Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson at Scream 4 New York Premiere

On Monday, May 23 at 9pm EST, VH1 Rock Docs will air a special segment featuring rapper/businessman 50 Cent.  In 50’s documentary, he will travel to a small town called Edgefield, South Carolina in search of his family’s past and their contributions to slavery.

Born in Queens and schooled on the street, 50 Cent’s incredible death-defying story of survival and success does not just begin with him. Like all African Americans, he is the product of a greater journey, one that began thousands of miles away and hundreds of years ago — in slavery.

The birthplace of noted segregationist Strom Thurmond, “Bloody Edgefield,” as the town was known, bears the scars of a violent and racist past. This is the town where 50 Cent — born Curtis Jackson III — sets out to track his roots. With help from local genealogists and census data, 50 manages to find his great-great-great grandmother Jane Jenkins, who lived and worked as a slave in the mid-1800’s.

Along the way, 50 also learns that in the years following the Civil War, his ancestors faced the infamous ‘REDSHIRTS,’ the precursors to the KKK, giving him a new perspective on the violence he encountered as a young man in Queens. As America commemorates the 150th anniversary of that war this spring, the film provides a moving testament to the lines that still divide us.

 

Check out the sneak peek:

Sounds interesting! 50 Cent: The Origin of Me will be available online following the television broadcast. For more information, go to RockDocs.VH1.com.