Darryl "Homo" Baum: The Man Who 50 Cent Thought Shot Him And The Best Friend of Mike Tyson

The name Darryl “Hammo” Baum is rarely seen in the glossy pages of celebrity memoirs or hip-hop press. But his story lies at the strange crossroads of the streets of Brooklyn, the world of celebrity protection, and one of the most infamous near-death incidents in modern hip-hop. Here is the story of the man who is widely cited as the shooter of 50 Cent — and a close associate of Mike Tyson.

Origins and early years

Darryl Baum (sometimes spelled “Darryl ‘Hommo’ Baum” or “Hammo” in street-sources) hailed from Brooklyn, New York.  Like many young men from rough neighborhoods in the late 1980s and 1990s, his environment shaped his trajectory: tough streets, gang dynamics, and the pull of earning respect and survival in equal measure.

His relationship with Mike Tyson is often described as a Brooklyn-connection: Tyson spending time in and out of that milieu, and Baum eventually becoming Tyson’s bodyguard in the late 1990s.

Bodyguard to a legend

In his role guarding Mike Tyson, Baum occupied a position that mixed the respect of being associated with a major celebrity, with the very real hazards of the world he came from. Security work for someone like Tyson in that era demanded toughness, loyalty, and awareness of both physical threats and street politics.

This association elevated Baum’s profile far above what most bodyguards from his background could achieve. It also placed him in spaces where fame, violence, and ambition collided.

The shooting of 50 Cent

On May 24, 2000, 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) was shot nine times — in the hand, arm, hip, legs, chest and cheek — outside his grandmother’s home in Queens.

In various sources, Darryl Baum is cited as the alleged shooter. According to an article:

“Eventually, it was Darryl ‘Hommo’ Baum who shot 50 Cent and critically injured him.”

And another biography summarises:

“The alleged attacker, Darryl ‘Homicide’ Baum, Mike Tyson’s close friend and bodyguard, was killed three weeks later.”

The motive is murky and contested. Some sources link the shooting to 50 Cent’s song “Ghetto Qu’ran,” which allegedly exposed or irritated the power of gang figures and record-label money laundering activity.  Others link it to the broader street feuds of Brooklyn in that era.

Whether Baum personally pulled the trigger or was part of a larger crew remains part of the contested lore of hip-hop. But in many fans’ minds, his name is connected to the event.

Tragic end

Three weeks after the shooting of 50 Cent, Darryl Baum himself was killed in Brooklyn — shot down in what appears to have been another gang-/street-violence related incident.

His death is frequently rendered as a cautionary microcosm: street roots → celebrity proximity → violent end.

Legacy and reflections

• For 50 Cent, surviving nine bullets and coming back strong became part of his personal mythology (“Many Men…”). His near-death experience is part of how he presents his life and career.

• For Mike Tyson, the death of Baum reportedly prompted a reaction: one source says Tyson dedicated his next fight to him.

• For Baum himself, his story is not widely celebrated. It’s barely documented in mainstream archives. But his pathway — from Brooklyn street life to bodyguard of a top athlete, to alleged shooter of a major rapper, to murdered victim — paints a brutal picture of the thin line between fame and danger.