Photographs and words by Sugarwolf

East Coast rapper Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, sold out Golden 1 Center Monday night on the last California stop of his ‘Final Lap’ Tour.  Jackson was joined on stage by G-Unit alum Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda, who together performed a lengthy setlist that spanned the full spectrum of Jackson’s incredible career.  A spectacular stage set built with an array of cutting edge LED’s provided a backdrop that immersed the audience in an urban landscape of East Coast brownstones, while Jackson and his hype men spit out multi platinum lyrics.  Adding to the tour’s grandiose were supporting performances by legendary rapper Busta Rhymes, and R&B singer Jeremih.  While it remains to be seen whether this will be Jackson’s actual final lap, the tour marks 20 years since the release of ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’, an album considered by many as one of the greatest Hip Hop records of all time.  Add to that the more than 30 million albums Jackson has sold worldwide, the Grammy, the Primetime Emmy, the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, and the BET Awards he has collected, and it’s easy to understand why Jackson may be taking his victory lap.