50 Cent's Weight Loss Transformation Has Us Stunned
50 Cent may have gained weight in recent years, but he's dropped it and fitter than ever. And, while his transformation has been stunning, he'd like it on the record that he did it all with hard work — just as he's shown he's capable of doing countless times in the past.
As 50 Cent fans will no doubt know, the rapper put on a lot of weight ahead of his role on ABC's "For Life." Speaking to Men's Health, he explained that because the character he played was in jail, he didn't want to look toned. "I was eating everything to get as big as possible," he told the outlet.
Unfortunately, he became the subject of unkind comments — though he joked about them in a February 2022 post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "They're just teasing me because they know i can drop the weight. that's why i laugh with them. Fat shaming only applies when your [sic] ashamed of your fat. LOL," he'd written at the time. As it turns out, he was right. By September, he was the cover star for Men's Health, and in January 2024, he shared a triumphant video to Instagram, revealing he'd lost more than 40 pounds.
Said video also poked fun at anyone who assumed he'd taken the Ozempic route, like so many other stars. "I was running!" he emphasized, clearly amused. Well, if anyone has a track record of putting in the hard yards, its 50 Cent.
50 Cent has always prioritized fitness on stage
In his Instagram video, 50 Cent made mention of his Final Lap tour, and referenced the fact that he'd been unstoppable on stage for it. That's not exactly a novel concept for the rapper — far from it. As he explained in his interview with Men's Health, being fit on stage has always been a priority for him, and he revealed that it took several songs for him to break a sweat. That was in stark contrast to many of his contemporaries, he'd quipped to the outlet. "They sweatin' on the second verse. Like, 'You just got out there and you soaking wet!'" he complained.
Stage performances aren't the only focus of 50 Cent's fitness. In fact, as pointed out by M&F, the rapper has a well-documented history of tailoring his training for film and TV work, too. Just as he put on weight for "For Life," he also went through a grueling regimen to play a running back in the 2011 film "All Things Fall Apart." Speaking of that process in a 2015 interview with the outlet, the mogul shared that he'd been on a liquid diet, and found ways to incorporate cardio into every day. That even included running from the airport to the hotel where he was staying.
No word on whether the running he referred to in his Instagram video entailed quite as strenuous a task. That said, we wouldn't rule it out.
50 Cent got real about his fitness after nearly dying
We know 50 Cent is committed to staying fit for his job, but that's just part of the reason why he's so disciplined. Back in 2000, the rapper was shot nine times — and as he told Men's Health, that's played a role in his approach to fitness ever since. Building strength, he told the outlet, was paramount. "Who's to say you're not gonna get hit again?" he mused.
It certainly didn't hurt that along the way, 50 Cent became somewhat revered for his figure. That, coupled with the necessity to become stronger, was all he needed to motivate him — and as trainer Jay Cardiello told M&F, his dedication is unmatched. "His work ethic is unlike anything I've ever seen. I've watched him get out of the recording studio at 5:30am, and at 6am he's in the gym," Cardiello said.
In light of all that, it really was only a matter of time before 50 Cent dropped his "For Life" weight. No one knew that better than the rapper, himself. From his X post promising that he knew how to get back to peak form, to his Instagram video laughing at anyone who didn't believe he'd be able do it naturally, it's safe to say he never questioned himself. We love to see it!