The 50th Law
Paperback edition
AuthorRobert Greene, 50 Cent
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectStrategy, self-help, philosophy
GenreNon-fiction
PublishedSeptember 8, 2009
PublisherHarper Studio
Media typePrint
Preceded byThe 33 Strategies of War 
Followed byMastery 

The 50th Law is a New York Times bestselling book on strategy and fearlessness written collaboratively by rapper 50 Cent and author Robert Greene.[1][2][3] The book is a semi-autobiographical account detailing 50 Cent's rise as both a young urban hustler and as an up-and-coming musician with lessons and anecdotes from historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Sun Tzu, Socrates, Napoleon, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.[4][5][6]

Origins

The 50th Law grew out of the friendship and mutual admiration between 50 Cent and Robert Greene.[7] Greene's book The 48 Laws of Power, which has long been a staple in the hip hop world, came to the attention of 50 Cent, who asked his manager to arrange a meeting. Greene said that he was surprised by 50 Cent's persona and was impressed by his "Zen-like calmness" and eye for strategy.[8] The two began to work on a book project that would combine their two worlds.[8][9]

According to Greene, 50 Cent is an example of what Machiavelli called a New Prince, a leader who emerges in a time of chaos or turmoil and rewrites the rules.[8] According to 50 Cent, Greene's books describe the laws and strategies used by hustlers on the street, even if they might not know the "technical terms" for what they were doing.[10]

Synopsis

Each of the 10 chapters in the book explains a factor of fearlessness and begins by telling how 50 Cent learned this Fearless Philosophy in Southside Queens.[11] The 50th Law illustrates the laws of the book by supplementing anecdotes from 50 Cent's life with historical examples from Malcolm X, Miles Davis, Sun Tzu, François de La Rochefoucauld, Machiavelli, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Thucydides, Dostoyevsky, Charlie Parker, and the Baron de Montesquieu.[12][13][14]

Reception

The book debuted at #5 on The New York Times Bestseller list and was a USA Today bestseller.[15][16][17] The book was met with positive reviews, with the New York Post calling The 50th Law "a modern day Art of War," The Guardian referring to the book as "a manual on power similar to the works of Machiavelli and Sun Tzu," and Library Journal stating that The 50th Law is written for "anyone interested in how to succeed in business and the game of life."[18][19][20]

The book was also featured in The New York Times, MSNBC, Huffington Post, The Sun, The New York Daily News, Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company, The Telegraph, MTV, Vibe and Billboard.[1][2][5][7][11][13][14][18][21][22][23][24][25] In promotion of the book, Greene and 50 Cent appeared on The Today Show, CNBC, ABC, BBC and MTV News.[9][24][26][27][28][29][30] The 50th Law was also published as a 60-page comic book.[31][32]

References

  1. ^ a b "50 Cent is New York Times Certified". Vibe. September 28, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Schuessler, Jennifer (September 27, 2009). "Bestsellers". New York Times.
  3. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (September 18, 2009). "Inside the List". New York Times.
  4. ^ 50 Cent; Greene, Robert (2009). The 50th Law. New York: HarperStudio. p. 291. ISBN 978-1846680687.
  5. ^ a b Groth, Aimee (May 10, 2012). "10 Tips For Becoming Fearless Like 50 Cent". Business Insider.
  6. ^ Goodman, Matthew (October 29, 2009). "Rapper's latest hit for business scene". The Australian.
  7. ^ a b Alder, Daniel (September 7, 2009). "50 Cent's Partner In Prose". Forbes.
  8. ^ a b c The 50th Law. Power Seduction and War. June 11, 2009.
  9. ^ a b "50 Cent sits down with CNBC and talks about his new book "The 50th Law". CNBC. October 1, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20.
  10. ^ 50 Cent Presents "The 50th Law" – Book with Robert Greene. YouTube. September 7, 2009.
  11. ^ a b Richards, Jason (September 17, 2009). "Interview: Robert Greene on 50 Cent". The Huffington Post.
  12. ^ Rob Harvilla (October 13, 2009). "The Eight Dookie Ropes of Wisdom in Fiddy Cent's Self-Help Book". Village Voice.
  13. ^ a b Johnson, Lynne (September 10, 2009). "The 50 Cent Bible". Fast Company.
  14. ^ a b Neilan, Catherine (July 23, 2009). "50 Cent Business Book 'The 50th Law' Due This Fall". Billboard.
  15. ^ Hardcover Advice & Misc. Bestsellers. New York Times. September 27, 2009.
  16. ^ "USA Today Money best sellers". USA Today. October 12, 2009.
  17. ^ "The 50th Law". USA Today.
  18. ^ a b Burkeman, Oliver (September 4, 2009). "When the gangsta rapper met the self-help guru". The Guardian. London.
  19. ^ Getlen, Larry (September 20, 2009). "Talking Cents". New York Post.
  20. ^ Finnell, Joshua (August 20, 2009). "The Blingdom of God: Books on the Religion of Hip-Hop". Library Journal. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012.
  21. ^ "50 Cent's words of wisdom: Face reality". MSNBC. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009.
  22. ^ Greene, Robert (December 4, 2009). "Keep Moving -- Flow". The Huffington Post.
  23. ^ Pearson, Erica (September 11, 2009). "50 Cent pimps his new self-help book, 'The 50th Law' at Barnes & Noble". The New York Daily News.
  24. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (September 10, 2009). "50 Cent Signs Copies Of His New Book 'The 50th Law'". MTV News.
  25. ^ Gora, Bronwen (November 14, 2009). "Stars with the Midas touch". The Daily Telegraph.
  26. ^ "50 Cent On The Today Show for supporting his new book "The 50th Law"". The Today Show. October 1, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20.
  27. ^ "The 50 Cent Empire". ABC News. November 5, 2009.
  28. ^ "Guest List: 50 Cent". ABC. November 9, 2009.
  29. ^ "50 Cent Speaks On Different Types Of Fear". BBC. August 28, 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20.
  30. ^ Saint, Nick (September 16, 2009). "Get Rich Or Die Tryin': 50 Cent's Guide To Success". Business Insider.
  31. ^ Coleman, C. Vernon (July 25, 2011). "50 Cent Making "SmartComic" Version of "The 50th Law"". Hip Hop Wired. Archived from the original on 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  32. ^ "XXL Quick Hitters: 50 Cent, Shyne, Diddy and The Weekend, Just Blaze And Saigon". XXL. May 29, 2012.

External links

Books by Robert Greene
Categories