Meta Smith is the author of numerous novels, including Queen of Miami and The Rolexxx Club; she is also a contributor to the fiction anthology These Are My Confessions. She lives in Chicago with her son.

50 Cent (a.k.a. Curtis Jackson) is a record-breaking rap recording artist, entrepreneur, music producer, and actor. His debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', sold more than 12 million units worldwide, is certified eight times platinum, and was the basis for the semi-autobiographical film of the same title, in which he starred. He is the first artist to have four songs in the top ten of Billboard's Hot 100 since the Beatles in 1964. He published his memoir, the New York Times bestseller From Pieces to Weight, which was hailed as "cool, hard, and vivid, a minor classic of gangster rap noir" (The New York Times). He is also the author of Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter. Under the G-Unit brand, his business empire includes a record label, apparel and footwear ventures, vitamin water, and more. He created the nonprofit organization The G-Unity Foundation, which aims to better the life of urban youth. Follow him on X and Instagram at @50Cent.