggy Bank" music video, which features The Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll and also parodies other rivals. Since then both groups continued to attack each other. The Game released two more mixtapes, ''Ghost Unit'' and a mixtape/DVD called ''Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin''.

Jackson posted a cover of The Game's head on the body of a male stripper for "Hate It or Love It (G-Unit Radio Part 21)" mixtape, as a response to The Game displaying pictures of G-Unit dressed as Village People. Although he was signed to Aftermath Entertainment, The Game left the label and signed with Geffen Records to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit (although others claim Jackson pressured Dr. Dre to kick him off). G-Unit member Spider Loc had also began to insult The Game on various songs. In addition, The Game released "240 Bars (Spider Joke)" and "100 Bars (The Funeral)" both attacking G-Unit, Spider Loc and others. Jackson's response was "Not Rich, Still Lyin'" where he mocks The Game. Lloyd Banks replied to the Game on a Rap City freestyle booth session. The Game quickly released a "diss" record called "SoundScan" where The Game pokes fun at Lloyd Banks' album ''Rotten Apple'' falling thirteen spots on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and disappointing second week sales. Lloyd Banks replied on his mixtape ''Mo' Money In The Bank Pt. 5: Gang Green Season Continues'' with a song called "Showtime (The Game's Over)". Lloyd Banks states that Jackson wrote half of The Game's first album ''The Documentary'' and pokes fun at The Game's suicidal thoughts.

In October 2006, The Game extended a peace treaty to Jackson, which was not immediately replied to. However, a couple days later, on Power 106, he stated that the treaty was only offered for one day. On The Game's album, ''Doctor's Advocate'', he claims that the feud is over on a few of the songs.

In July 2009, The Game stated the beef was squashed with help from Michael Jackson and Diddy, and he apologized for his actions during the beef. Tony Yayo said that neither Jackson (50 Cent) or G-Unit would accept his apology. Since then, The Game continued his old "G-Unot" ways at live concerts. Jackson released "So Disrespectful" a diss song on ''Before I Self Destruct'' targeting Jay-Z, The Game and Young Buck. Game later responded with the song "Shake", poking fun of the music video for 50's single "Candy Shop", quote, "Me and 50 aint agreeing on shit so I had to (Shake) Aint no telling what he putting in that protein (Shake) Seen the candy shop video look at this nigga (Shake) And thats the same shit that made the nigga Young Buck (Shake)". He also takes shots at Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, in which he says, "I'm surprised that Lloyd Banks and Yayo didn't (Shake) Wasn't selling no records Jimmy Iovine said (Shake)". Game also dissed G-Unit several times on the song "400 Bars".

In September 2011, 50 Cent dissed Game on the song "Love, Hate, Love", in which Game responded to on his twitter, saying he was going to diss him back after his tour was finished, quote:

Rick Ross

In January 2009, Rick Ross started a feud with 50 Cent because he supposedly looked at him the wrong way at the BET Awards. However, Jackson told news sources that he did not even remember seeing Rick Ross there. In late January, a track entitled "Mafia Music" by Rick Ross, leaked onto the Internet. There were several lines that seem to diss Jackson. Days later, Jackson released "Officer Ricky (Go Head, Try Me)" in response to Rick Ross's disparaging remarks on his "Mafia Music" song. The next day Rick Ross appeared on Shade 45, and told Jackson to come up with something better in 24 hours.

Before going to Venezuela, Jackson uploaded a video entitled "Warning Shot", where he warns Rick Ross: ''"I'ma fuck your life up for fun"''. In addition, Jackson released the first of a series of "Officer Ricky" cartoons. Early February, Jackson once again made a video which he uploaded to YouTube where he interviews "Tia", the mother of one of Rick Ross's children. She verifies his being a correctional officer and claims his whole persona is fake and fraudulent. On Thursday, February 5, 2009, The Game, who Jackson has a long-standing "beef" with, called up Seattle's KUBE 93 Radio Station. When asked about the beef between Jackson and Rick Ross, The Game sided with Jackson and said that things are not looking good for Rick Ross. However, he offered to help Rick Ross get out of this situation, stating ''"Rick Ross, holla at your boy, man,"'' and ''"50 eating you'', boy."

On his album ''Deeper Than Rap'', Ross references Jackson in the song "In Cold Blood". A video for the song was released that portrayed Jackson's mock funeral. Upon release, Ross stated that he has ended Jackson's career.

In an interview, Jackson said: "Rick Ross is Albert From CB4. You ever seen the movie? He's Albert," he added. "It never gets worse than this. You get a guy that was a correctional officer come out and base his entire career on writing material from a drug dealer's perspective such as "Freeway" Ricky Ross."

Lil Wayne

After hearing word that Lil Wayne had prepared a song for him after 50 made some unkind remarks, 50 lashed out at Wayne first on August 17, 2007 with the song "Part Time Lover". Wayne never really responded to the song, although a 50 Cent diss track called "Louisianimal" did leak much later on November 17, 2008. Jackson responded to Lil Wayne in January 2009 in a song entitled "Play This On The Radio". As of August 14, 2009, the controversy between Jackson and Lil Wayne seems to have ended after Jackson appeared and performed at Lil Wayne's America's Most Wanted Musical Festival stop in Anaheim, California.

Young Buck

After numerous rumors of a "beef" within G-Unit, Jackson officially dismissed Young Buck from the group, in 2008. He later assured that he was still signed with the label. Numerous slander songs then arose on the internet from both camps, with Young Buck appearing in a music video of former rival The Game. Jackson then leaked a taped phone conversation between himself and Young Buck, which showed one of the true reasons for the falling out; Jackson was owed money by the Southern rapper. Young Buck later stated the conversation took place over a year before the leak. The two camps have since released a multitude of songs against each other, with the feud settling down by 2009, with Young Buck stating he's been working on his latest album, which is still to be released under the G-Unit label.

Discography

''Get Rich or Die Tryin''' (2003)

''The Massacre'' (2005)

''Curtis'' (2007)

''Before I Self Destruct'' (2009)

''Fifth studio album'' (2012)

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2003	''50 Cent: The New Breed''	Himself	Documentary DVD
2005		Marcus	Film debut
2006		Jamal Aiken	Supporting Role
	''Righteous Kill''	Spider	Supporting Role
	Clarence	Supporting Role
''50 Cent: The Money and the Power''	Himself	TV series (one episode: "Choose Your Crew Wisely")
	''Streets of Blood''	Stan Johnson
	Himself	TV series (Season 6, Episode 3: "One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car")
	Thigo
''Caught in the Crossfire''	Tino	Executive producer
		Jimy
	Rich
	Lionel	Supporting Role
	Himself
		Black	Post-production
''Blood Out''	Hardwick
	Sonny
	''All Things Fall Apart''	Deon
	Malo
	–	Producer
	Shamus Cocobolo
		Pre-production

Voice work

Year	Film	Role	Notes
	''The Simpsons''	Himself	TV series (one episode: "Pranksta Rap")
''50 Cent: Bulletproof''	Himself	Video game, voice only
	''50 Cent: Blood on the Sand''	Himself	Video game, voice only
''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2''		Video game, voice only

References

External links

50 Cent at AOL Sessions

* Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American film actors Category:African-American film producers Category:African American rappers Category:African American record producers Category:Aftermath Entertainment artists Category:American investors Category:American music industry executives Category:American shooting survivors Category:American stock traders Category:American video game actors Category:Brit Award winners Category:Echo winners Category:Businesspeople from New York City Category:Grammy Award winners Category:G-Unit members Category:Hip hop singers Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Queens Category:Pseudonymous rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Shady Records artists Category:Survivors of stabbing Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists Category:World Music Awards winners

af:50 Cent als:50 Cent ar:50 سنت az:50 Cent bg:Фифти Сент bs:50 Cent br:50 Cent ca:50 Cent cs:50 Cent da:50 Cent de:50 Cent et:50 Cent el:50 Cent es:50 Cent eo:50 Cent fa:فیفتی سنت fr:50 Cent fy:50 Cent ga:50 Cent gl:50 Cent ko:50 센트 hy:50 Սենտ hi:५० सेंत hr:50 Cent id:50 Cent is:50 Cent it:50 Cent he:50 סנט ka:50 Cent sw:50 Cent ku:50 Cent lv:50 Cent lt:50 Cent hu:50 Cent mk:50 Cent ml:50 സെന്റ് xmf:50 Cent nl:50 Cent ja:50セント no:50 Cent nn:50 Cent uz:50 Cent pl:50 Cent pt:50 Cent ro:50 Cent ru:50 Cent stq:50 Cent sq:50 Cent simple:50 Cent sk:50 Cent sl:50 Cent so:50 Cent sr:50 Cent sh:50 Cent fi:50 Cent sv:50 Cent ta:50 சென்ட் th:50 เซ็นต์ tr:50 Cent uk:50 Cent vi:50 Cent vls:50 Cent yi:פופציק צענט yo:50 Cent zh:50 Cent

name	The Storys
background	group_or_band
origin	Swansea, Wales
genre	Acoustic, Country rock
years active	2003–present
label	Korova, Hall Recordings
website	www.thestorys.co.uk
current members	Steve BalsamoAndy CollinsRob ThompsonBrian ThomasAlan Thomas
past members	Dai Smith
notable instruments	}}

The Storys are a Welsh rock band from Swansea, Wales, UK, formed in Spring 2003. Their main influence is 1970s U.S. West Coast bands in the country-rock genre. The band currently consists of Steve Balsamo (vocals, guitar), Andy Collins (vocals, bass), Rob Thompson (vocals, guitar), Brian Thomas (drums, percussion), and Alan Thomas (keys, mandolin, banjo) and formerly included Dai Smith, who sang and played guitar until August 2008, when he left. He was replaced by Rosalie Deighton.

Conception (2003 - 2006)

The group features four singer-songwriters all taking lead vocals on different songs. They count as inspirations such vocal harmony-based bands as Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and The Beatles.

They recorded their eponymous debut album ''The Storys'' in an old converted cinema in the Welsh Valleys and released the album themselves, setting up their own label - Hall Recordings - before signing a record deal with Warners and having their album re-released on Korova in March 2006.

Their first gig was to over 70,000 people at The Olympic Torch Concert outside Buckingham Palace, and was followed by a support slot with Tom Jones and a series of gigs in venues such as Bush Hall and The Borderline. The band also supported Elton John on two European tours.

2006 - Early 2008

''Town Beyond The Trees'', the band's second album, was released in 2008 on the band's own label, Hall Recordings, after Korova folded in 2007. It was recorded in Spring 2007 at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios near Bath, UK. The album was produced by Jon Kelly (Beautiful South, Kate Bush, Deacon Blue, Paul McCartney). It received favourable reviews from such publications as Maverick Magazine, Uncut Magazine, Classic Rock Magazine, Rock 'n' Reel Magazine etc.

The band have also supported Santana (Switzerland), Celine Dion (Holland), Sinead O'Connor (Belgium), Elton John (UK), Runrig (Germany) and Van Morrison (UK) as well as touring the UK in their own right.

Early 2008 - Present Day

Dai Smith left the band in 2008 and was subsequently replaced by folk singer/songwriter, Rosalie Deighton.

The Storys' music was featured in the movie The Bank Job and the band had cameo appearances in the film in the wedding scene.

The Storys have just announced they are to split and play one final concert at the Swansea Grand Theatre on Saturday 19 June 2010.

Discography

"I Believe In Love" - CD single/ 7" (2006, Korova)

"Cinnamon" - CD single/ 7" (2006, Korova)

''The Storys'' (March 2006, Korova) (previously released: August 2005, Hall Recordings)

#"I Believe In Love" #"Be By Your Side" #"Cinnamon" #"High Enough" #"You're Taking My Heart Away" #"You're Not Around" #"Roll Like A Stone" #"Save Me" #"The King of Broken Dreams" #"Journey's End (Show Me Love)" #"Is It True What They Say About Us?"

"Be By Your Side" - promo CD single/ 7" (2006, Korova)

"Cinnamon" - CD single (2005, Hall Recordings)

''5 Track Promo Sampler'' CD (2005, Hall Recordings)

#"Cinnamon" #"Roll Like A Stone" #"High Enough" #"Be By Your Side" #"Journey's End (Show Me Love)"

''The Storys'' EP (2005, Hall Recordings) (Approximately 100 copies only)

#"Be By Your Side" #"Roll Like A Stone" #"High Enough" #"So Long"

''The Town Beyond The Trees'' CD EP (2005, Hall Recordings) (60 copies only, limited edition artwork by Balsamo) (25 other copies had an old photo of Glyncorrwg printed on CD, plain plastic cover)

#"The Town Beyond The Trees" #"My Foot Was Nailed To The Floor" #"God Take Care Of The One I Love" #"You're Not Around"

''The Town Beyond The Trees'' CD album (31 March 2008, Hall Recordings) UK chart position: #175

# Long Hard Road # You Couldn't Make It Up # Evangelina # Alone # It's All We Really Need # Nobody Loves You # Town Beyond The Trees # Heaven Holds You Now # Feeling Something # Trouble Deep

References

External links

The Storys Official Website

The Storys Official MySpace Page

The Storys biography from BBC Wales

Category:Welsh musical groups Category:People from Swansea Category:Media and culture in Swansea

de:The Storys