Rapper 50 Cent visits area to trace family history

EDGEFIELD -- Rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson waved and smiled to fans yelling out his name as he walked into the Edgefield County Archives on Wednesday.

The popular recording artist has been staying in and around Edgefield and Aiken counties this week researching his family genealogy for a documentary special on his roots, which can be traced directly to Edgefield and Johnston. A camera crew is traveling with the star and filming his progress for "50's Roots," an installment in VH1's series "Rock Docs."

Residents said 50 Cent was in Johnston on Tuesday and was open to talking with fans, signing autographs and having his picture taken. It was a different story in Edgefield on Wednesday.

Earlier that day, a large crowd of fans gathered in the parking lot of the Old Edgefield Grill, which had closed to customers around noon so 50 Cent could eat lunch with his aunt, Gladys Simpkins, who lives in Aiken. Several people who had spoken with the artist said he was tired and almost ordered lunch to go to avoid the crowds after spending Tuesday with his fans.

Mary Turner, front of the house manager at the Old Edgefield Grill, waited on the artist and said 50 Cent ordered a cheeseburger all the way and french fries for lunch. He brought with him a bottle of apple juice to drink. Turner saved the bottle.

He must have liked the meal, she said, because he cleaned his plate.

"He was a real gentleman," Turner said.

Fresh flowers were placed on the table, and Turner enlisted the help of florist Petal Pushers, which provided the arrangements on short notice.

Simpkins took a vase of yellow flowers with her when she left.

Turner found out on Monday that she would be serving the star.

Turner said, chuckling, that she was able to talk Simpkins into having a slice of pecan pie for dessert.

When the two finished eating, they left the restaurant and immediately boarded the artist's bus in the restaurant's rear parking lot. Security kept the crowd at bay, though the group grew as word spread and more people showed up with cameras and cell phones hoping to catch a glimpse. Motorists slowed down and looked in puzzlement at the throng of people crowding downtown Edgefield.

Security personnel denied media interview requests.

Lakishia Peeples, a bystander, managed to snap a picture of 50 Cent as he left the Old Edgefield Grill. She heard from a co-worker the entertainer was in town, and after locating him, her reason for lingering was simple.

"He's famous," she said. "He was out in the crowd yesterday. He was down in Johnston, walking free, no police or anything. He's doing a historic bibliography on his family (which is nice) because most people forget (their family history)."

50 Cent's maternal grandparents, Curtis and Beulah (Jenkins) Jackson, lived in Edgefield until the 1950s, according to The Edgefield Advertiser. Then they moved to New York, where 50 Cent's mother, Sabrina Jackson, was born. 50 Cent was also born there.

Camera crews moved back and forth from the tour bus and the Edgefield Town Square on Wednesday, lining up shots and speaking into headsets.

"He's just chilling in his car by the Edgefield Grill," one crew member said into his cell phone as he milled among the people gathered to see 50 Cent.

Lisa McGee with The Edgefield Advertiser said she knew about 50 Cent's visit a year ago. She shared that a friend of hers who works in the County Archives mentioned to her one day that, "Some guy named 50 Cent is coming."

"Some guy?" McGee recalled saying, shocked that her friend didn't know who the rapper was.

After some time, the crew positioned cameras on the Courthouse Square. The tour bus door opened and 50 Cent and Simpkins got into a Chevy Tahoe, which drove them less than 100 yards up the hill and let them out behind the courthouse. Crews filmed the two walking down the sidewalk back toward the restaurant and into the County Archives building.

Jacob Brown, 13, was hoping to met 50 Cent face-to-face. But, as of press time, the artist had not called off security to meet fans.

"My friend got a picture with him yesterday," Brown said. "I want to ask him for an autograph and get a picture."

The artist is said to be staying in Aiken during his time in the area. Additionally, several people are speculating he will address a group of school children today in Johnston.

Staff writer Rachel Johnson contributed to this article.