Many details from Marcus' life are similar to the now-infamous aspects of 50's past: the absence of his father, the killing of his drug-dealing mother, the drug dealing of his own, the rap sheet and the nine bullets he took and managed to survive. Even the film's title is the same as that of 50's debut album from 2003.

We have no real sense, though, from the script by Terence Winter (an alum of "The Sopranos") of who Marcus really is or what drives him to succeed either as a coke dealer or a musician, aside from the obvious income. (Actually, the actor playing Marcus as a young teen, Marc John Jefferies, is more vibrant and more believable in just his 20 minutes at the start than 50 is for the entire remainder of the movie.)

Marcus amasses a small crew, makes some money and becomes a pawn in the power struggle between his violent mentor Majestic (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and drug lord Levar (Bill Duke, borrowing from Brando in "The Godfather"). He reconnects with his childhood girlfriend, Charlene (the graceful Joy Bryant), who seems too smart to be involved with him plausibly but gives him a child nonetheless. And he goes to jail, where he hones his gangsta rhymes.

While he's there, he meets the persuasive and talkative Bama, who will go on to be his manager on the outside. This is the best thing that could have happened to Marcus and to the audience, as well, because Bama is played by Terrence Howard, who lately has proved himself to be the most compelling figure in every film he's in (including this year's underappreciated "Crash"). He's funny, charming, slightly dangerous and desperate but never boring.

Howard's presence also inevitably calls to mind his own superior rap movie, the low-budget "Hustle & Flow," which seemed addled with cliches when it came out this summer, but comparatively is looking better all the time.

"Get Rich or Die Tryin' " is rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content, sexuality and nudity. Running time: 117 minutes.