The Shady Side Of 50 Cent
Rappers are notorious for starting beef — whether they're taking jabs at others in their music or taking to social media to air out dirty laundry. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, has built a career on being outspoken, and who he disses seems to depend on the day.
Though 50 Cent is notorious for hating on his enemies, his lengthy career as a successful rapper seems to outweigh the pile-up of shots he has fired throughout his time in the music industry. The rapper has become so controversial that even political leaders in Canada tried to block him from entering their borders to tour in 2005. Despite his criminal record, he was eventually granted temporary entry into the country to perform.
50 Cent has a long list of names on his hit list — and they aren't just individuals. The rapper once famously sued Taco Bell for $4 million after the company launched an advertisement that addressed him in a faux letter, asking him to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent, or 99 Cent to reflect their menu prices. The suit was later settled, but the sentiment remains. No beef is too big or too small for the "In Da Club" rapper, who seems to get a kick out of dissing just about anything. But sometimes, that dissing can go too far, and there are plenty of instances where his behavior has caused some serious damage.
50 Cent made some shocking comments about the LGBTQ+ community
50 Cent doesn't seem to be an ally when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community. The "Many Men (Wish Death)" artist gave some inflammatory commentary about gay people in an interview with Playboy Magazine in 2004, making it clear where he stood. "I ain't into f***ots," he explicitly stated at the time (via MTV). "I don't like gay people around me, because I'm not comfortable with what their thoughts are."
Fiddy tried to clarify his comments to Playboy, saying, "I'm not prejudiced. I just don't go with gay people and kick it — we don't have that much in common." His statements seemed pretty prejudiced to many members of the community, however, the rapper added that he didn't mind same-sex attraction among women. "But women who like women, that's cool," he continued. "It's okay to write that I'm prejudiced. This is as honest as I could possibly be with you ... We refer to gay people as f***ots, as h***s. It could be disrespectful, but that's the facts."
His statements later proved to be contradictory, given the rapper's own familial connection to the LGBTQ+ community. "My mom was a lesbian. Yeah, she liked women. My whole childhood was like that," he explained to Perez Hilton in 2012 (via Curve). The artist also seemingly changed his tune when Barack Obama was elected, telling MTV, "Obama is for same-sex marriage. If the president is saying that, then who am I to go the other way?"
When he mocked an autistic person on Instagram
50 Cent and controversy are two things that seemingly go hand in hand. The "Just A Lil Bit" rapper caused a stir in 2016 when he uploaded a clip to Instagram mocking an autistic man. In the video, the rapper films himself walking through the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, saying, "This new generation is crazy." He then flips the camera around to an employee pushing a cart and asks him for his name. When the man doesn't reply and shakes his head, Fiddy says, "Look at him ... What kinda s*** you think he took before he got to work today? He high as a motherf***er right here in the airport, pupil dilated everything, lookin' like."
An Instagram user identified the airport employee as a former classmate, commenting (via Cincinnati.com) "I went to school with him. He has extreme social difficulties just to let you know. He has a hard enough time getting through life without jackasses like you making fun of him. I hope you feel good about yourself. You just lost a huge fan." The employee, identified as Andrew Farrell, also spoke out, telling the publication, "I was just starting work. Pushing my cart, minding my own business."
After immense backlash online and viewers threatening to boycott 50 Cent's Effen Vodka brand, the rapper issued an apology. "While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, please accept my sincere apologies for offending you," he wrote in a letter to the Farrell family.
He was forced to admit he was flaunting fake money
50 Cent landed himself in hot water in 2016 for — out of all things — posing with what might as well be Monopoly money. The rapper, who famously flaunts his wealth, had to admit in court that the cash he was posing with on his social media accounts had no value at all. Except if you want to pass go and collect $200 dollars, of course.
The controversy began in 2015 when the entrepreneur filed for bankruptcy, yet continued to post photos of himself lying in heaps of cash. The financial move came after 50 Cent was ordered to pay $5 million in damages to a woman who sued him for posting an explicit video of her online. According to The New York Times, the judge assigned to his bankruptcy court case took notice of his social media activity and asked the rapper to explain the cash-ridden posts he had been uploading since his bankruptcy filing.
The "21 Questions" rapper claimed in court documents that the money depicted in the photos was "prop money" and not real stacks after all. "Just because I am photographed in or next to a certain vehicle, wearing an article of clothing, holding a product, sitting next to what appears to be large sums of money or modeling expensive pieces of jewelry does not mean that I own everything in those photos," he explained. Fiddy later paid off over $22 million in debt and was discharged from bankruptcy in 2017.
50 Cent and Ja Rule's beef ended in a stab wound
Ja Rule and 50 Cent have had major beef over the past two decades. Their feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule's chain was stolen at gunpoint by one of 50 Cent's associates while he was filming a music video. Fiddy then released his diss track, "Your Life's on the Line," shortly after, which was aimed at Ja Rule. In 2000, the two got into an altercation at an Atlanta club where they were both scheduled to perform. Things escalated further that year when they crossed paths at the Hit Factory studios in New York. The rappers got into a physical fight and a member of the Murder Inc. crew stabbed 50 Cent, resulting in Ja Rule and Murder Inc. rapper, Black Child, being arrested.
Their beef continued for years, with the rappers taking jabs at each other in several of their respective rap songs. They seemed to put their beef to bed in 2013, after the "Mesmerize" rapper tweeted, "What are the chances me and 50 same flight same row no problems!!!" But that didn't last long, as 50 Cent poked fun at Ja Rule's low tour ticket prices on Instagram in 2018, admitting that he bought 200 seats just for fun.
As of 2024, their beef seems less mean-spirited. In a 2023 interview with The Shade Room, Ja Rule revealed that if 50 Cent were to walk into the room, "nothing" would happen, adding, "We don't have an issue, we don't have a problem."
His nasty feud with Floyd Mayweather over business
It's not above 50 Cent to have beef with a 15-time world championship boxer, apparently. The rapper and Floyd Mayweather were once good friends and even business partners before their friendship became a long-standing feud.
Their relationship turned sour after Mayweather was sent to prison over domestic battery charges in 2012. At the time, Fiddy was reportedly in charge of getting the boxer's promotion company, Golden Boy Promotions, off the ground. Fiddy had signed a few boxers to the team, but once Mayweather was released, he said he was never cut a check for the $2 million he claimed he was owed. 50 Cent proceeded to attack Mayweather's finances following the fallout, claiming the athlete was burning through cash. Mayweather felt blindsided, telling NORE's Frinks Challenge (via Urban Islandz), "I been nothing but good to him. I'm 100 man. I been nothing but solid with him."
The "Baby by Me" rapper has even attacked the boxing champion's literacy skills, posting a video to social media (via TalkSPORT) in 2014, saying, "If you can read one full page of a Harry Potter book n***a, I'll give $750,000 to whatever charitable organization you want." Mayweather responded by posting checks from his company to X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "Read this $72,276,000.00. God bless." The two have since settled their feud, with 50 Cent telling The Breakfast Club Power in 2022, "I went to see him when I was in Vegas around my birthday ... It was cool."
50 Cent attacked Kanye West's fashion brand
50 Cent and Kanye West's bad blood first began over who could achieve the most commercial success. The two rappers rose in the ranks of the music industry around the same time, selling chart-topping albums, and were often at odds with each other over who was the better artist.
They came to blows in 2007 when Fiddy was set to release his album, "Curtis," on September 11 of that year, and West specifically moved up the release date for his album, "Graduation," by a week to directly compete with his rival over album sales. The showdown even made its way to the cover of Rolling Stone, with the two literally facing off against each other. West ultimately beat 50 Cent, gaining nearly 300,000 more units sold than "Curtis." While the beef seemed to be a harmless marketing scheme, it set the tone for the future of their relationship.
The two rappers seemed to be cordial with each other over the next decade, with 50 Cent even endorsing West's short-lived run for president in 2020. "I like the idea of him running," the rapper said of his former rival on "Conan" (via Billboard). But the truce was short-lived, as Fiddy took shots at the "All Falls Down" artist in 2019. He posted a photo of clothing from Ye's Yeezy fashion brand, writing on Instagram (via BET), "Welp, now I know I'm not a style icon, I'm definitely not wearing that s***. LOL GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE MAN."
He had a public falling out with a Bravo star
50 Cent engaged in a public feud with "Vanderpump Rules" star Lala Kent and her former fiancé, Randall Emmett, that lit up the internet. The incident began in 2019 when the rapper blasted Emmett on social media for not paying him back the remaining balance on a $1 million loan. At the time, Emmett had been working with the artist to produce several of his television and movie projects.
"Keep playing with me and get ya f***ing head cracked in front of everybody," he wrote in text messages he shared with the producer (via People). He then went on to attack Kent, posting clips from "Vanderpump Rules" in which the reality star described meeting Emmett. "The first night we banged, I got a car the next day," she said in the resurfaced clip. Kent clapped back in an Instagram comment, writing, "We've sat up at dinners solo with you, you showing mad love, while begging Rand to put one of your new talentless b***hes in a film, and this is how you come for me? On the gram?"
The feud took a toll on Emmett, who famously mistyped the rapper's name in texts that read: "I'm sorry Fofty. I'm heading to the emergency room ... Please don't text me anymore." Days later, the rapper announced Emmett had paid his debt in full. He and Kent ultimately made up when the Bravo star visited him on the set of his film "Skill House" in 2022 following her split with Emmett.
50 Cent put the queen of daytime television on blast
50 Cent claimed that he was never on the list of potential guests for "The Oprah Winfrey Show." In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, the rapper recalled how he was hoping to appear on the talk show while he rose in the ranks of the music industry, but he asserted that Oprah Winfrey was not on board. Despite Fif's grandmother being one of her biggest fans, nothing could sway the host on the rapper's lyrics laced with misogynistic undertones and threats of gun violence.
"She was completely against everything that was in my music," he told the publication. "So she ain't never going to have me on that show. I'm never going to reach that platform, which is confirmation of you being a huge success. So I just said: 'Okay, if we can't be friends, then at least let's be enemies.'" In typical 50 Cent fashion, he proceeded to blast Winfrey's fans and name his female dog after her.
Eventually, the two got on better terms. In an interview with People, he explained it was Gayle King who helped bridge their gap. "She adjusted to my character and told Oprah that she needed to meet me because it's not what you think it is," he said. As far as his lyrics go, Fif related his music to artistry. "Are you going to tell a painter what to paint? I'm an artist. Why am I limited to what you feel should be said?" he told The Guardian.
He wished death on his own son
50 Cent made headlines in 2018 after making threatening comments to his own son. In November of that year, the rapper commented on an Instagram photo featuring his son, Marquis Jackson, posing with Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Supreme was suspected to be involved in the rapper's attempted murder in 2000, which left him shot several times in his legs and once in the jaw while sitting in a parked car in Queens, New York. The plotted murder was thought to be a retaliation over 50 Cent's track "Ghetto Koran," in which he details Supreme being the leader of an infamous drug crew in New York City.
Commenting on the photo of his estranged son alongside the convicted felon, he wrote (via People), "If both these little n***as got hit by a bus, I wouldn't have a bad day." After receiving backlash, Fiddy took to X, writing, "I have zero ill will towards anyone living on this Earth. The people Shanquois son looks up to and associates with is a reflection of the negative energy he embraces towards me," he concluded while misspelling the name of Marquis's mother, Shaniqua Tompkins.
50 Cent has had a rocky relationship with his son due to the fallout he had in court with Tompkins over custody. "My relationship with my son is changing because he and his mom aren't friends anymore," he told People at the time, adding, "So I have to talk to his lawyer to get things situated for me to actually get him."
50 Cent slammed his ex for her connection to Diddy
50 Cent and Diddy's feud began in the late 2000s when the rapper accused the Sean John founder of knowing who shot the late Biggie Smalls. In 50's track, "The Bomb" he raps, "Who shot Biggie Smalls? We don't get 'em / They gonna kill us all / Man, Puffy know who hit that n***a." Sean Combs has never been a suspect in the murder and has consistently denied knowing information about the perpetrator.
The feud continued when the two rappers went on to represent rival Vodka brands, as Diddy previously co-owned Ciroc Vodka and Fiddy helped promote Effen Vodka. "Puff's is not even vodka. It's grapes [and] says 'made with vodka,' you know what I'm saying?" 50 Cent previously said on "Drink Champs." But their feud seemed to be less serious when Diddy said on "The Breakfast Club" in 2018. "Y'all can't see that he loves me? You really think that's hate?"
50 Cent sparked beef with Combs yet again, however, after several individuals accused him of sexual abuse. He posted a photo to X in March of 2024 that featured his ex-girlfriend, Daphne Joy, and Diddy together following a lawsuit that claimed Joy worked for Diddy as a sex worker. "You moved a mile away in hopes of having another baby with me but I was busy. So you moved back and then you started receiving money from Brother Love. Now here we are, little sex worker," he wrote.
He endorsed Donald Trump, only to publicly denounce him later
50 Cent has some contradicting political beliefs. The rapper supported Donald Trump in 2020, posting a photo on Instagram (via People) featuring a broadcast from CNBC's "Power Lunch" that showed the potential tax rates if Joe Biden implemented his proposed tax plan. "WHAT THE F***! (VOTE For TRUMP) IM OUT," he wrote at the time. "F*** NEW YORK The KNICKS never win anyway. I don't care Trump doesn't like black people 62% are you out of ya f***ing mind."
The rapper's unlikely support of the Republican candidate came as a shock to many fans, including his ex-girlfriend, Chelsea Handler. "You used to be my favorite ex-boyfriend," she tweeted in response. The comedian spoke on "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" about his endorsement, saying, "He says he doesn't want to pay 62% in taxes — which, by the way, isn't a plan of Joe Biden's, that's a lie ... I had to remind him that he was a Black person, so he can't vote for Donald Trump."
Ultimately, 50 Cent backtracked his support for the former president, tweeting a response to Handler's interview with Fallon. "A what, another spin," he wrote. "F*** Donald Trump, I never liked him." The same can't be said for Trump, however, as Fiddy previously revealed on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" that Trump offered him $500,000 to appear at his 2016 inauguration. "All money is not good money," he explained, saying he turned down the invite. "Don't bring me to fix the African American vote."