50 Cent smacks down Taco Bell for stealing his image

Pity clueless musicians who spend more time on their music than their image. If they want to be rich, really rich, they should follow the model of one of rap's richest stars, Curtis James Jackson III, a.k.a. 50 Cent. He may have gained his fame at the microphone or by receiving nine non-fatal gunshots, but his $400 million-plus fortune comes from another source: endorsements. Taco Bell, which attempted to use his image without paying him for it, has found just how jealously he guards his money-maker image.

In 2008, Taco Bell publicly asked 50 Cent to consider changing his name to 79 or 89 or 99 Cent, to promote the chain's "79-89-99-Cent Why Pay More?" campaign. The company even sent copies of the request letter to news outlets, as well as the artist.