By Sandra Varner

Coming off the heels of the highly publicized rap dual between Kanye West and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Jackson holds his own alongside Samuel L. Jackson in Home of the Brave, released on DVD Oct. 23.
   Flashing his million-dollar smile, 50 Cent is no stranger to drama. He was born into a notorious drug dynasty in the ’70s and orphaned at an early age; he has survived multiple gunshot wounds and tragic family incidents to ultimately escape the violence of his past. Today, he is regarded as a successful role model and music icon whose early turbulent beginnings did not determine his destiny but instead taught him how to fight, mentally.
    Home of the Brave examines the lives of four returning military men and the conflicts they face upon their return from the Iraq war. The story is set initially in Southeastern Iraq, where a war-wearied National Guard unit has just received word that they will be going home to Spokane, Washington. Before demobilizing, they have one last mission to accomplish and things go wrong. Ensnared by insurgents, a chaotic firefight ensues from which none of the group will escape unscathed.
    50 Cent’s character, soldier Jamal Aiken, is compromised on all fronts: problems with his girlfriend when he returns home lead to an avalanche of emotional breakdowns, and the resolution to his internal volcano is startling.
About 50 Cent
    50 Cent made his big screen debut in the recent autographical drama Get Rich or Die Trying, helmed by acclaimed director Jim Sheridan. He is a multi-platinum recording artist who burst onto the music scene with his self-titled debut album, jumping to the top of the Billboard charts and selling more than 12 million copies worldwide.
    50 Cent has won numerous awards and accolades, including Best Artist at the World Music Awards, Best Male Rap Artist at the American Music Awards and an ASCAP Award for Rhythm and Soul Songwriter of the Year. He has also received three Grammy nominations.
    His follow up album, Massacre, crowned him with the distinction of becoming the first artist to have four songs in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 since the Beatles in 1964. The album went on to become one of the best-selling albums of that year.