Producer and musical genius Quincy Jones has been tapped to score Get Rich or Die Tryin’, the semi-autobiographical account of rapper 50 Cent’s life.

Jones will be teamed with the other composers of the film to create original music. The legendary producer will work directly with 50 Cent, Gavin Friday, Maurice Seezer and director Jim Sheridan,

Jones has produced some of the most legendary recorded albums, including Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, Thriller (2nd-best selling album of all time) and Bad.

Jones was born in 1933 and his career in the music business spans over 60-years, from bebop to hip-hop.

Jones started in the music business playing the trumpet for such legendary musicians as Count Basie, Theolonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday and others.

By 1964, Jones had risen to Vice President of Mercury Records and by 1965, Jones was scoring films. He contributed to such major flicks as In the Heat of the Night, The Wiz and the original version of  The Italian Job.

"Get Rich or Die Tryin’" will be Jones’ 34th film score and his f irst since scoring Steven Speilberg's land mark 1985 movie The Color Purple, that starred Oprah Winfrey.

Jones’ music has been sampled countless times by a wide range of musicians, from hip-hop and other genres.

Jones’ “Soul Bossa Nova” has been used in the Austin Powers movie franchise and was recently re-worked into Ludacris’ hit single “Number One Spot,” taken from his album The Red Light District, which is certified platinum.

A keen eye can spot Jones in various rap videos and early on he embraced rap on his albums The Dude (1981 – the title track features a rap) Back on the Block (1989) and Q's Jook Joint (1996).

Jones was also the co-producer of Will Smith’s Fresh Prince of Bel Air and LL Cool J’s In the House.

Credits: AllHipHop/Nolan Strong