50 Cent on 20 years of Get Rich or Die Tryin: 'It felt like I could have whatever I want'

The rapper is set to embark on what he says is his last massive world tour

Two decades after the release of his hit debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin', 50 Cent Jackson is launching his final XXL world tour. AFP

As 50 Cent heads out on a world tour marking the 20th anniversary of hip-hop classic Get Rich or Die Tryin', he says it's probably his last on this scale.

"I won't be able to tour like this again. My film and TV production stuff doesn't allow me," says the rapper, who will soon be seen alongside Sylvester Stallone in Expendables 4.

He took "a huge pay cut" to shift from music to TV a decade ago – most notably with hit show Power – but saw it as a strategic business decision.

"My audience is older. With my film and TV work I'm speaking to my core audience directly. I don't want to lose them ... They made me a success."

50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, turns 48 this week, as he prepares to embark on the Final Lap tour across North America, Europe and Australasia, with more dates due to be added in Asia and beyond.

It has already sold more than 600,000 tickets, which the ever-modest "Fiddy" says with a chuckle "would be impressive for other guys, but I'm 50 Cent".

The one thing that could lure him back after this would be if his old mentors – Eminem and Dr Dre – came with him.

"If I could get Em and Dre out the house, that would get me back touring but I don't think that'll happen," he says.

'Wouldn't stop growing'

Launched in February 2003, his debut was one of the fastest-selling records of all time, boosted by a colourful backstory of true-life gangsterism, including time in prison and an attempted assassination in which he was shot nine times.

His debut single, In Da Club, is still a huge hit thanks to its evergreen refrain, Hey, Shorty, it's your birthday.

And the rapper is still 114th on Spotify's worldwide rankings, despite not releasing a studio album since 2014.

There was debate over which single to launch at the time, with Dr Dre pushing for If I Can't.

"But I thought, no, we gotta go with 'Go Shorty, it's your birthday'. Coz every day is someone's birthday and makes the song relevant again," he says.

"And [it] wouldn't stop growing. I got a plaque now because it's been played a billion times on Spotify."

Despite the whirlwind of sudden fame, the rapper successfully parlayed the success into a mini-empire, creating clothing lines, video games, health foods and fragrances, as well as acting and executive producing.

Yet he still remembers the moment, sitting on a tour bus heading for Washington DC, when he heard that the album had gone past 800,000 sales in the first week.

"At the time I thought if I could pray for just one thing, it was for that record to be a success. But one thing I learned about myself is I just want more wishes," he says, laughing.

"There was so much success and energy it started to feel like I could have whatever I want. The album was called Get Rich or Die Tryin and I was, like, 'No, let me die later. This feels great.'"