50 Cent was arrested in New York City and charged with two counts
of criminal possession of a weapon on December 31st. The
twenty-seven-year-old rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson,
had his SUV parked in a no-standing zone outside the Copacabana
nightclub. When police officers stopped the vehicle two weapons
were found, a .25-caliber handgun and a .45-caliber pistol. Police
said both weapons were loaded. 50 Cent and his four passengers were
each charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

The Queens-based rapper had been signed to Columbia Records in
1999, but when his debut album, Power of the Dollar, was
heavily bootlegged, the label dropped him. 50 Cent then signed to
Eminem's Shady/Aftermath label and appeared on the tracks "Love
Me," "Places to Go" and "Wanksta" on the 8 Mile
soundtrack.