50 Cent enjoying new media ventures

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Rapper 50 Cent says he is enjoying moving beyond the rap world by producing Hollywood movies and starring in a new TV series.

The "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, said producing movies such as "Before I Self Destruct" and "The Game: Documentary" allows him to expand his creative efforts, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

"It's great to be in a place, a position, where you can find things that creatively inspire you without having to traditionally wait for the film companies to do it -- because financially you can support it yourself," Jackson said.

Jackson's new MTV series, "50 Cent: The Money and the Power," is to debut Thursday and the rapper's newest musical album is to be released Dec. 9.

Jackson told the Times his new album, titled "Before I Self Destruct," is his version of a tabloid meltdown due to constant questions about his durability in the music industry.

"The album is the meltdown," he said. "I bear the same frustration all artists do. In between each project there's a shadow of doubt cast over you with regard to how much consistency you deliver."