50 Cent’s reputation as hip-hop’s Teflon Don in the courtroom lives on. While the musician-turned-mogul is supposedly involved in several ongoing cases (allegedly including a defamation lawsuit against his youngest son’s mother), the weight from one massive legal matter has reportedly been removed from his back.
In the report, the outlet claimed that the preceding judge declared the similarities of the show’s characters and plot, Cory “Ghost” Holland argued were from his life, did not amount to anything beyond “mere coincidences.”
Yesterday (August 3), 50 Cent wasted no time boasting about the victory in court. On Instagram, 50 Cent posted a screenshot of HotNewHipHop‘s coverage captioned: “Fool thought he was GHOST da f*ck wrong with these n****s man LOL.”
50 Cent wasn’t the only party named in the lawsuit, originally filled in 2021. Power‘s co-creator Courtney Kemp, the Starz network, and Lionsgate were also named in the case. Although the likeness lawsuit has seemingly been dismissed, 50 Cent isn’t done fighting with Cory “Ghost” Holland in court.
Holland has also filed a $300 million lawsuit where he accused 50 Cent of intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon him and allegedly attempting to have him physically assaulted. Holland also claimed Lionsgate Entertainment didn’t make any effort to stop the harassment. This case is still pending.
The free channel, 50 Cent Action, is said to be an ad-supported offering of the company’s already plentiful film catalog including The Expendables, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and Rambo. But if you’re a fan of 50 Cent’s television or film work in front of or behind the camera, you’re in luck. More than a dozen films in which he starred as well as the original Power series will be made available on the network.
In a statement, Jim Packer, Lionsgate’s president of worldwide television distribution, shared his excitement about the venture. “50 Cent’s movies and television series are synonymous with non-stop action,” he said. “And we’re thrilled to extend our longstanding partnership into the FAST space.”
50 Cent also spoke out regarding the venture to THR. “I’ll make sure the quality of everything is there,” he said. “The platform has to be able to fit my original material. Give me one year, and I’ll be ranked the highest FAST channel.”
Some would consider this to be a rather bold claim, but after he declared he was the only person from hip-hop culture to produce quality projects, the public shouldn’t expect anything milder from 50 Cent.
It’s been a strange week for Kanye West music. The rapper announced that his new album, Vultures 2, will drop August 3rd. Then, a few hours after, he took the date down from his website. Fans have been waiting to hear the second installment in the Vultures trilogy for months, and they have to keep waiting. On the bright side, a Kanye West song has mysteriously leaked online. It’s not from Vultures 2 sessions, but from the Graduation sessions back in 2007. If that doesn’t sweeten the pot, the inclusion of JAY-Z will.
The leaked song is titled “Buildings.” Kanye West has never mentioned the song, and no snippet of it had ever been released prior to July 31. That said, fans can now listen to the entire four minute collab online. JAY-Z kicks off the song with a predictably excellent verse. The most interesting part of his verse is that some lines, particularly those referencing Cuban cigars and “doing donuts” in a lambo, were eventually repurposed for the single “Otis” in 2011. The contemplative, finally-made-it feel of the song is perfectly suited to name-dropping designer labels, which is what JAY does here. A few months later, Hov would drop American Gangster (2007).
Kanye West wins the song, though. The production is clean, with crisp piano keys littered throughout, and his verse is filled with clever bars. “Just tryna eat dog, tryna stay fresh,” he raps. “Now I got meals and I’m tryna eat less.” There’s even a reference to 50 Cent, who West was famously beefing with back in 2007. “Yeah mommy, I see you G, on the treadmill, bumping 50,” he spits. “Oh, I get it. You tryna loose that G-G-G-G-U-T.” There’s a ramshackle quality to West’s delivery, and given how polished the rest of Graduation is, one has to wonder whether he would’ve re-recorded his vocals. Regardless, the rawness is fascinating as a sort of studio time capsule.
The strangest part of “Buildings,” though, is Kanye West’s prediction of the future. The rapper was on top of the world in 2007, and hearing him reflect on his status is akin to hopping in a time machine. “As I caught a glimpse of my future,” he raps. “I got that feeling, knowing one day I’ma crush these buildings.” Kanye West wasn’t wrong. Listening to “Buildings” is going to be a bittersweet experience for anybody who misses the old Kanye. It’s a reminder of how relatable his music used to be, and a stark contrast to the music and statements in the present.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 50 Cent was asked about why he wanted to produce a documentary about Diddy. “I’m the only one from hip-hop culture that’s produced quality projects,” he said. “We do have a lot of talent within our culture where the talent has developed a comfortability in front of the camera, so they’re usually a part of it as an actor or driving force of why someone would watch the project; not the behind-the-scenes production, producing the whole project, so there’s a difference.”
The rapper and TV mogul was also asked about not attending Diddy’s parties. “He asked to take me shopping. I thought that was the weirdest shit in the world because that might be something that a man says to a woman,” he explained. “And I’m just like, ‘Naw, I’m not fucking with this weird energy or weird shit,’ coming off the way he was just moving. From that, I wasn’t comfortable around him.”
The Netflix documentary about Diddy does not currently have a premiere date.
50 Cent joined the calls to remove New York State Supreme Court Justice Erin Gall from her position. Earlier this week, police bodycam footage of the incident was released following an investigation. The video shows Gall telling Black teenagers to leave a high school graduation party following a confrontation over uninvited guests.
She tells them, “You’re not going to find your keys. You got to call an Uber and get off the property.” Gall added, “You’re going to get a cop escort home.” Gall also tried to get the police to arrest the Black teenagers for trespassing. “I’ve done this for a million years,” she said. “I’m a lawyer. I’m a judge. I know this.” She also adds that if the teens returned for their keys, “you can shoot them on the property. I’ll shoot them on the property,” a message for the police officers in the video.
The judge’s behavior outraged 50 Cent. On Wednesday, he took to Instagram with a new report featuring body-cam footage of the incident. “SMH, she should be removed. This is bad. Repost this video.” 50 wasn’t the only person left outraged. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued its report detailing their investigation of this incident on Monday. The report recommended Gall’s dismissal and found that she “created at least the appearance that she harbored racial bias,” during the July 2022 incident. Moreover, the panel also said Gall “repeatedly invoked her judicial office,” in her repeated attempts to have the Black teenage partygoers arrested.
“Her wide array of misconduct severely undermined public confidence in the judiciary and in her ability to serve as a fair and impartial judge,” the commission added in their report. ” [Erin Gall’s behavior] was as shocking as anything I have seen in my 40 years of judicial ethics enforcement,” said Robert H. Tembeckjian, the commission’s administrator. Gall’s attorney, Robert Julian, plans to challenge the ruling, according to CBS News. Gall is currently on paid suspension, having been unable to serve in her day job since the investigation began. It is unlikely that she’ll work in law again anytime soon.
50 Cent has a near universal approval rating as a social media presence. He regularly posts hilarious memes, trolls the likes of Diddy, and links up with artists he likes. 50 Cent and Cardi B are both New York legends, and we’re happy to assure readers that there’s no beef brewing between them. Instead, the G-Unit mogul dug up behind-the-scenes footage of Cardi B’s breakout video “Bodak Yellow.” The footage sees Cardi B very clearly freaked out by wild animal she interacts with, and 50 thinks it’s hilarious.
50 Cent posted the footage on his Instagram. The quality is not top-notch, but Cardi B can clearly be seen trying to rap “Bodak Yellow.” As anyone who’s seen the official video can recall, Cardi is holding a leopard on a leash during one of the set-ups. It’s a cool visual, but it’s one that evidently stressed the rapper out. Cardi B raps a few bars before the leopard turns her way and hisses. The rapper is very clearly (and understandably) freaked out by the incident. “Okay, no, no, no,” she tells someone off screen. “Come hold him.” A man is then heard ordering someone to “take him” away from Cardi B.
Obviously, the rapper got through the shoot unscathed. Knowing this, 50 Cent found the footage to be absolutely side-splitting. “Yo this this sh*t had me crying,” he wrote on Instagram. “Cardi said no come get him.” The rapper had a good laugh, but he admitted that he would be just as freaked out to be close to a wild animal without protection. “Lol hahahahaha,” he added. “I be scared of that sh*t too f*ck that.” 50 Cent is no stranger to music video complications, either. In 2012, the rapper was hospitalized shortly after the release of the video for “Complicated.”
50 Cent’s bulletproof SUV was rear-ended by a Mack truck on New York’s Long Island Expressway mere hours after the video dropped. The rapper, along with his driver, were sent to the hospital around 3 a.m. Fortunately, neither man was seriously hurt. According to XXL, they were released within hours. When he’s not scrolling through Instagram, 50 Cent is busy making tons off the streaming profits to his classic single “Many Men (Wish Death).” The song became a meme after the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and streaming numbers have shot up a staggering 300%.
While a huge part of the rap world has seemingly sided with Kendrick Lamar in his feud with Drake, there’s one cultural titan who isn’t letting their conflict get in the way of potentially collaborating with the Canadian hitmaker. 50, whose involvement in the vendetta has to date been limited to teasing his longtime rival Rick Ross for supposedly being attacked by Drake fans in Canada, shared a photo of himself hanging out with Drake at a club with a caption that suggested that they might be working together in the near future.
“Brain storming last night me and @champagnepapi gonna get the rolling,” he wrote. “Biggest ting on your TV.”
Of course, that prompted a bit of a backlash in 50’s comments section, with fans quoting lines from Kendrick’s infamous diss track “Not Like Us” and comparing the Toronto rapper to 50’s own onetime (possibly forever) enemy, Ja Rule. “Nah 50 he ain’t it,” wrote one fan. “That’s Kendrick’s Ja Rule.” Meanwhile, others cited 50’s connection to Dr. Dre, who co-signed Kendrick way back in the day and appeared at K. Dot’s Ken & Friend concerts to introduce “Not Like Us” — proving once again, that a lot of rap fans take this stuff WAY too seriously.
With 50 looking to expand his Power universe, perhaps the project they “brainstormed” on has something to do with Drake’s history as an actor and a producer — Top Boy crossover incoming? Now, that’s something worth getting excited about.
Fans are accusing 50 Cent of betraying Kendrick Lamar after meeting up with Drake at a party in Toronto over the weekend and teasing a collaboration. 50 posted a picture of the two together on Instagram on Sunday afternoon. “Brain [brain emoji] storming last night me and @champagnepapi gonna get the [camera emoji] rolling biggest ting on your TV GLG,” the caption reads. This suggests that 50 and Drake’s collaboration is related to television, not music. 50’s an accomplished TV producer, with his Power franchise celebrating ten years on the air last month. Drake is an executive producer on Netflix’s Top Boy revival and Euphoria. The latter is one of the most popular shows on HBO.
50 Cent meeting with Drake angered fans of Lamar. Some of them pointed out 50’s own history of attacking those who sided with his rivals. “You can’t do Ja Rule like that and go hang with the modern day Ja Rule,” said one user. Another user mentioned Drake’s own history as an actor, saying that they “don’t want to see [Drake] in Power” after this.
Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent have shared history. The two of them collaborated on the 2013 track “We Up.” Lamar also made a cameo in the fifth season of Power as Laces, a homeless drug addict who gets shot in the head by Kanan Stark, portrayed by 50 himself. Of course, the two of them have connections to Dr. Dre and Eminem. Both signed to Aftermath Entertainment at different points in the last two decades and found massive success. The two have since departed to forge their own paths. 50 went into TV and Lamar founded the pgLang production company.
Fans have also pointed out that 50 Cent and Drake’s meetup was likely in part because of a shared enemy: Rick Ross. Ross and 50 have had beef since the 2000s. Drake and Ross’s relationship deteriorated earlier this year, with the two of them taking petty shots at each other during the much bigger battle between the former and Kendrick Lamar. Drake claimed credit for Ross’s crossover success. Ross referred to Drake as “BBL Drizzy,” alleging that Drake uses Ozempic and paid for ab sculpting surgery. Ross recently got into a fight for playing “Not Like Us” in Vancouver. Drake’s and 50’s meetup is a hot topic, and it will be interesting to see what comes of it.
Music mogul and cofounder of Murder Inc. Records, Irv Gotti, faces serious allegations of sexual assault and abuse. According to People, an unnamed woman has come forward with claims against the 54-year-old producer, detailing a harrowing two-year ordeal. The accusations, outlined in a lawsuit filed on July 11 in Miami, span from 2020 to 2022. The plaintiff, who met Gotti through a mutual friend at a poker game, alleges multiple incidents of coercion and assault. Here is a detailed breakdown of the allegations and their implications.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 20: Music producer Irv Gotti attends the BET Networks 2016 Upfront at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 20, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/BET/Getty Images for BET Networks)
The plaintiff states she first encountered Irv Gotti in 2020 at a poker game facilitated by a mutual acquaintance. Shortly after this meeting, Gotti allegedly invited her on a trip to St. Martin. During this vacation, she claims he pressured her into a sexual relationship, threatening to send her home if she did not comply with his demands. This marked the beginning of what she describes as a prolonged period of abuse.
The Relationship & Ongoing Abuse
Irv Gotti of Inc. during Ja Rule’s Birthday Party at LQ Nightclub in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Upon returning from St. Martin, the woman asserts that she entered into a relationship with Gotti that lasted until 2022. Throughout this period, she alleges she was subjected to continuous abuse. The plaintiff describes instances of forced sexual acts, including a particularly traumatic incident in January 2022, where she claims Gotti coerced her into performing oral sex in a hotel elevator in Miami.
Irv Gotti of Inc. during Ja Rule’s Birthday Party at LQ Nightclub in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
The abuse allegedly continued with another forced sexual encounter in the back of an Uber in Atlanta later in 2022. According to the lawsuit, these repeated assaults caused the plaintiff severe emotional and psychological distress, ultimately leading to her hospitalization in a psychiatric facility. Her legal team emphasizes the profound impact of these events on her mental health.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial and seeks compensatory damages for the alleged abuse. The plaintiff’s attorney, Adriana AlcaldeIn, highlights the courage required to come forward with such allegations, noting the supportive environment fostered by the #MeToo movement. Efforts to contact Gotti’s representatives for comment were unsuccessful.
50 Cent, however, didn’t spare Irv Gotti after the news broke. “The legal fee’s are gonna break his ass in half, he ain’t got no money. Welp that all folks,” he wrote on Instagram. Considering the magnitude of the allegations, we don’t expect Gotti to respond anytime soon.
Apparently, no owls were harmed in the making of Kendrick Lamar’s hilarious video game version of “Not Like Us,” but fans are having a blast bopping the birds in the Whac-A-Mole-esque browser game for the past few days. For what it’s worth, the little “Wop”s that pop out when you make contact is an adorable touch.
Kendrick isn’t the only rapper whose had their music turned into a memorable digital mayhem, though; he’s actually the latest in a long line of rappers with games tied to their songs — a list that includes superstars like Future, Kanye West, and more. Sadly, some of the simple, browser-based games have gone offline after their initial releases, since they were timed to help promote specific projects.
But over the years, there have been big studio-produced games that put fans in the shoes of their favorite MCs to do everything from shooting hoops to brawling in the streets. Here’s a list of 10 more rapper-approved video games to feed your fix for beats, rhyme, and extra lives.
50 Cent: Bulletproof
A third-person action shooter in the vein of genre classics like Max Payne, this PlayStation 2-era revenge story was widely panned for having bad gameplay. While it proved 50’s early interest in expanding his G-Unit empire, it also betrayed a lack of care in how it did so.
Chance The Rapper: SuperMe
The story behind this game’s creation is more endearing than the game itself, thanks to its simple gameplay. However basic it is, though, it’s cool that Chance worked with Chicago’s public school system to encourage kids to learn to code.
Doja Cat Website for Planet Her
Excited to finally reveal that I created all the pixel art with RCA Records to revamp @dojacat ‘s website into a whole top-down pixel adventure. It was a lot of fun and I had lots of freedom in creating the city and the style. (1/3)#dojacat#rcarecords#pixelartpic.twitter.com/aFtxZNjDvJ
While not technically a game, per se, the 16-bit pixel art style for the interactive redesign of Doja’s website circa Planet Her made it very game-like. That you also navigated a tiny avatar of Doja through the titular world makes it all the more a shame it’s not accessible anymore.
Earthgang: Mirrorland
Pixel artist Ali Graham has had a lot of fun turning popular hip-hop moments into cute, 8- and 16-bit animations on Instagram. Atlanta rap duo Earthgang tapped him to make a full-blown side-scrolling adventure platformer for the release of their 2019 album, Mirrorland.
Future: I Won
Probably the grossest game on the list (although its attitude toward women isn’t exactly an outlier in either games design or hip-hop), this basic game is a bit like a ring toss, only the targets are scantily clad digital women, and the rings are chain necklaces. Yeesh.
Kanye West: Lil Ye Adventures
Although technically not officially endorsed by Kanye himself, this one’s almost too good not to include. Another of Graham’s creations, this one is based on Graham’s first cartoon avatar, a child-like version of Kanye from when he was way less problematic.
Aside from the games no longer in circulation, this one may very well be one of the hardest to obtain. A promotional product hyping his 2022 album Heroes & Villains, this dungeon crawler was released in limited quantities as a physical Game Boy game. I can’t exactly speak to its quality — despite having a copy, I haven’t actually owned a Game Boy since like 2003.
Nicki Minaj: The Empire
A lifestyle simulator might have seemed like a home run for Ms. Minaj’s first foray into mobile gaming, but its dated format is a relic of several outdated ideas about women in gaming (and its developers’ lazy assumptions that Nicki’s audience would be primarily women).
Def Jam Vendetta, Fight For NY, and Icon
Like a video game version of a posse cut, these games collect a roster of rapper to beat the hell out of each other in martial competition. The first one was a groundbreaking delight, the second is a damn classic, and the third tossed out a winning formula, effectively killing interest in the format. This is my semi-annual request for someone to figure out a way to do a new one of these with contemporary rappers (in the style of Fight for NY, not Icon).
Rap Jam Volume One
An utterly legendary release, likely thrown together to compete with the popularity of the NBA Jam franchise, Rap Jam has the distinction of being the first game to bring together a collective of real-life rappers — ’90s staples like Coolio, House of Pain, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and Yo-Yo — for an unhinged basketball game that flouted the rules. It was developed by Motown during another one of the label’s ill-fated attempts at branching out, and while its name might suggest that there were more of these, its unimpressive quality meant that it was also the last of its kind.
da f*ck wrong with these n****s man 
LOL.” 
(@CrAstro2) 
storming last night me and @champagnepapi gonna get the 
rolling,” he wrote. “Biggest ting on your TV.”
