Syncretism () is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining," but see below for the origin of the word. Syncretism may involve the merger and analogising of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus asserting an underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.

Syncretism also occurs commonly in expressions of arts and culture (see eclecticism) as well as politics (see syncretic politics).

Nomenclature, orthography and etymology

The Oxford English Dictionary first attests the word ''syncretism'' in English in 1618. It derives from modern Latin ''syncretismus'', drawing on Greek συγκρητισμός (''synkretismos''), meaning "Cretan federation."

The Greek word occurs in Plutarch's (1st century AD) essay on "Fraternal Love" in his ''Moralia'' (2.490b). He cites the example of the Cretans, who reconciled their differences and came together in alliance when faced with external dangers. "And that is their so-called ''Syncretism.''"

Erasmus probably coined the modern usage of the Latin word in his ''Adagia'' ("Adages"), published in the winter of 1517–1518, to designate the coherence of dissenters in spite of their differences in theological opinions. In a letter to Melanchthon of April 22, 1519, Erasmus specifically adduced the Cretans of Plutarch as an example of his adage "Concord is a mighty rampart".

Social and political roles

Overt syncretism in folk belief may show cultural acceptance of an alien or previous tradition, but the "other" cult may survive or infiltrate without authorized ''syncresis'' nevertheless. For example, some Conversos developed a sort of cult for martyr-victims of the Spanish Inquisition, thus incorporating elements of Catholicism while resisting it.

Some religious movements have embraced overt syncretism, such as the case of the adoption of Shintō elements into Buddhism as well as the adoption of Germanic and Celtic pagan elements into Catholicism during Christianity's spread into Gaul, the British Isles, Germany, and Scandinavia. Indian influences are seen in the practice of Shi'i Islam in Trinidad. Others have strongly rejected it as devaluing precious and genuine distinctions; examples of this include post-Exile Judaism, Islam, and most of Protestant Christianity.

Syncretism tends to facilitate coexistence and constructive interaction between different cultures (intercultural competence), a factor that has recommended it to rulers of multi-ethnic realms. Conversely the rejection of syncretism, usually in the name of "piety" and "orthodoxy", may help to generate, bolster or authorize a sense of cultural unity in a well-defined minority or majority.

Religious syncretism

Religious syncretism exhibits blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs from unrelated traditions. This can occur for many reasons, and the latter scenario happens quite commonly in areas where multiple religious traditions exist in proximity and function actively in the culture, or when a culture is conquered, and the conquerors bring their religious beliefs with them, but do not succeed in entirely eradicating the old beliefs or, especially, practices.

Religions may have syncretic elements to their beliefs or history, but adherents of so-labeled systems often frown on applying the label, especially adherents who belong to "revealed" religious systems, such as the Abrahamic religions, or any system that exhibits an exclusivist approach. Such adherents sometimes see syncretism as a betrayal of their pure truth. By this reasoning, adding an incompatible belief corrupts the original religion, rendering it no longer true. Indeed, critics of a specific syncretistic trend may sometimes use the word "syncretism" as a disparaging epithet, as a charge implying that those who seek to incorporate a new view, belief, or practice into a religious system actually distort the original faith. Non-exclusivist systems of belief, on the other hand, may feel quite free to incorporate other traditions into their own.

In modern secular society, religious innovators sometimes create new religions syncretically as a mechanism to reduce inter-religious tension and enmity, often with the effect of offending the original religions in question. Such religions, however, do maintain some appeal to a less exclusivist audience. Discussions of some of these blended religions appear in the individual sections below.

Ancient Greece

Syncretism functioned as a feature of Ancient Greek religion. Overall, Hellenistic culture in the age that followed Alexander the Great itself showed syncretist features, essentially blending of Mesopotamian, Persian, Anatolian, Egyptian (and eventually Etruscan-Roman) elements within an Hellenic formula. The Egyptian god Amun developed as the Hellenized ''Zeus Ammon'' after Alexander the Great went into the desert to seek out Amun's oracle at Siwa.

Such identifications derive from ''interpretatio graeca'', the Hellenic habit of identifying gods of disparate mythologies with their own. When the proto-Greeks (peoples whose language would evolve into Greek proper) first arrived in the Aegean and on the mainland of modern-day Greece early in the 2nd millennium BCE, they found localized nymphs and divinities already connected with every important feature of the landscape: mountain, cave, grove and spring all had their own locally venerated deity. The countless epithets of the Olympian gods reflect their syncretic identification with these various figures. One defines "''Zeus Molossos''" (worshipped only at Dodona) as "the god identical to Zeus as worshipped by the Molossians at Dodona". Much of the apparently arbitrary and trivial mythic fabling results from later mythographers' attempts to explain these obscure epithets.

Judaism

In ''Moses and Monotheism'', Sigmund Freud made a case for Judaism arising out of the pre-existing monotheism that was briefly imposed upon Egypt during the rule of Akhenaten. Aten, the disk of the sun in ancient Egyptian mythology, and originally an aspect of Ra, was chosen as the sole deity for Akhenaten's new religion. The "Code of Hammurabi" is also cited as a likely starting point for the Jewish Ten Commandments. Hammurabi was from the Mesopotamian culture that revered Marduk, among others. Judaism fought lengthy battles against syncretist tendencies: note the case of the golden calf and the railing of prophets against temple prostitution, witchcraft and local fertility cults, as told in the Tanakh. On the other hand, some scholars hold that Judaism refined its concept of monotheism and adopted features such as its eschatology, angelology and demonology through contacts with Zoroastrianism.

In spite of the Jewish halakhic prohibitions on polytheism, idolatry, and associated practices (''avodah zarah''), several combinations of Judaism with other religions have sprung up: Jewish Buddhism, Nazarenism, Judeo-Paganism, Messianic Judaism, Jewish Mormonism, Crypto-Judaism (in which Jews publicly profess another faith and privately celebrate Judaism), and others such as Judeo-Christianity. Until relatively recently, China had a Jewish community which had adopted some Confucian practices. Several of the Jewish Messiah claimants (such as Jacob Frank) and the Sabbateans came to mix Cabalistic Judaism with Christianity and Islam.

Roman world

The Romans, identifying themselves as common heirs to a very similar civilization, identified Greek deities with similar figures in the Etruscan-Roman tradition, though without usually copying cult practices. (For details, see Interpretatio graeca.) Syncretic gods of the Hellenistic period found also wide favor in Rome: Serapis, Isis and Mithras, for example. Cybele as worshipped in Rome essentially represented a syncretic East Mediterranean goddess. The Romans imported the Greek god Dionysus into Rome, where he merged with the Latin mead god ''Liber'', and converted the Anatolian Sabazios into the Roman Sabazius.

The degree of correspondence varied: Jupiter makes perhaps a better match for Zeus than the rural huntress Diana does for the feared Artemis. Ares does not quite match Mars. The Romans physically imported the Anatolian goddess Cybele into Rome from her Anatolian cult-center Pessinos in the form of her original aniconic archaic stone idol; they identified her as ''Magna Mater'' and gave her a matronly, iconic image developed in Hellenistic Pergamum.

Likewise, when the Romans encountered Celts and Germanic peoples, they mingled these peoples' gods with their own, creating Sulis Minerva, Apollo Sucellos (Apollo the Good Smiter) and Mars Thingsus (Mars of the war-assembly), among many others. In the ''Germania'', the Roman historian Tacitus speaks of Germanic worshippers of Hercules and Mercury; most modern scholars tentatively identify Hercules as Thor and Mercury as Odin.

Christianity

Syncretism did not play a role when Christianity split into eastern and western rites during the Great Schism. It became involved, however, with the rifts of the Protestant Reformation, with Desiderius Erasmus's readings of Plutarch. Even earlier, Syncretism was a fundamental aspect of the efforts of Neoplatonists such as Marsilio Ficino to reform the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1615, David Pareus of Heidelberg urged Christians to a "pious syncretism" in opposing the Antichrist, but few 17th-century Protestants discussed the compromises that might effect a reconciliation with the Catholic Church: Johann Hülsemann, Johann Georg Dorsche and Abraham Calovius (1612–85) opposed the Lutheran Georg Calisen "Calixtus" (1586–1656) of the University of Helmstedt for his "syncretism". (See: Syncretistic Controversy.)

The modern celebrations of Christmas (the northern European tradition that replaced older pagan Yule holidays), Easter (combinations of various European and Middle Eastern traditions with incorporated spring fertility rites), and Halloween are all examples of Christian/pagan syncretism, as some symbols and traditions are re-incorporated into a Christian context.

Catholicism in Central and South America has integrated a number of elements derived from indigenous and slave cultures in those areas (see the Caribbean and modern sections); while many African Initiated Churches demonstrate an integration of Protestant and traditional African beliefs. In Asia the revolutionary movements of Taiping (19th-century China) and God's Army (Karen in the 1990s) have blended Christianity and traditional beliefs. The Catholic Church allows some symbols and traditions to be carried over from older belief systems, so long as they are remade to fit into a Christian worldview; syncretism of other religions with Catholicism, such as Voudun or Santeria, is condemned by the Church.

One can contrast Christian syncretism with contextualization or inculturation, the practice of making Christianity relevant to a culture: ''Contextualisation'' does not address the doctrine but affects a change in the styles or expression of worship. Although Christians often took their European music and building styles into churches in other parts of the world, in a contextualization approach, they would build churches, sing songs, and pray in a local ethnic style. Some Jesuit missionaries adapted local systems and images to teach Christianity, as did the Portuguese in China.

In this view, ''syncretism'' implies compromising the message of Christianity by merging it with not just a culture, but another religion, common examples being animism or ancestor worship.

The Latter Day Saint movement can be framed as a syncretic outgrowth of main-line Christianity.

Syncretistic Controversy

The "Syncretistic Controversy" was the theological debate provoked by the efforts of Georg Calixt and his supporters to secure a basis on which the Lutherans could make overtures to the Roman Catholic and the Reformed Churches. It lasted from 1640 to 1686. Calixt, a professor at Helmstedt, had through travels in England, the Netherlands, Italy, and France, acquaintance with the different churches and their representatives, and extensive study, developed a more open attitude toward the different religious bodies than had the majority of his contemporary Lutheran theologians. While the latter firmly adhered to the "pure doctrine," Calixt tended not to regard doctrine as the one thing necessary for a Christian, nor did he regard all doctrine as equally certain and important. Consequently, he advocated unity between those who agreed on the fundamental minimum, with liberty as to all less fundamental points. In regard to Catholicism, he would have (as Melanchthon once would have) conceded to the pope a primacy human in origin, and he also admitted that one might call the Mass a sacrifice.

The theological faculties of Helmstedt, Rinteln, and Königsberg supported Calixt; opposed were those of Leipzig, Jena, Strasburg, Giessen, Marburg, and Greifswald. Abraham Calov opposed Calixt. The Elector of Saxony, for political reasons, opposed the Reformed Church, because the other two secular electors (Palatine and Brandenburg) were "reformed", and were competing with him. In 1649 he wrote to the three dukes of Brunswick, who maintained Helmstedt as their common university, and expressed the objections of his Lutheran professors, complaining that Calixt wished to extract the elements of truth from all religions, fuse all into a new religion, and provoke a schism.

In 1650 Calov became a professor at Wittenberg, and quickly attacked the Syncretists in Helmstedt. An outburst of polemical writings followed. In 1650 the dukes of Brunswick responded with the desire to limit the discord, and proposed a meeting of the political councillors. Saxony, however, did not favour this suggestion. An attempt to convene theologians was unsuccessful. The theologians of Wittenberg and Leipzig condemned 98 heresies of the Helmstedt theologians. They urged that this "Formula of Concord" be signed by everyone who wished to remain in the Lutheran Church. Outside Wittenberg and Leipzig, however, it was not accepted, and Calixt's death in 1656 ushered in five years of almost undisturbed peace.

The controversy broke out afresh in Hesse-Kassel, where Landgrave William VI sought to effect a union between his Lutheran and Reformed subjects, or at least to lessen their mutual hatred. In 1661 he had a colloquy held in Kassel between the Lutheran theologians of the University of Rinteln and the Reformed theologians of the University of Marburg. Enraged at this revival of the syncretism of Calixt, the Wittenberg theologians called on the Rinteln professors to make their submission, whereupon the latter answered with a detailed defence. Another long series of polemical treatises followed.

In Brandenburg-Prussia in 1663, the Great Elector (Frederick William I) forbade preachers from speaking of the Evangelical disputes. A long colloquy in Berlin (September 1662 to May 1663) led only to fresh discord. Growing impatient, the Elector ended his conferences in 1664 and published another "syncretistic" edict. Since the edict disallowed the Formula of Concord, one of the Lutheran Confessions as contained in the ''Book of Concord'', many Lutheran clergy did not comply with the edict. Whoever refused to sign the form declaring his intention to observe this regulation was deprived of his position, including Paul Gerhardt, a pastor and noted hymnwriter. The citizens of Berlin petitioned to have him restored, and owing to their repeated requests, the Elector made an exception for Gerhardt. His conscience did not allow him to retain the post and Gernardt lived in Berlin for more than a year without fixed employment. During this time his wife also died, leaving him with one surviving child. The Elector withdrew the edict a few months later, but Gerhardt's patroness, Electress Louisa Henrietta, had died, so he was still without a position.

Calixt's son, Friedrich Ulrich Calixt, defended his father's views against the Wittenberg theologians's calling his school "un-Lutheran" and heretical. The younger Calixt tried to show that his father's doctrine did not differ much from that of his opponents. Wittenberg had a new champion in Ægidius Strauch, who attacked Calixt with all his resources of learning, polemics, and wit. The Helmstedt side was defended by the celebrated scholar and statesman, Hermann Conring. The Saxon princes recognized that trying to carry through the "Consensus" might lead to a fresh schism in the Lutheran Church, and endanger its position related to Catholic power. They forbade the Saxon theologians from continuing the controversy in writing. Negotiations for peace then resulted, with Duke Ernst the Pious of Saxe-Gotha especially active. They considered creating a permanent college of theologians to decide theological disputes. However, the negotiations with the courts of Brunswick, Mecklenburg, Denmark, and Sweden remained as fruitless as those with the theological faculties, except that peace was maintained until 1675.

Calov renewed hostilities. He attacked not only Calixt, but also and particularly the moderate John Musæus of Jena. Calov succeeded in having the University of Jena and Musæus compelled to renounce syncretism. But this was his last victory. The Elector renewed his prohibition against polemical writings. Calov seemed to give way for a time. Although he returned to his attack on the syncretists, he died in 1686, and the controversy ended.

The Syncretist Controversy had the result of lessening religious hatred and of promoting mutual forbearance. Catholicism benefited, as some Protestants came to better understand and appreciate it. In Protestant theology, it prepared the way for the sentimental theology of Pietism to become more popular than Lutheran orthodoxy.

Islam

Some scholars regard Islam as incorporating syncretically from other religions, particularly Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. Muslims do not regard this as syncretism, as they see Islam as a completion of divine revelations from previous prophets. Other aspects of Islam such as the lunar calendar are derived from earlier pre-Abrahamic tradition.

The mystical tradition in Islam, known as Sufism appears somewhat syncretic in nature, not only in its origins but also in its beliefs since it espouses the concepts of Wahdat-al-Wujud and Wahdat-al-Shuhud that are, to a great extent, synonymous to Pantheism and Panentheism and sometimes Monism although the traditional Islamic belief system reject them and stress on strict monotheism called Tawhid.

Druze religion

The Druzes integrated elements of Ismaili Islam with Gnosticism and Platonism.

Barghawata

The Barghawata kingdom followed a syncretic religion inspired by Islam (perhaps influenced by Judaism) with elements of Sunni, Shi'ite and Kharijite Islam, mixed with astrological and heathen traditions. Supposedly, they had their own Qur'an in the Berber language comprising 80 suras under the leadership of the second ruler of the dynasty Salih ibn Tarif who had taken part in the Maysara uprising. He proclaimed himself a prophet. He also claimed to be the final Mahdi, and that Isa (Jesus) would be his companion and pray behind him.

Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'ís follow Bahá'u'lláh, a prophet whom they consider a successor to Muhammad, Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, and Abraham. This acceptance of other religious founders has encouraged some to regard the Bahá'í religion as a syncretic faith. However, Bahá'ís and the Bahá'í writings explicitly reject this view. Bahá'ís consider Bahá'u'lláh's revelation an independent, though related, revelation from God. Its relationship to previous dispensations is seen as analogous to the relationship of Christianity to Judaism. They regard beliefs held in common as evidence of truth, progressively revealed by God throughout human history, and culminating in (at present) the Bahá'í revelation. Bahá'ís have their own sacred scripture, interpretations, laws and practices that, for Bahá'ís, supersede those of other faiths.

Caribbean religions and cultures

The process of syncretism in the Caribbean region often forms a part of cultural creolization. (The technical term "Creole" may apply to anyone born and raised in the region, regardless of ethnicity.) The shared histories of the Caribbean islands include long periods of European Imperialism (mainly by Spain, France, and the United Kingdom) and the importation of African slaves (primarily from Central and Western Africa). The influences of each of the above interacted in varying degrees on the islands, producing the fabric of society that exists today in the Caribbean.

The Rastafari movement, founded in Jamaica, syncretizes vigorously, mixing elements from the Bible, Marcus Garvey's Pan Africanism movement, Hinduism, and Caribbean culture.

Another highly syncretic religion of the area, vodou, combines elements of Western African, native Caribbean, and Christian (especially Roman Catholic) beliefs.

See the modern section for other Caribbean syncretisms.

Indian traditions

Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism in ancient India have made many adaptations over the millennia, assimilating elements of various diverse religious traditions. One example of this is the Yoga Vasistha.

The Mughal emperor Akbar, who wanted to consolidate the diverse religious communities in his empire, propounded Din-i-Ilahi, a syncretic religion intended to merge the best elements of the religions of his empire

Meivazhi (Tamil: மெய்வழி) is a syncretic monotheistic minority religion based in Tamil Nadu, India. Its focus is spiritual enlightenment and the conquering of death, through the teachings. Mevaizhi preaches the Oneness of essence message of all the previous major scriptures - particularly Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity - allowing membership regardless of creed. Meivazhi's disciples are thousands of people belonging once to 69 different castes of different religions being united as one family of Meivazhi Religion.

Sikhism is a syncrentic monotheistic religion consisting of both the monotheism of Islam and the Hindu concept of reincarnation.

Other modern syncretic religions

Recently developed religious systems that exhibit marked syncretism include the New World religions Candomblé, Vodou and Santería, which analogize various Yorùbá and other African deities to the Roman Catholic saints. Some sects of Candomblé have also incorporated Native American deities, and Umbanda combined African deities with Kardecist spiritualism.

Hoodoo is a similarly derived form of folk magic practiced by some African American communities in the Southern United States. Other traditions of syncretic folk religion in North America include Louisiana Voodoo as well as Pennsylvania Dutch Pow-wow, in which practitioners profess to invoke power through the Christian God.

Many historical Native American religious movements have incorporated Christian European influence, like the Native American Church, the Ghost Dance, and the religion of Handsome Lake.

Unitarian Universalism also provides an example of a modern syncretic religion. It traces its roots to Universalist and Unitarian Christian congregations. However, modern Unitarian Universalism freely incorporates elements from other religious and non-religious traditions, so that it no longer identifies as "Christian."

Theosophy and the Theosophy-based Ascended Master Teachings are syncretic religions that combine deities primarily from Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism into an elaborate Spiritual Hierarchy.

Universal Sufism seeks the unity of all people and religions. Universal Sufis strive to "realize and spread the knowledge of Unity, the religion of Love, and Wisdom, so that the biases and prejudices of faiths and beliefs may, of themselves, fall away, the human heart overflow with love, and all hatred caused by distinctions and differences be rooted out."

In Vietnam, Caodaism blends elements of Buddhism, Catholicism and Kardecism.

Several new Japanese religions, (such as Konkokyo and Seicho-No-Ie), are syncretistic.

The Nigerian religion Chrislam combines Christian and Islamic doctrines.

Thelema is a mixture of many different schools of belief and practice, including Hermeticism, Eastern Mysticism, Yoga, 19th century libertarian philosophies (e.g. Nietzsche), occultism, and the Kabbalah, as well as ancient Egyptian and Greek religion.

Examples of strongly syncretist Romantic and modern movements with some religious elements include mysticism, occultism, theosophy, modern astrology, Neopaganism, and the New Age movement.

In China, most of the population follows syncretist religions combining Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and elements of Confucianism. Out of all Chinese believers, approximately 85.7% adhere to Chinese traditional religion, as many profess to be both Mahayana Buddhist and Taoist at the same time. Many of the pagodas in China are dedicated to both Buddhist and Taoist deities.

In Réunion, the Malbars combine elements of Hinduism and Christianity.

Cultures and societies

Enlightenment

The modern, rational non-pejorative connotations of syncretism date from Denis Diderot's ''Encyclopédie'' articles: ''Eclecticisme'' and ''Syncrétistes, Hénotiques, ou Conciliateurs.'' Diderot portrayed syncretism as the concordance of eclectic sources.

Fiction

Orange Catholic Bible, Zensunni, and Zensufi, all from the 20th-century science fiction ''Dune'' series by Frank Herbert.

''Life of Pi'' (2001) by Yann Martel

''Brave New World'' (1932) by Aldous Huxley

''The First Amalgamated Church'' in Futurama

New media art

Roy Ascott

Syncretic Reality: art, process, and potentiality

See also

Syncretism (linguistics)

Hermeneutics

Santería

Doublethink

Three teachings (Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism)

Notes

Category:Religious pluralism Category:Religion Category:Philosophical theories

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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
Birth place	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, Businessman, Actor
Years active	1997 – present
Label	Shady, Aftermath, Interscope
Associated acts	G-Unit, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Sha Money XL, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, DJ Whoo Kid
Website	}}

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent (often pronounced "fitty 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

''Main article: 50 Cent vs. 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	Title	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	Title	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

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name	Lindsay Lohan
background	solo_singer
birth date	July 02, 1986
birth place	New York City
genre	Pop rock
occupation	Actress, singer, fashion designer, model
years active	1989–present
label	Casablanca, Universal Motown
website	}}

Lindsay Lohan (; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of ''The Parent Trap'' at the age of 11. Lohan gained further fame between 2003 and 2005 with leading roles in the films ''Freaky Friday'', ''Mean Girls'' and ''Herbie: Fully Loaded'', subsequently appearing in independent films including Robert Altman's ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and Emilio Estevez's ''Bobby''.

Her career was interrupted in 2007 as two driving under the influence (DUI) incidents and three visits to rehabilitation facilities led to the loss of several movie deals. Resuming her career, she guest starred in the TV series ''Ugly Betty'' in 2008, starred in the 2009 comedy ''Labor Pains'', and appeared in Robert Rodriguez's ''Machete'' in 2010. Lohan launched a second career in pop music in 2004 with the album ''Speak'' and followed up with ''A Little More Personal (Raw)'' in 2005. She has attracted significant publicity, particularly surrounding her personal life.

Life and career

Early life and education

Lohan was born on July 2, 1986, in New York City and grew up in Merrick and Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island, New York. She is the eldest child of Donata "Dina" (née Sullivan) and Michael Lohan. Lindsay has three younger siblings, all of whom have been models or actors: Michael Jr. (who appeared with Lindsay in ''The Parent Trap''), Aliana ("Ali"), and Dakota ("Cody"), the youngest Lohan child. Lohan is of Irish and Italian heritage and was raised as a Catholic. Her maternal family were "well known Irish Catholic stalwarts" and her great-grandfather, John L. Sullivan, was a co-founder of the Pro-life Party in Long Island. Lohan attended Cold Spring Harbor High School, where she did well in science and mathematics until grade 11 when she started homeschooling.

Lohan's parents have a turbulent history. They married in 1985, separated when she was three, and later reunited. They separated again in 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2007. Her father, Michael, is a former Wall Street trader who has been in trouble with the law on several occasions, while her mother, Dina, is a former singer and dancer.

1989–2002: Early career and ''The Parent Trap''

Lohan began her career as a child model with Ford Models at the age of three. She modeled for Calvin Klein Kids and Abercrombie kids, and appeared in over 100 television commercials, including those for Pizza Hut and Wendy's, as well as a Jell-O spot with Bill Cosby. By the age of 10, when Lohan played Alexandra "Alli" Fowler in the series ''Another World'', ''Soap Opera Magazine'' said she was already considered a show-business veteran.

Lohan remained in the role for a year, before leaving to star in Disney's 1998 family comedy ''The Parent Trap'', a remake of the 1961 movie. She played dual roles of estranged twins who try to reunite their long-divorced parents, played by Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson. The film earned $92 million worldwide, and critic Kenneth Turan called Lohan "the soul of this film as much as Hayley Mills was of the original", going on to say that "she is more adept than her predecessor at creating two distinct personalities". The film won Lohan a Young Artist Award for best performance in a feature film as well as a three-film contract with Disney.

At the age of 14, Lohan played Bette Midler's daughter in the pilot episode of the short-lived series, ''Bette'', but resigned her role when the production moved from New York to Los Angeles. She also starred in two Disney television movies: ''Life-Size'' opposite Tyra Banks in 2000, and ''Get a Clue'' in 2002.

2003–04: ''Freaky Friday'', ''Mean Girls'' and ''Speak''

Lohan starred as Anna Coleman alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in the 2003 family comedy ''Freaky Friday''. At Lohan's own initiative, her character was rewritten and changed from a Goth style to be more relatable. Critic Roger Ebert wrote that Lohan "has that Jodie Foster sort of seriousness and intent focus beneath her teenage persona". ''Freaky Friday'' earned Lohan the award for Breakthrough Performance at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards and, as of 2010, it remains her most commercially successful film, earning $160 million worldwide as well as an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Aiming to become a triple threat—actor, singer and dancer, similar to Ann-Margret and Marilyn Monroe—Lohan began showcasing her singing through her acting. For the ''Freaky Friday'' soundtrack, she sang the closing theme, "Ultimate", as well as recording four songs for the ''Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen'' soundtrack. Producer Emilio Estefan, Jr. signed Lohan to a five-album production deal in 2002. Two years later, Lohan signed a recording contract with Casablanca Records, headed by Tommy Mottola.

In 2004, Lohan starred in two lead roles. The first, ''Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen''—Lohan's first role in a film that was not a remake—earned a domestic box office total of $29 million, with Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo commenting that it was "well above expectations as it was strictly for young girls". The film overall, however, did not meet with critical acclaim. Robert K. Elder of Metromix wrote that, "though still a promising star, Lohan will have to do a little penance before she's forgiven for ''Confessions''".

The teen comedy ''Mean Girls'' was Lohan's first movie independent of Disney. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $129 million worldwide and, according to Brandon Gray, "cementing her status as the new teen movie queen", while Steve Rhodes wrote that "Lohan dazzles us once more. The smartly written script is a perfect match for her intelligent brand of comedy." Lohan received four awards at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards for ''Freaky Friday'' and ''Mean Girls'', including Breakout Movie Star. ''Mean Girls'' also earned her two awards at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, Best Female Performance and Best On-Screen Team along with several other cast members.

Lohan, then 17, became the youngest-ever host of the MTV Movie Awards in 2004. Following ''Mean Girls'', which was scripted by Tina Fey and featured several alumni of ''Saturday Night Live'', Lohan hosted the show three times between 2004 and 2006, as well as hosting the 2006 World Music Awards.

''Speak'', Lohan's debut album, was released in December 2004, peaking at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200 and earning Platinum certification by early 2005. Lohan cowrote six of the twelve songs on the album. The album was praised by Linda McGee of RTÉ, who awarded it 4 out of 5 stars and commented that "''Speak'' opens with all the raw emotion and teenage angst that you'd expect from an artist of Lohan's age" and that, "while her vocals are not sensational, their gritty edge keeps Lohan more than afloat throughout this album" as well as comparing the album to the early music of Avril Lavigne. Allmusic, however, awarded it 2 out of 5 stars and claimed the album "feels more like a byproduct of an overdriven, overamplified celebrity culture than an actual album". Though primarily a pop album, ''Speak'' was introduced with the single "Rumors". Described by ''Rolling Stone'' as "a bass-heavy, angry club anthem", "Rumors" details Lohan's complaints with the paparazzi and eventually earned a Gold certification in the United States.

While shooting ''Herbie: Fully Loaded'' in 2004, Lohan was hospitalized with a kidney infection brought on by stress in her personal life and of recording her first album while the film was in production, prompting ''Vanity Fair'' to label it Lohan's "first disastrous shoot". The magazine also described how Lohan terminated the promotional tour and was de-emphasized on the movie poster due to "un-Disney-like behavior". Lohan began dating actor Wilmer Valderrama in 2004, guest-starring in an episode of ''That '70s Show'', of which Valderrama was a regular. According to ''Vanity Fair'', the breakup with Valderrama contributed to Lohan's issues during the shooting of ''Herbie: Fully Loaded''.

With ''Mean Girls'', Lohan's public profile was raised significantly and paparazzi began following her. She spent several years living out of hotels in Los Angeles, of which two years were spent at Chateau Marmont. In late 2007, after settling down in more permanent residence, she explained that she spent so much time in hotels because she "didn't want to be alone" but that "it wasn't a way of life ... not very consistent." Lohan has had a series of car accidents that have been widely reported, with minor crashes in August 2004, October 2005, and November 2006, when Lohan suffered minor injuries because a paparazzo who was following her for a photograph hit her car. Police called the crash intentional, but prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges.

2005: ''Herbie: Fully Loaded'' and ''A Little More Personal (Raw)''

Lohan returned to Disney in 2005 for ''Herbie: Fully Loaded,'' the fifth film in the series with the anthropomorphic car Herbie. ''Fully Loaded'' earned $144 million worldwide and received mixed reviews. Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' called Lohan "a genuine star who ... seems completely at home on the screen", while James Berardinelli wrote that, "as bright a starlet as she may be, Lohan ends up playing second fiddle to the car." In 2005, Lohan became the first person to have a My Scene celebrity doll released by Mattel. She also voiced herself in the animated direct-to-DVD film ''My Scene Goes Hollywood'', based on the series of dolls.

Lohan's second album, ''A Little More Personal (Raw)'', was released in December 2005, debuting at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart, falling under the top 100 within six weeks. Lohan cowrote six of the twelve songs on the album. ''Slant Magazine'' called the album "contrived ... for all the so-called weighty subject matter, there's not much meat on these bones." The album was certified Gold in early 2006. The music video for the album's first single, "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)", was directed by Lohan and featured the acting debut of her sister, Ali Lohan. The video was a dramatization of the pain Lohan says her family has suffered at the hands of her father. It was Lohan's first song to chart on the ''Billboard Hot 100'', peaking at number 57.

Lohan's parents legally separated in December 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2007. Lohan spoke in 2007 about her childhood: "I feel like a second parent in the sense that I helped raise my family...I was put between my mother and father a lot. Well, I would put myself between them to try and keep the peace, and I felt good doing that." Despite the conflicts, Lohan calls herself "a family girl" and has spoken very fondly of her family, including her father. However, in 2007 and again in 2008 she stated that she was no longer in contact with him, describing his unpredictable behavior as hard to deal with. In November 2009, her father released recordings of private phone calls with and about Lohan to the media. She commented on Twitter: "I haven't had a real relationship w/Michael Sr. in years."

Lohan's next widely released film, the romantic comedy ''Just My Luck'', opened in May 2006 and, according to ''Variety'', earned Lohan over $7 million. The opening weekend box office takings of $5.7 million "broke lead actress Lindsay Lohan's winning streak" according to Brandon Gray. The film received poor reviews and earned Lohan her first Golden Raspberry nomination for worst actress.

2006–07: Independent movies and career interruptions

Following ''Just My Luck'', Lohan focused on smaller roles in more mature, independent movies. Robert Altman's ensemble comedy ''A Prairie Home Companion'', in which Lohan co-stars with Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin, had a limited release in June 2006. Peter Travers wrote for ''Rolling Stone'' that "Lohan rises to the occasion, delivering a rock-the-house version of 'Frankie and Johnny'". Co-star Streep said of Lohan's acting: "She's in command of the art form" and "completely, visibly living in front of the camera". The Emilio Estevez drama ''Bobby'' was released in theaters in November 2006. Lohan received favorable comments for her performance, particularly a scene opposite Sharon Stone. As part of the ''Bobby'' ensemble cast, Lohan was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and won an award for Ensemble Acting at the Hollywood Film Festival where she also won a Breakout Award for her work in 2006. Lohan's next appearance was in ''Chapter 27'' as a John Lennon fan who befriends Mark David Chapman (Jared Leto) on the day he murders Lennon. Filming finished in early 2006, but was not released until March 2008 due to difficulties in finding a distributor. In May 2007, the drama ''Georgia Rule'', in which Lohan stars alongside Felicity Huffman and Jane Fonda, was released. Owen Gleiberman of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote that "Lohan hits a true note of spiteful princess narcissism". During filming in 2006, Lohan was hospitalized, her representative saying "she was overheated and dehydrated". At the time Lohan was going through a breakup with restaurant owner Harry Morton. This contributed to her problems on the set according to ''Allure''. In a letter that was made public, studio executive James G. Robinson called Lohan "irresponsible and unprofessional". He mentioned "various late arrivals and absences from the set" and that "we are well aware that your ongoing all night heavy partying is the real reason for your so-called 'exhaustion'." Co-star Fonda later commented that "when she showed up on the set, she was always great."

In 2006, Lohan attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Lohan, who has suffered from asthma since the age of two, is also a smoker. In early January 2007, production on the film ''I Know Who Killed Me'' was put on hold when Lohan underwent appendix surgery. Later in the month, Lohan admitted herself to the Wonderland Center rehabilitation facility. Lohan checked out on February 16, 2007 after completing a 30-day stay. During the stay she continued shooting the film, returning to the facility at night. Shortly thereafter, Lohan withdrew from a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's ''A Woman of No Importance'', her publicist stating that Lohan needed to "focus on getting better". Lohan was replaced in ''The Edge of Love'' in April 2007, shortly before filming was to begin, with the director citing "insurance reasons" and Lohan later explaining that she "was going through a really bad time then." In May 2007, Lohan first dated British TV personality Calum Best.

Lohan was then cast in the film ''Poor Things''. On May 26, four days before production was set to start, she was arrested for DUI and subsequently re-entered rehab. The film's producers initially voiced support and production was put on hold. Lohan had lost control of her car and run the vehicle up a curb. Beverly Hills police also found what they preliminarily identified as a "usable" amount of cocaine in her car. After receiving treatment for minor injuries, Lohan was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. She subsequently entered the Promises Treatment Center rehabilitation facility, where she stayed for 45 days. Upon her release to outpatient care, Lohan was voluntarily fitted with a SCRAM bracelet to monitor her sobriety.

On July 24, 2007, three weeks before filming was scheduled to resume on ''Poor Things'', Lohan was arrested for a second DUI and again returned to rehabilitation. Lohan refused a field sobriety test in Santa Monica and was taken to a police station where her blood alcohol level was found to be above the legal limit. While conducting a search, the police found a small amount of cocaine in her pocket. Lohan was booked on a felony charge of possession of cocaine and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. In August 2007, Lohan entered Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Sundance, Utah for a third stint at rehabilitation, staying until discharge on October 5, 2007. Ultimately, ''Hollywood Reporter'' said, she "fell out of" the ''Poor Things'' production. Later in 2007, Lohan dated then snowboarder Riley Giles, whom she met during rehab.

In the wake of her second DUI arrest, Lohan withdrew from a scheduled appearance on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' in which she had been due to promote ''I Know Who Killed Me'', a low-budget thriller-mystery in which she stars as a stripper with a dual personality. The film premiered to what ''Entertainment Weekly'' called "an abysmal $3.5 million". It earned Lohan a dual Razzie nomination for Worst Actress, with Lohan coming first and second, tying with herself.

Hollywood executives and industry insiders commented that it would be difficult for Lohan to find employment until she could prove that she was sober and reliable, citing possible issues with securing insurance. Robinson, the producer who previously criticized Lohan's work ethic on ''Georgia Rule'', said that he would work with her again if she got the proper medical care, and went on to describe her as "one of the most talented young women in the movie business today."

On August 23, 2007, Lohan pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cocaine use and driving under the influence and was sentenced to one day imprisonment and 10 days' community service. She was also ordered to pay fines and complete an alcohol education program, and was given three years probation. Lohan released a statement in which she said "it is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs". On November 15, 2007, Lohan served 84 minutes in jail. A sheriff spokesman cited overcrowding and the nonviolent nature of the crime as reasons for the reduced sentence. The probation was extended by an additional year in October 2009, following several instances in which Lohan failed to attend the court-ordered substance abuse treatment classes.

Following a switch to Universal Motown, Lohan began working on a third album, tentatively titled ''Spirit in the Dark'', in late 2007 and released "Bossy" in May 2008. In November 2008, Lohan stated that work on the new album had stalled and that she wanted to avoid the stress of working on movies and music at the same time. In February 2010, Ne-Yo, with whom Lohan had been collaborating, stated in an interview, "We were doing some stuff and then it just fell off and hasn't got back on. I'm not gonna hold my breath."

2008–09: Television appearances and fashion

In May 2008, Lohan made her first screen appearance since ''I Know Who Killed Me'', on ABC's television series ''Ugly Betty''. She guest starred in four episodes, spanning seasons two and three in 2008, as Kimmie Keegan, an old schoolmate of the protagonist Betty Suarez. Lohan made a cameo appearance in the drug themed music video for the May 2008 N*E*R*D song "Everyone Nose". Lohan has featured in various men's magazines. She was voted No.10 on the list of "100 Sexiest Women" by readers of ''FHM'' in 2005, No.13 in 2006, No.30 in 2007, and No.41 in 2008, while ''Maxim'' placed her third on its "Hot 100" list in 2006 and first in 2007. In a poll by ''The Daily Mirror'' in February 2010, Lohan was voted tenth on a list of "sexiest redheads ever". Lohan has been the face of Jill Stuart, Miu Miu, and Dooney & Bourke, as well as the 2008 Visa Swap British fashion campaign as well as being the face of Italian clothing company Fornarina for its Spring/Summer 2009 campaign. thumb|Lohan named her clothing collection ''[[6126 Collection|6126'' after the birthdate of Marilyn Monroe (pictured) whom Lohan greatly admires]] Lohan has a long-lasting fascination with Marilyn Monroe going back to when she saw ''Niagara'' during ''The Parent Trap'' shoot. In the 2008 ''Spring Fashion'' edition of ''New York'' magazine, Lohan re-created Monroe's final photo shoot, known as ''The Last Sitting'', including nudity, saying that the photo shoot was "an honor". The ''New York Times'' critic Ginia Bellafante found it disturbing, saying "the pictures ask viewers to engage in a kind of mock necrophilia. ... At 21 [Lohan] seems even older than Monroe, who was 36 in the originals ... [and] the photographs bear none of Monroe's fragility". In 2008, Lohan launched a clothes line, whose name ''6126'' was designed to represent Monroe's birth date (June 1, 1926). The line started with leggings, before expanding to a full collection, covering 280 pieces as of April 2010. In April 2009, Lohan released a self-tanning spray under the brand name ''Sevin Nyne'' in collaboration with Sephora. In September 2009, Lohan became an artistic adviser for the French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro; a collection by designer Estrella Archs with Lohan as adviser was presented in October, receiving a "disastrous" reception, according to ''Entertainment Weekly'' and ''New York''. Lohan left the company in March 2010.

During the 2008 US presidential campaign, Lohan offered her services to Barack Obama's election effort, including hosting events aimed at young voters; but her offer was declined. An unnamed source within the Obama campaign told the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' that Lohan was "not exactly the kind of high-profile star who would be a positive for us." She nonetheless posted MySpace blogs with her opinions on the election, urging voters to support Obama, criticizing media coverage of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and describing Palin as homophobic, anti-abortion and anti-environmentalist. Lohan had previously expressed an interest in going to Iraq, during the Iraq War in 2006, on a USO tour with Hillary Clinton. Back in 2004, Lohan stated that she did not like to talk about politics in order to avoid alienating any part of her fanbase.

Lohan dated DJ Samantha Ronson in 2008 and 2009. Lohan co-hosted club events with Ronson and accompanied her when she was DJ-ing. Speaking about her sexual orientation, Lohan has said she is not a lesbian. When asked if she is bisexual, she responded "Maybe. Yeah", adding "I don't want to classify myself." In April 2009, following her breakup with Ronson, Lohan appeared in a skit on the comedy website Funny or Die. The self-deprecating video is a spoof of the personal ads on dating website eHarmony. It was viewed 2.7 million times in the first week and received favorable comments from the media.

In the 2009 comedy ''Labor Pains'', Lohan plays a woman who pretends to be pregnant. During the shoot, Lohan's manager worked with the paparazzi to encourage the media to show her working, as opposed to partying. It was originally planned for a theatrical release, but instead appeared as a TV movie on the ABC Family cable channel in July 2009, "a setback for the star" according to ''Variety''. The premiere received 2.1 million viewers, "better-than-average" for the channel according to E! Online. Joanna Weiss of ''The Boston Globe'' commented that Lohan "looks to be coasting through a part that requires little effort, anyway". Alessandra Stanley of the ''New York Times'' said "this is not a triumphant return of a prodigal child star. ... [''Labor Pains''] never shakes free of the heavy baggage Ms. Lohan brings to the role".

Lohan was a guest judge on US TV style contest ''Project Runway'' sixth season premiere episode, which aired in August 2009.

Also in August 2009, Lohan's home was burglarized by The Bling Ring, a group of fashion-motivated burglars whose ringleader considered Lohan to be their ultimate conquest. Video surveillance of the burglary recorded at Lohan's home played a large role in breaking the case, which ultimately led to the arrests of the group's members.

2010–present

In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, Lohan gave fund-raising assistance to the British Red Cross in March 2010 to provide aid for the country. The same month, Lohan commenced legal proceedings in which she sought $100 million from financial services company E-Trade for a television advertisement that Lohan claimed invoked her likeness without her permission. On September 21, 2010, the parties announced they had reached a settlement in the case, the terms of which are confidential. She appeared on British comedy chat show ''Alan Carr: Chatty Man'' on March 11, 2010, during which she spoke about her fashion work and her fascination with Marilyn Monroe, and refused to answer questions from host Alan Carr about her sexuality.

Lohan narrated and presented the BBC Three documentary ''Lindsay Lohan's Indian Journey'' about human trafficking in India. The program was filmed during a week in India in December 2009 and aired in April 2010. An Indian charity group critiziced Lohan for a Twitter post where she appeared to take credit for one of their raids, but the BBC said it was a misinterpretation. A reviewer for ''The Times'' said that rather than highlight trafficking "the spotlight was effectively turned on Lohan and under it she wilted." A review in ''The Independent'' found it "very compelling" and said that the inclusion of Lohan was "definitely not a terrible choice. Just a very, very odd one." Lohan said the experience was "truly humbling" and "I hope my presence in India will bring awareness to the really important issues raised in making this film."

In April 2010 Lohan was cast as adult-film performer Linda Lovelace, star of ''Deep Throat'', in the film ''Inferno''. In November, while Lohan was in court mandated rehab, the offer was withdrawn with one producer saying it was impossible to insure her. The co-owner of Dina Lohan's production company said that Lohan had made the decision to leave the movie: "She was definitely not fired." He also said that she is "100 percent insurable." Lohan appears in one sketch in the movie ''Underground Comedy 2010 ''. She is dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, while still visibly wearing a SCRAM bracelet, and shoots at paparazzi photographers. As of September 2010, the movie was still seeking a distributor.

In May 2010, Lohan did not appear for a scheduled DUI progress report hearing. The judge issued a bench warrant for Lohan's arrest, but rescinded the warrant after Lohan's representatives posted bail. Lohan's lawyer said her passport was stolen while she attended the Cannes Film Festival in France. At a rescheduled hearing on May 24, 2010 Lohan was ordered to attend weekly alcohol education classes, wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet, refrain from drinking alcohol, and undergo random weekly drug tests to remain free on bail.

In June 2010, Lohan made an appearance on the Bravo television series ''Double Exposure''. She also gave an interview to ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' that month, telling the paper "I'm still young and I'm still learning but that doesn't mean that what they say is true, that I'm getting messed up and all this crazy stuff and that I'm constantly partying or whatever."

At a July 6 probation revocation hearing, the judge determined that Lohan had violated the terms of her probation and sentenced her to 90 days in jail, starting July 20; in addition, the judge ordered Lohan to check into an inpatient rehab program for three months after her release from jail. On July 20, Lohan appeared in court and was taken into custody to begin her jail term. She was released on August 2 after serving 14 days of the sentence. The short term served was due to a policy of early release of non-violent offenders to reduce jail overcrowding. She was immediately taken to an inpatient rehabilitation facility where she was expected to stay another 90 days. However, on August 24 Lohan was released after only 23 days. Her lawyer stated that "the treating doctors at UCLA felt she had done everything required of her there." Lohan continued with mandatory outpatient therapy but was able to resume work. She was ordered to submit to random drug and alcohol screenings and attend psychotherapy and behavior therapy twice a week, as well as five 12-step sessions a week. The judge said that any failure to attend the sessions or to pass the drug tests could result in a 30-day jail sentence. A new hearing was scheduled for November 1, until which time Lohan was required to remain in Los Angeles.

Robert Rodriguez's action exploitation film ''Machete'' opened on September 3, 2010. Lohan filmed her scenes for the movie in August and September 2009. She plays April, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy businessman. Her character takes drugs, is naked in much of her appearance and later dons a nuns habit while toting a machine gun. ''The Washington Post'' described Lohan's character as "a campier, trampier version of herself – or at least her tabloid image". Premiere.com said she was "terrible" while ''Variety'' called it "her best work in some time." Eric D. Snider from Film.com said all three main actresses in the film did "laughably flat performances" but also questioned if it was due to Rodriguez's direction. Because of her rehabilitation and legal engagements Lohan did not participate in promotion of the movie or appear at the L.A. premiere.

On September 24 Lohan's probation was revoked following a failed drug test. She spent part of the day in jail before being released on bail. A few days later she entered the Betty Ford Center, a drug and alcohol treatment center, where she remained on court order for three months until early January 2011.

On February 9, 2011, Lohan was charged with the theft of a necklace reported stolen from a jewelry store in January. She was sentenced to 120 days in prison and 480 hours of community service for misdemeanor theft and probation violation, to which she pled no contest. Due to jail overcrowding, Lohan served the sentence under house arrest, wearing a tracking ankle monitor, for 35 days between May 26 and June 29. While under house arrest, Lohan failed a random alcohol test. A judge decided it did not constitute a probation violation and Lohan would receive no additional punishment.

In April 2011, it was announced that Lohan has signed on to appear opposite John Travolta in the upcoming movie ''Gotti: Three Generations''. She was cast to play Kim Gotti, wife of New York City mobster John Gotti Jr.. Production is planned to start in fall 2011. Lohan is also set to appear in ''Mob Street'' from the same production team, based on a screenplay by Chazz Palminteri.

Filmography

+ Film roles
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998		Hallie Parker / Annie James	Remake of the 1961 film of The Parent Trap (1961 film)
2000	''[[Life-Size''	Casey Stuart	Television film
2002	''Get a Clue''	Alexandra "Lexy" Gold	Disney Channel Original Movie
2003		Anna Coleman	Remake MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance Teen Choice Award for Choice Hissy Fit Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress
2004	''Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen''	Mary Elizabeth "Lola" Cep
2004	''Mean Girls''	Cady Heron	MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress – Comedy Teen Choice Award for Choice Blush Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star Nominated—Best Young ActressNominated—Kids Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Liar
2005	''Herbie: Fully Loaded''	Maggie Peyton	Kids Choice Awards
2006		Ashley Albright	Nominated—[[Teen Choice Awards
2006		Lola Johnson
2006	''[[The Holiday''	Herself	Cameo appearance
2006		Diane Howser
2007	''Georgia Rule''	Rachel Wilcox
2007	''I Know Who Killed Me''	Aubrey Flemming / Dakota Moss
2008	''Chapter 27''	Jude Hanson
2009	''Labor Pains''	Thea Clayhill	ABC Family Original Movie
2010		April Booth
2011	''Underground Comedy''	Marilyn

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996		Alli Fowler	Soap Opera
2000		Rose Midler	"Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)
2004	''King of the Hill''	Jenny Medina	"Talking Shop" (Season 8, Episode 22)
2005	''That '70s Show''	Danielle
2008	''Ugly Betty''	Kimmie Keegan	"[[Jump (Ugly Betty)

Discography

''Speak'' (2004)

''A Little More Personal (Raw)'' (2005)

Awards

References

; General

; Specific

External links

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from New York Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American documentary filmmakers Category:American female models Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American pop singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American soap opera actors Category:American television actors Category:Motown artists Category:Musicians from New York City Category:People from Hempstead (town), New York Category:People from Suffolk County, New York Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Universal Records artists

ar:ليندزي لوهان zh-min-nan:Lindsay Lohan bg:Линдзи Лоън ca:Lindsay Lohan cs:Lindsay Lohan cy:Lindsay Lohan da:Lindsay Lohan de:Lindsay Lohan et:Lindsay Lohan el:Λίντσεϊ Λόχαν es:Lindsay Lohan eo:Lindsay Lohan eu:Lindsay Lohan fa:لیندزی لوهان fr:Lindsay Lohan ga:Lindsay Lohan gl:Lindsay Lohan ko:린지 로한 hy:Լինդսի Լոհան hi:लिंडसे लोहान hr:Lindsay Lohan ilo:Lindsay Lohan id:Lindsay Lohan is:Lindsay Lohan it:Lindsay Lohan he:לינדזי לוהן jv:Lindsay Lohan kn:ಲಿಂಡ್ಸೇ ಡೀ ಲೋಹಾನ್ csb:Lindsay Lohan lv:Lindsija Loena lb:Lindsay Lohan lt:Lindsay Lohan hu:Lindsay Lohan mr:लिंडसे लोहान ms:Lindsay Lohan nl:Lindsay Lohan ja:リンジー・ローハン no:Lindsay Lohan pl:Lindsay Lohan pt:Lindsay Lohan ro:Lindsay Lohan ru:Лохан, Линдсей sah:Линдсэй Лоһан sq:Lindsay Lohan simple:Lindsay Lohan sl:Lindsay Lohan sr:Линдси Лоан fi:Lindsay Lohan sv:Lindsay Lohan tl:Lindsay Lohan ta:லிண்ட்சே லோகன் te:లిండ్సే లోహాన్ th:ลินด์ซีย์ โลแฮน tr:Lindsay Lohan uk:Ліндсі Лоан vi:Lindsay Lohan zh:琳賽·蘿涵

name	Ashlee Simpson
background	solo_singer
birth name	Ashlee Nicole Simpson
alias	Ashlee Simpson-Wentz
born	October 03, 1984Waco, Texas, United States
origin	Richardson, Texas, United States
genre	Pop, pop rock
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress
years active	2001–present
label	Geffen
website	www.ashleesimpsonmusic.com }}

Ashlee Nicole Simpson (born October 3, 1984) is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence in mid-2004 due to the success of her number-one debut album ''Autobiography'' and the reality series, ''The Ashlee Simpson Show''.

In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released her second number-one album, ''I Am Me''. Her third album, ''Bittersweet World'', was released almost three years later in April 2008. The following month, she married musician Pete Wentz and announced that they were expecting a child. On November 20, 2008, Simpson gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz. Simpson filed for divorce on February 8, 2011, citing "irreconcilable differences."

Life and career

1984–2002: Early life and career beginnings

Simpson was born in Waco, Texas and raised in Richardson, Texas. She is the daughter of Tina Ann (née Drew), a homemaker, and Joe Truett Simpson, a former Baptist youth minister who is now her manager. She attended Prairie Creek Elementary. She has an older sister, Jessica, who is also a singer. Simpson began studying classical ballet when she was three years old, eventually becoming an accomplished dancer. She was admitted to the School of American Ballet in New York City at the age of 11, a year in advance. During that time, Simpson suffered from an eating disorder; the condition lasted for about six months before her parents stepped in and got her the help she needed to overcome the issue. When Jessica landed a record deal, Tina and Joe Simpson made the decision to relocate to Los Angeles, California, where Ashlee began appearing in television commercials.

Following the success of Jessica's first album, Ashlee became one of her backup dancers. She later began appearing in films and television series, including a 2001 episode of the sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'', a minor role in the 2002 film ''The Hot Chick'', and a recurring role on the family drama series ''7th Heaven''. Simpson recorded a song entitled "Christmas Past, Present and Future" in 2002 for the holiday album ''School's Out! Christmas'', which was later re-released on ''Radio Disney Jingle Jams'' in 2004 and 2005. In the summer of 2003, she released a song called "Just Let Me Cry" for the soundtrack to the film ''Freaky Friday''. She occasionally appeared on ''Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica'', a reality show documenting the married life of her sister, Jessica, and her then-husband, Nick Lachey.

2003–04: ''Autobiography'' and ''Saturday Night Live'' incident

After her appearances on the ''School's Out! Christmas'' and ''Freaky Friday'' albums, Simpson signed a record deal with Geffen Records. As an accompaniment to her debut album and in order to create interest in the beginning of her own music career, she filmed and appeared on her own reality television series, ''The Ashlee Simpson Show'', which aired in the time slot following ''Newlyweds''. It ran in the United States for eight weekly episodes over the summer of 2004 (a second season of 10 episodes aired from January to March 2005). The show dealt with the processes of writing, recording and performing Simpson's music, as well as aspects of her personal life.

Her first album, ''Autobiography'', debuted at number one in the United States in July 2004, with first-week sales of around 398,000 copies. The album was certified triple-platinum by the RIAA in September 2004. Simpson co-wrote all of the album's tracks, describing it as "very true to my emotions", however, critical reviews were mixed. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's Peter Relic characterised the album as a "mundane melange of Avril-ish brat pop and Sheryl Crow cod rock." The single which preceded the album, "Pieces of Me", was one of the biggest hits of the summer in the United States and was certified gold by the RIAA. The follow-up singles, "Shadow" and "La La", were less successful, although the latter became an RIAA-certified gold seller. At the ''Teen Choice Awards'' on August 8, 2004, Simpson received the "Song of the Summer" Teen Choice Award for "Pieces of Me", as well as the "Fresh Face" Award. She also won the Billboard Award for New Female Artist of the Year in December, and in the same month, ''Entertainment Weekly'' named her one of its Breakout Stars of 2004.

Simpson appeared as a musical guest on episode 568 of ''Saturday Night Live'', and was scheduled to perform two songs. Her first song, "Pieces of Me", was performed without problems. However, when she began her second song, "Autobiography", the vocals for the song "Pieces of Me" were heard again before Simpson had the microphone to her mouth. She began to do an impromptu jig when she realized the embarrassing error, and then left the stage. During the closing of the show, Simpson appeared with the guest host, Jude Law, and said, "I'm so sorry. My band started playing the wrong song, and I didn't know what to do, so I thought I'd do a hoedown." On October 25, Simpson called in to the music video show ''Total Request Live'' and explained that due to complications arising from severe acid reflux disease, she had completely lost her voice and been advised not to sing by her doctor. She said that because of the acid reflux, her father wanted her to use a vocal guide track for the performance. During the performance her drummer hit the wrong button, which caused the wrong track to be played. Simpson said of the incident, "I made a complete fool of myself."

2005–06: Touring and ''I Am Me''

On January 4, 2005, Simpson performed "La La" at the halftime show for the 2005 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. After her performance, many of the 72,000-plus spectators booed. Some viewers noted that Kelly Clarkson had performed in the show earlier to a much more positive reaction, and asserted that Simpson's performance was poor and very off-key. After the Orange Bowl performance, an internet petition was created at PetitionOnline.com, which requested that Simpson stop producing music. It soon became one of the most active of the site's petitions. In regards to the negativity towards her, Simpson said, "That's cool. You don't always have to be a fan of everybody's music", adding that she receives a great amount of support from her fans. Around the time of the petition, ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine chose Simpson to be on the cover of the February 2005 issue, naming her the "Fun Fearless Female of the Year". Simpson's first North American tour ran from mid-February to late April 2005. The tour was described as "stripped down" without pyrotechnics. As well as material from ''Autobiography'', Simpson performed her own unreleased song "Hollywood", The Pretenders' "Brass in Pocket", Blondie's "Call Me" and Madonna's "Burning Up". She had a supporting role as an aspiring actress named Clea in ''Undiscovered'', an independent film which was released in theaters in August 2005. While her performance was met with indifference, the film itself was panned by critics and failed to reach the top 10 in its opening weekend, earning just $676,048 during its theatrical run. Her performance in the film earned her a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actress.

Simpson's second album, ''I Am Me'', was released on October 18, 2005. She wanted to incorporate the feel of music from the 1980s on the album, and unlike with her debut, she wanted to focus less on relationships and more on herself. The album debuted at number-one, selling around 220,000 copies in its first week, but sales fell quickly, and by April 2006, it had sold less than 900,000 copies in the United States and 3 million copies worldwide. Its lead single, "Boyfriend", became a top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 while the next two singles, "L.O.V.E." and "Invisible", reached the top 40. Simpson began a concert tour in late September in Portland, Oregon and appeared on the October 8, 2005 episode of ''SNL'' to promote the album. The first song she performed on the show was "Catch Me When I Fall", a ballad written about her previous ''SNL'' experience, and she thanked the crowd after her second performance. In mid-December, Simpson collapsed after performing in Japan, and was briefly hospitalized, consequently cancelling an appearance at the Radio Music Awards. The collapse and her subsequent hospitalization were attributed to exhaustion as a result of her busy work schedule. In March 2006, Simpson won an MTV celebrity surfing invitational competition, which also featured celebrities such as Meagan Good, Jack Osbourne, Ashley Parker Angel and Tony Hawk. On April 12, 2006, she hosted and performed at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards, where she won "Best Female Artist" and "Best Pop Video" for the single "Boyfriend". She began a summer tour on June 5, 2006, with Ashley Parker Angel as the opening act. Simpson said that after the completion of the tour, she would look at film scripts and continue her acting career.

Simpson had a nose job in April 2006. In the May 2007 issue of ''Harper's Bazaar'', she said that she was not insecure about her appearance and had not been beforehand. She said that plastic surgery was a "personal choice" that one should only decide to do for oneself and not for others. In a September 2007 interview, her father, Joe Simpson said of the surgery: "There was a real problem with her breathing and that was cured". In mid-2006, Simpson gave an interview to ''Marie Claire'' magazine, in which she was said to have "had it with Hollywood's twisted view of feminine beauty" and was photographed painting a pro-female mural with a group of underprivileged girls from Los Angeles' Green Dot Public School. By the time the magazine hit newsstands, Simpson had already had her nose job, and some ''Marie Claire'' readers complained that this was hypocritical. The magazine received over 1,000 letters of complaint and the magazine's new editor expanded the letters section of the September issue of the magazine to give readers a chance to vent their frustrations. She played the role of Roxie Hart in the West End production of ''Chicago'' to rave reviews, from September 25 to October 28, 2006. Her performance in the show was described as "dazzling and near flawless."

2007–10: ''Bittersweet World'', marriage, motherhood and ''Melrose Place''

During 2007, Simpson worked on her third studio album, ''Bittersweet World'' with producers Timbaland, Kenna, and Chad Hugo. She described the album as being influenced by 1980s music—bearing similarities with ''I Am Me''—while still incorporating elements of rock and pop and described her intention to go on tour to support the album. Geffen Records chairman Ron Fair said in December 2006 that working on Simpson's next album would be "very tricky" because of press scrutiny and "prejudices", but that Geffen would work with her to overcome that, "because she deserves to be heard and she deserves a shot." ''Bittersweet World'' was released in the United States on April 22, 2008 to mixed reviews. The album's first single, the Timbaland-produced "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)", was released as a digital download in December 2007, but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Little Miss Obsessive", was released in March 2008 and performed marginally better, reaching number ninety-six on the Hot 100. A collection of tops designed by Simpson was launched by the clothing retailer Wet Seal on April 22, in connection with the album's release, and she also began appearing in commercials for Canadian retailer Zellers to promote their independent clothing line, ''Request'', in mid-2008. ''Bittersweet World'' has sold 126,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Simpson announced her engagement to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz on April 9, 2008. She had previously been wearing what she described as a "promise ring" from Wentz for several months. She chose not to confirm or deny reports that she was pregnant, saying that it was something to "keep personal." On May 17, 2008, Simpson and Wentz married at Simpson's parents' residence in Encino, California, where her father officiated the ceremony. Her surname changed from Simpson to Wentz and she was briefly known professionally as Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. On May 28, 2008, Simpson and Wentz confirmed that they were expecting their first child. Simpson gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, on November 20, 2008. Simpson appeared alongside her husband in the crime drama series ''CSI: NY'' in 2009.

Simpson returned full-time to television episodes by playing the role of Violet Foster in ''Melrose Place'', the CW's revamp of the '90s series of the same name. She was originally signed to the show as a regular, but producers and CW executives decided to write out her character, and she left the show after 13 episodes. Various rumors circulated as to the reason for her sudden departure, with theories including feuds with other cast members, lack of acting ability and financial issues. Her departure was generally attributed to the show needing a "face lift" because of the decreasing viewing figures. Simpson stated that she had known all along that her character would leave the show once the murder mystery storyline had concluded. After her departure from ''Melrose Place'', Simpson reprised her role in the Broadway musical production of ''Chicago''. She began her Broadway run on November 30, 2009 and performed in New York for six weeks. She played eight shows a week until February 7, 2010. When her run was completed, she stated that she was going to take a break to spend time with her son before beginning to work on her fourth studio album.

2011–present: Fashion line and fourth album

On February 9, 2011, it was announced that Simpson had filed for divorce from Pete Wentz, citing irreconcilable differences. In the filing, she requested joint legal custody with visitation for Wentz, but sole physical custody and spousal support. She also asked that her name be restored to her birth name of Ashlee Nicole Simpson.

Simpson has created a fashion line in collaboration with her sister's successful brand. She is the co-creative director of the line, aimed at girls aged 7–16, which is set to be in stores by the end of 2011. In an interview with Paper magazine, Simpson stated that her new album would have a "folk feel". However, on June 23, 2011, Ryan Seacrest confirmed on ''On Air with Ryan Seacrest'' that Simpson had been having meetings with record executives along with previous collaborator, John Shanks, to figure out the exact direction of her next album.

Music and influences

When Simpson first broke onto the music scene in 2004, she was set apart from her sister, Jessica's already established image due to a different music style, different fashion choices, and a more assertive personality. Simpson's songs have been characterized by rock elements absent from her sister's music, and, particularly during her early career, Simpson would often wear outfits highlighting a rock or punk-influenced sense of style. She cites her childhood as being the time when she began to sing, and admits that she dreamed of being on Broadway and did not expect to break into the pop music scene. She trains with a vocal coach, and studies Etta James and Aretha Franklin albums for vocal inspiration. She has cited Gwen Stefani, No Doubt, Joan Jett, The Runaways, Madonna, Pat Benatar, Chrissie Hynde, and Debbie Harry from Blondie as her musical influences.

Filmography

''Undiscovered''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
2002	''The Hot Chick''	Monique
2005	|	Clea	Secondary Role

''7th Heaven'' ''The Ashlee Simpson Show'' ''CSI: NY'' ''Melrose Place (2009 TV series)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Title	Role	Notes
2001	''Malcolm in the Middle''	High School Girl
2002—2004	|	Cecilia Smith
2004—2005	|	Herself	Reality television>Reality show
2009	|	Lila Wickfield	Point of No Return (CSI: NY)>Point of No Return" (episode 18, season 5)
2009—2010	Melrose Place'' ||	Violet Foster

Theater

''Chicago (musical)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	Chicago (musical)>Chicago''	''Roxie Hart''
2009	Chicago'' ||	''Roxie Hart''	Broadway

Discography

''Autobiography'' (2004)

''I Am Me'' (2005)

''Bittersweet World'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

'' List of awards and nominations received by Ashlee Simpson''

See also

List of Ashlee Simpson concert tours

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Texas Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American pop singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Musicians from Dallas, Texas Category:Musicians from Texas Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Dallas, Texas

ar:اشلي سيمبسون bg:Ашли Симпсън cs:Ashlee Simpson cy:Ashlee Simpson da:Ashlee Simpson de:Ashlee Simpson el:Άσλι Σίμπσον es:Ashlee Simpson fa:اشلی سیمپسون fr:Ashlee Simpson Wentz ko:애슐리 심슨 hr:Ashlee Simpson id:Ashlee Simpson it:Ashlee Simpson he:אשלי סימפסון ka:ეშლი სიმპსონი lv:Ešlija Simpsone lt:Ashlee Simpson nl:Ashlee Simpson ja:アシュリー・シンプソン no:Ashlee Simpson pl:Ashlee Simpson pt:Ashlee Simpson ru:Симпсон, Эшли simple:Ashlee Simpson sl:Ashlee Simpson fi:Ashlee Simpson sv:Ashlee Simpson-Wentz tl:Ashlee Simpson th:แอชลี ซิมป์สัน tr:Ashlee Simpson vi:Ashlee Simpson zh:艾希莉·辛普森

name	Andy Rautins
position	Shooting Guard
height ft	6
height in	5
weight lb	205
nationality	Canadian
birth date	November 02, 1986
birth place	Syracuse, New York
college	Syracuse
highschool	Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, New York)
team	New York Knicks
number	11
draft round	2
draft pick	38
draft year	2010
draft team	New York Knicks
career start	2010
years1	–present | team1 New York Knicks
awards	}}

}} Andrew Jay "Andy" Rautins (born November 2, 1986) is a , 205 lbs. guard for the New York Knicks of the NBA. He was born in Syracuse, New York. He is a Canadian citizen and played for the Syracuse Orange and Canadian Men's National Basketball team. He was drafted by the Knicks in 2010 with the 8th pick of the second round (38th overall).

Personal

He is one of four sons of Syracuse hoops legend and retired NBA player Leo Rautins, who amassed 1,031 points in his SU career.

High school

Rautins played on the 2004 Jamesville-Dewitt High School Class A state championship squad that went undefeated (29–0) after defeating St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, 77–73 (OT) in the championship game. Rautins led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds. He was named first-team all-state and first-team All-CNY.

Team Canada

Rautins has been a member of Team Canada since the 2005 season.

2005

Rautins made his international debut in the Jack Donohue International Classic averaging 18.3 minutes and 8.8 points. He started the Gold Medal game against Australia and scored a Canadian team tournament high 20 points including draining five three-pointers in the first half of the game.

Rautins also played in the FIBA World U21 Championship in Argentina. He averaged 9.4 points in five games. In the bronze medal game, Rautins scored 11 points.

2006

Rautins played for the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team. The squad played a 10-game exhibition schedule in Europe during July and August. In a game vs. Venezuela at the International Alpos Cup, Rautins scored seven points and recorded three steals in 19 minutes. He also played in one game against Germany recording three points in eight minutes. Rautins played in all three games of the Diego Gianatti Tournament averaging 10.3 minutes and 2.3 points, including five points against Greece.

2007

Rautins participated in the 2007 Pan-American Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, averaging a squad-best 13.4 points and 2.4 assists. He scored 16 points in a preliminary loss to Brazil. During the same summer, he also played for Team Canada in the Tournament of Americas held in Las Vegas and tore his ACL during Canada's loss to Brazil.

2008

Rautins was the second youngest player to be selected to the Senior Men's National Team, and appeared in all three of the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualfiers. He logged 13 minutes and three points in an 86–70 loss to Slovenia on July 15, six minutes in a 79–77 win over Korea on July 16, and eight minutes and four points in an 83–62 loss to Croatia on July 18. As a result of their 1–2 record, Canada did not qualify for the 2008 Olympics.

Rautins also played significant time in Team Canada's exhibition game against Team USA, the eventual gold-medal winner at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Rautins spent all of his time exclusively at point guard during that game, logging 16 minutes.

2009

Rautins was Team Canada's second leading scorer as the Canadians earned a fourth-place finish at the FIBA Americas Tournament in Puerto Rico. Rautins averaged 9.5 points and 3.0 assists for the tournament, including a 23 point performance as Team Canada blew out Panama 97–65 in the quarterfinal on September 23. The team's finish was good enough to secure a spot in the 2010 World Championships in Turkey.

College

Rautins had offers from Providence and St. Bonaventure before deciding on Syracuse. At Syracuse, he majored in communication and rhetorical studies.

2005–06

Rautins was used sparingly his freshman year, appearing in just 20 games. He averaged 2.9 points and 0.9 rebounds, but did set a then-career high of 10 points against South Florida on January 8, 2006, connecting on 3-of-5 3-point attempts.

2006–07

As a sophomore, Rautins appeared in all 35 of Syracuse's games, including his first career start against Baylor on December 16, 2006. Rautins remained a fixture in the Syracuse starting lineup, and set a career high with 19 points against Providence on February 24, 2007. He finished the season averaging 7.2 points. Rautins established himself as one of the team's best perimeter shooters, converting 36 percent of his 3-point shots.

2007–08

Rautins missed the entire season because of a knee injury suffered during the Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas over the 2007 summer. He was granted a medical redshirt.

2008–09

Rautins would return for his redshirt junior year after reconstructive surgery on his knee. His return paid immediate dividends for the Orange, as Rautins tied a school record with nine 3-pointers (Gerry McNamara had nine against BYU in the NCAA tournament in 2004) highlighting a career-high 29 points in a 82–71 victory over Coppin State on December 22, 2008.

Rautins would continue his tear against Seton Hall (26 points on 7–10 shooting from three point land), South Florida (14, 4–8) and DePaul (17, 5–10). In those four games, Rautins would hit a combined 25 3-pointers at a 57 percent clip. Other highlights included Rautins 20 points, and six 3-pointers in the epic six overtime game against Connecticut in the Big East tournament. Rautins made a crucial 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third overtime, forcing a fourth. Rautins also made the go ahead 3 pointer in the sixth overtime, helping Syracuse to the historic win.

2009–10

Rautins would become the full-time starter at shooting guard in his senior season. On November 20, 2009, Rautins would lead Syracuse to a 87–71 upset of then-No. 4 North Carolina with 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and seven steals. On December 10, 2009, Rautins played 39 minutes and scored 16 points and handed out five assists as Syracuse knocked off then-No. 10 Florida 85–73. On January 13, 2010 against Rutgers, Rautins scored 23 points and added 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals in an 81–65 win.

Rautins finished the season averaging 12.1 points, 4.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game (leading the Big East), and was named to the All Big East Second Team and was also named an AP All American Honorable Mention.

NBA

Rautins was drafted as the 38th pick by the New York Knicks in the 2010 NBA Draft. He signed a 2 year guaranteed contract on August 12, 2010.

Rautins made his on-court NBA debut on November 9, 2010 in a game vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. He played 8 minutes, scoring 3 points and adding 1 assist during a 107-80 loss.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 5 || 0 || 4.8 || .429 || .250 || .500 || .2 || .6 || .2 || .0 || 1.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 5 || 0 || 4.8 || .429 || .250 || .500 || .2 || .6 || .2 || .0 || 1.6 |-

See also

2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

References

External links

Team Canada Biography

SUathletics.com

Category:American people of Canadian descent Category:American people of Lithuanian descent Category:Basketball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Category:Basketball players from New York Category:Canadian basketball players Category:Canadian people of Lithuanian descent Category:New York Knicks draft picks Category:New York Knicks players Category:People from De Witt, New York Category:People from Syracuse, New York Category:Syracuse Orange men's basketball players Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Pan American Games competitors for Canada

de:Andy Rautins es:Andy Rautins fr:Andy Rautins gl:Andy Rautins it:Andy Rautins ja:アンディ・ロウティンス ru:Ротинс, Энди