50 Cent’s Bitcoin Gamble: How ‘Animal Ambition’ Made Crypto History in 2014
The Visionary Hustle: When 50 Cent Traded 'Animal Ambition' for Bitcoin in 2014 In the world of hip-hop business, few names carry as much weight as Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Known for his legendary Vitamin Water deal and his "get rich or die tryin'" philosophy, 50 Cent has always had a nose for the next big thing. However, one of his most audacious moves didn't involve a beverage or a clothing line—it involved a digital currency that most of the world was still laughing at. In June 2014, 50 Cent became the first major artist to accept Bitcoin as payment for his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition. While the album itself received mixed reviews from critics, the financial strategy behind it would eventually become the stuff of legend. The 2014 Crypto Landscape: A Bold Experiment To understand the significance of this move, we have to look back at 2014. At the time, Bitcoin was far from a household name. One BTC was trading at roughly $662. ...