animation

50 Cent Reacts To Animated Video Showcasing His Best Songs

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50 Cent recently shared an animated video on Twitter featuring homages to some of the best songs from his career. The clip references “In Da Club,” “Many Men (Wish Death),” “P.I.M.P.,” and more. After posting the video, 50 shared a link to his website to buy tickets for his upcoming, The Final Lap Tour.

“This is cool, we got some real talented people out here,” 50 captioned the clip. The video begins by referencing 50 Cent’s iconic music video for “In Da Club,” in which he raps while hanging upside down. It’s a move 50 recently recreated while performing a the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Although, 50 admitted to USA Today, last week, that he regrets doing so.

Read More: 50 Cent Admits Hanging Upside Down At Super Bowl Was A “Mistake”

50 Cent At The Super Bowl Halftime Show

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: 50 Cent performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

“I think that was a mistake for the Super Bowl,” he said of being upside down. “Everybody else walked in regular, the songs still went over and they got the trophy, too. They all won an Emmy. They got the same thing I got and I had to put myself upside down.” 50 performed alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige.

The animated video comes after the 20th Anniversary of his iconic debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. In honor of the milestone, 50 is traveling across the world to perform hits from the project on The Final Lap Tour. He’s lined up stops in Toronto, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Houston, Amsterdam, Oslo, Paris, and many more throughout the year. His first show will be in Salt Lake City, Utah at the end of July.

50 Cent’s Animated Video

Further speaking with USA Today, 50 said of the tour: “It’s gonna be a whole new show. Sometimes out of habit, you go to certain records. People love other things on it, so I wanna make sure I touch those records before I don’t do those anymore.”

Read More: 50 Cent Announces Global Tour

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Apple’s Hip-Hop 50 Illustrator Black Power Barbie Discusses Rap Nostalgia Animations

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2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, sparking international celebration among fans of the genre. Influential organizations have contributed to commemorating the New York City-born musical style, including Showtime’s HIP HOP 50 series and NPR’s 50 Years of Hip Hop podcast. Apple also joined in the festivities and commissioned Amika Cooper (known professionally as Black Power Barbie) to create animations for their digital storefront. The tech company displayed the completed project in their App Store during Black History Month.

Born in the Big Apple but raised in Toronto, Cooper currently resides in Brooklyn. In an interview with Complex Canada, the illustrator discussed how her connection to the city inspired her project for Apple. “When I’m working on my personal projects,” she explained, “during that process you start to think about the person, the world they live in, and I think that’s what helps you understand what they’re about.” The artist added, “that’s another part of my style that became important to me, trying to create a nostalgic feel so that when people see something, they can recognize the time and place surrounding that character.”

Black Power Barbie’s Tribute To Hip Hop Reflects On Its NYC Roots

Cooper also describes her research process for the animation, including gaining knowledge about the history of the genre, and its widespread influences on the culture. “Just living in Brooklyn, I knew New York had to be a big part of it,” she explains. “I walk past history every day. Then you get the fashion, like wearing Adidas shell toes and bamboo earrings.” The artist notes how we often forget how the genre is rooted in the 70s, saying, “people forget that it didn’t really start with Biggie.”

Just last week, Cooper proudly took to Instagram to share her completed project, which commemorates many stages of the development of hip-hop. Playing alongside Black Star’s 1998 track “Definition,” the animation itself boasts vibrant colors and distinguishable characters. It swiftly roles through the genre’s vinyl past to digital present. Although Cooper notes the time-consuming hard work she contributed to the project, it’s evident that the final result is a thoughtful ode to the genre. For more news on hip-hop and pop culture, be sure to check out HNHH.

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