From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens

Written by 50 Cent and Kris Ex

Narrated by J.D. Williams

In the New York Times bestseller From Pieces to Weight, rap mogul 50 Cent, a.k.a. Curtis Jackson, lifts the veil on his complicated life, from the murder of his mother when he was twelve, to hustling on the streets; from the assassination attempt that nearly finished him to his meteoric rise to the top of hip hop royalty.

This violent and introspective memoir reveals not only 50 Cent's story but also the story of a generation of youth faced with hard choices and very few options. It is a tale of sacrifice, transformation, and redemption, but also one of hope, determination, and the power of self. Told in 50's unique voice, the narrative drips with the raw insight, street wisdom, and his struggle to survive at all costs—and behold the riches of the American Dream.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Aug 9, 2005
• ISBN: 9780743552257

50 Cent

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin (2003) and The Massacre (2005). Both albums achieved multi-platinum success, selling over twenty-one million copies combined. He is the author of From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens (S&S, 2006). He lives in New York.

Reviews for From Pieces to Weight

[James Jeff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solid introduction or 1st Chapter to the Rap Game !

[br13vila · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was excellent, I feel that way because it explained how Curtis Jackson had to work his way out of the "hood" by selling crack and dealing with bad people. This book tells its readers that even from the "hood" people can make it out and become better people. Curtis earned a record label with a group that wasn't that willing to let him rap so that's when he went to do some songs with the rappers Eminem and Dr.Dre. By then Curtis had his life on a good path and was just trying to succeed. I would recommend this to anyone who likes 50 cent the rapper.

[bookluis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book due to the fact that the content it has is very true and deals with the lives of some very interesting people. If i were to rate this book i would give it a 9 out of 10 because it was a really good book that talked about real events that happened like the crack epidemic. The crack epidemic hit South Side Queens very hard. This book gives you the truth about what goes on in the streets. This book mentioned that when people got their welfare checks they would change the check and go right away to their local dealers. One main reason i enjoyed this book is because because it has vast variety of vocabulary. This book is a very factual and to the point. 50 cent wrote this book to show the reality of living in the ghetto and taking on that kind of lifestyle. This book is a biography mixed with more hot topics. The story takes place in the ghetto of South Side Queens. 50 shares some epic events that happened when he was living there. He grew up slanging dope and hustling because that is all he knew and that is all that was happening in his living enviorment. As a child 50 was misunderstood and harassed because of the way he was. 50 not only used his street smarts to make money but also to make a new way of living for himself. He quit selling and took an interest in music because as a kid he would make mix tapes and found he was good at it and enjoyed doing it. I recommend this book to anyone because it is a very good book that talks about real life and has a little bit of every thing.

[whiting_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Compelling account of his interesing life so far; worth the few hours of time in the car for sure. Some gaps in story -- how did he get from being a drug dealer to being in a situation where he met Jam Master Jay.... Made me want to listen to his music. 1/10/06