STARZ

50 Cent: The Media Mogul

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50 Cent’s journey into becoming a media mogul began when he burst onto the scene as an abrasive rapper. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is held as one of the greatest debut hip-hop albums of all time. Chronicling the violent streets of Queens, New York, the album’s “we made it” narrative and chart-topping anthems, such as “In Da Club” or “21 Questions,” would elevate 50 Cent into a pocket of stardom. His career has seen him nominated for a double-digit amount of Grammys. While his music career began to diminish as he transitioned into other arenas, his classics make him one of the highest-streamed hip-hop artists to this day.

However, 50 Cent was always a businessman at heart. After the success of Get Rich or Die Tryin’, he got to work on forming his own record label. By 2003, 50 Cent had founded G-Unit Records. Signing the likes of Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, the label would quickly become a formidable force in the hip-hop industry. It was just the beginning for 50 Cent, who stands with the likes of Diddy and Jay-Z on the shortlist of rappers who’ve made successful transitions into other industries.

50 Cent Became A Mainstream Actor By The Late 2000s

HOLLYWOOD, CA – MAY 10: Executive producer/Rapper Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson attends the For Your Consideration Event for STARZs’ “Power” at ArcLight Hollywood on May 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

50 Cent’s first concrete film role was in the crime drama Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Starring in a film about himself was a genius move from 50 Cent. He took advantage of his success as a musician to ease into the acting world. Intended to mirror 50 Cent’s upbringing, the film is a tale of an inner-city drug dealer who turns away from a life of crime to pursue his passion for music. While the film received mixed reviews, 50 Cent’s success as the spotlight of the film would earn him additional opportunities in the industry. Soon after that, he would act in high-grossing films such as Home of the Brave alongside Steven Jackson. The military drama saw 50 Cent play Jamal Aiken. He was a bitter Army National Guard Soldier who had difficulty re-adjusting to civilian life.

However, his highest-grossing film as an actor would come in the form of Righteous Kill. 50 Cent would act alongside film icons Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. He starred in the film as a drug dealer named Spider, who is murdered by a corrupt police team. Throughout 50 Cent’s acting career, many of his roles have reflected that of an enforcer or drug dealer. Fitting along with his gangster image from his MC days, he’s acted in similar films such as Den of Thieves and Before I Self Destruct. Throughout the late 2000s, he acted in various crime films.

Power Was 50 Cent’s Big Break As A Producer

As 50 Cent has proven throughout his career, he’s not one to be satisfied with where he’s currently at. After carving out successful careers as a rapper and an actor, he began looking towards production in film roles. His big break would be Power. Airing on Starz, the show would become one of the most successful on the platform, airing for six seasons. Like many of 50 Cent’s acting roles, the show is a crime drama. Power throws the viewer into a world of drug use and politics. Before the show’s success, he had also produced All Things Fall Apart and Fire with Fire. However, Power solidified 50 Cent as an iconic media mogul.

50 Cent Is Pivoting Into An Ownership Position

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JULY 26: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson of ‘Power’ speaks onstage during the Starz segment of the Summer 2019 Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 26, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Power isn’t the only successful show that 50 Cent executive produced. He also played an instrumental role in the success of BMF. The 2-season show gives a haphazard look into the rise of the origins of a black mafia family in Detroit. His real-life son depicts Big Meech in the form of Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. BMF is a coming-of-age story based in the violent streets of Detroit. In addition, 50 Cent made his first appearance as a director on the show on Episode 7 of Season 1. If he is any indicator, his director appearance is likely a sign of things to come for 50 Cent. In addition, he’s set to star in The Expendables 4 alongside Jason Statham and Megan Fox. The film is expected to hit theaters in September.

Surprisingly, recent developments have hinted at 50 Cent looking to break away from Starz. He’s currently spearheading the construction of a 985,000-square-foot G-Unit Studio. The site intends to act as a film and television studio for his own network. He stated, “I have the number 1,2,3, and 4 top TV shows in African American and Latina households, and I hate that I did them with the wrong people. I’m not doing any BMF spinoffs or selling any shows to STARZ.” In addition, he penned a three-project deal with media company Lusid Media in October of 2022. Already highly successful as an actor and producer, the next stage of his media career will focus on ownership.

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STARZ Sets Season Two Premiere Date for ‘Power Book IV: Force’

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STARZ Sets Season Two Premiere Date for 'Power Book IV: Force'

The second season of Power Book IV: Force, which stars Joseph Sikora as fan favorite Tommy Egan, will debut on Friday, Sept. 1 at midnight ET on all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms as well as internationally on the LIONSGATE+ premium streaming platform in Brazil, Spanish-speaking Latin America, the UK, and Ireland.

It will have its linear television debut in the US and Canada on STARZ at 8 PM ET/PT. In addition, the network unveiled a first-look image and a new teaser of Tommy, who is more motivated than ever to take on Chicago’s heroin trade or suffer the repercussions.

The forthcoming season’s summary reads:

After cutting ties in New York, Tommy Egan’s newfound family and ruthless drug game enticed him to stay in Chicago.  The explosive second season begins with Tommy on a mission to avenge the death of Lilliana, his former nemesis turned business partner.  With Diamond (Isaac Keys) and Jenard (Kris D. Lofton) at odds, the Flynn organization weakened, and a new connect on the scene, Tommy is more determined than ever to take over the Chicago drug world. 

Season two of Force stars Joseph Sikora (“Power,” “Ozark”) as “Tommy Egan,” Isaac Keys (“Get Shorty,” “The Oath”) as “Diamond Sampson,” Lili Simmons (“Banshee,” “Ray Donovan”) as “Claudia Flynn,” Shane Harper (“Hightown,” “A Teacher”) as “Vic Flynn,” Kris D. Lofton (“Ballers,” “Snowfall”) as “Jenard Sampson,” Carmela Zumbado (“You,” “Chicago PD”) as “Mireya Garcia,” Manuel Eduardo Ramirez (“Snowfall,” “Queen of the South”) as “Miguel Garcia,” Miriam A. Hyman (“The Chi,” “The Laundromat”) as “US Attorney Stacy Marks,” Adrienne Walker (“Law & Order: Organized Crime,” “FBI”) as “Shanti ‘Showstopper’ Page,” Anthony Fleming III (“Prison Break,” “The Beast”) as “JP,” Lucien Cambric (“Chicago P.D.,” “The Chi”) as “D-Mac,” and Tommy Flanagan (“Sons of Anarchy,” Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) as “Walter Flynn.”

The post STARZ Sets Season Two Premiere Date for ‘Power Book IV: Force’ appeared first on The Source.

Omari Hardwick Says He Was Made An Offer To Return To “Power”

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Power and its various sequels have been a smash hit for Starz and series creator 50 Cent. The original show, Power, ran for six seasons from 2014 and 2020. It centered on drug dealer James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) as he tried to leave the world of crime behind.

However, Hardwick was left behind when Power ended in 2020. While three spinoffs/sequels (Ghost, Raising Kanan, and Force) have been created and enjoying equal success, Hardwick has not returned. Even though one of the sequels, Ghost, bares his character’s name, he still hasn’t appeared. Instead, the show focuses on his character’s son as he tries to navigate his own life, as well as his father’s legacy.

Starz Allegedly Ghosted Hardwick

During the press tour for the upcoming The Mother, Hardwick was asked whether he would reprise his role as Ghost. “It would have to be the perfect thing,” Hardwick lamented before revealing a shocking twist. “They asked me before to come back. They asked me in the last year and a half to come back. When I was offered this, when I was in Boston reading this script. I was in Boston saying “and then this”. And then the “then this” went to Starz and then they didn’t come back. They didn’t give me what I wanted on the “then this”. So if they gave me the “then this”…but it would need to be the right “that”.”

Despite Hardwick helping make Power what it is today, it appears that Starz wasn’t willing to pay out to get him back. Perhaps this is part of the reason that 50 Cent is looking to move away from the network. However, this is sadly nothing new. Neve Campbell did not return for 2023’s Scream 6 after being lowballed by studio executives. Despite the fact there would be no Scream franchise without Campbell, the rights owners weren’t willing to pay her a fair rate. Since leaving Power, Hardwick has enjoyed a modicum of mainstream success. He has appeared in Army of the Dead and its unreleased spinoff Lost Vegas. Furthermore, he has appeared in Fantasy Football and Pieces of Her.

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50 Cent Buys 985,000 Square Foot Studio For Film & TV Projects

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50 Cent says that he’s purchased a 985,000-square-foot studio for future film and television projects. The New York rapper shared a video of the space on Instagram, Saturday.

“Well, would you look at here,” he said in the video. “985,000 square feet. Can you say G-Unit studios?” He continued in the caption of the post: “GLG [traffic light emoji] GreenLightGang G-unit film & TV [Bomb emoji] BOOM [Wind emoji] I need room to work [shrug emoji] I don’t miss [Bullseye emoji] [Television emoji] will never be the same.”

50 Cent At The Premiere Of “Power”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 20: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson attends the “Power” Final Season World Premiere at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on August 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Fans in the comments section of 50’s post expressed their excitement regarding new shows and films. “STILL studying,” DaBaby wrote below. YG also commented several fire emojis while LaLa Anthony wrote “Yes!!!!!! Let’s goooooooo!!!!!!!” 50 and his G Unit & Television Inc. company have been responsible for several hit shows in recent years including Power, Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Black Mafia Family (BMF), and Power Book IV: Force.

Despite having numerous projects in the works, one effort 50 won’t be going forward on as of now is his series on NFL agent Nicole Lynn. Lynn represents several stars including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts who recently netted a deal worth nearly $255 million. In a rant on Instagram, after news of that deal broke, 50 slammed STARZ for passing up on his show. “Nicole Lynn is no joke i told STARZ, they didn’t listen. They paid for development then had a change of heart. Now you know i’m gonna sell this show in no time. GLG [traffic light emojis] GreenLightGang bullseye [target emoji] i don’t miss #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi,” 50 Cent wrote in the post’s caption.

In terms of other series 50 is working on, he is currently in early development on the unscripted tattoo transformation series titled Redemption Ink for Hulu. The show will follow ex-gang and hate group members who have changed their paths in life.

50 Cent’s New Studio Space

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50 Cent Blasts Starz… Again

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The poor network can’t seem to escape Curtis Jackson’s wrath, does it? This time around, 50 Cent blasted Starz for passing on an NFL Powerbroker series on league agent Nicole Lynn. For those unaware, the 34-year-old recently had the biggest moment of her career so far, nabbing her client Jalen Hurts (quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles), the biggest annual average deal in NFL history at $255 million. Moreover, 50 took to Instagram to claim that the network originally funded the show’s development, but then backtracked. With that in mind, he loaded up some more Instagram shots.

“Nicole Lynn is no joke i told STARZ, they didn’t listen,” 50 Cent wrote in his IG post. “They paid for development then had a change of heart. Now you know i’m gonna sell this show in no time. GLG GreenLightGang bullseye i don’t miss.” Before leaving Starz in September of 2022, the “P.I.M.P.” MC ran various hit shows like “Power” and “BMF.” However, this February, he signed a deal with Fox for future on-screen project in partnership with his G-Unit Film & Television production company.

50 Cent Trashes Starz Once More

“I am excited to formalize a partnership with Michael Thorn and FOX that will allow G-Unit Film & Television to focus on putting multiple series on FOX, a perfect broadcast destination for G-Unit Film & Television content while our premium, streaming, scripted and non-scripted slates continue to grow in all directions,” he expressed in a statement. Last time he blasted Starz, 50 Cent expressed regret in seeing such success with “the wrong people.”

“I have the number 1,2,3, and 4 top Tv shows in African American, and Latina households and i hate that i did them with the wrong people,” he expressed on social media. “I’m not doing any BMF spin offs or selling any other shows to STARZ.” Regardless of that soured relationship, it certainly won’t stop 50 Cent from continuing to make massive moves in the entertainment space. In fact, he just nabbed a new series development deal with Hulu for a redemptive tattoo show with ex-gang and hate group members. For the latest news and updates on the G-Unit mogul, log back into HNHH.

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50 Cent Says He “Hates” Starz Success & Won’t Produce “BMF” Spin-Offs With Them

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It’s no secret that STARZ wouldn’t have the same type of success they’ve had if it wasn’t for 50 Cent. The “Candy Shop” rapper introduced successful franchises, such as Power, which raked in tons of revenue for the network. At one point, Starz confirmed that Power Book III: Raising Kanan brought in 1 million subscribers within the week the spin-off debuted. Unfortunately, it seems as though Starz hasn’t given 50 Cent his dues for their success.

The rapper continued to elevate their programming with further spin-offs of Power, as well as the launch of BMF. However, a few other projects that he was going to produce from them, including The Massacre and a Snoop Dogg-inspired series titled Murder Was The Case, were canceled. Fif announced that he’d be taking them to another network before announcing the end of his deal with them. “STARZ deal done, we had nothing but success so no hard feelings. i’m out. I’ll let you know where we are going shortly,” he wrote on social media after the contract ended.

50 Cent No Longer Producing “BMF” Spin-Off For Starz

Apparently, there are hard feelings toward STARZ. Fif hit Twitter this morning where he expressed his “hate” towards the network’s success. Unfortunately, the resentment he harbors toward them means that we won’t get any more spin-offs of BMF. “I have the number 1,2,3, and 4 top Tv shows in African American, and Latina households and i hate that i did them with the wrong people. I’m not doing any BMF spin offs or selling any other shows to STARZ,” he explained.

Fortunately, Fif got plenty of options. Last year, he inked a Content Partnership deal with Lusid Media with a true crime series slated to debut on Peacock. Most recently, 50 Cent and Fox struck a deal to produce multiple television series and films. The non-exclusive deal allows 50 Cent to work with other companies to produce further projects, though Fox will get first dibs. Earlier this week, Fif also announced that he’ll be producing a new animated series titled Lady Danger starring Nicki Minaj for Amazon Freevee. We’ll keep you posted on any more updates surrounding that. 

‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Becomes STARZ’s Biggest Premiere Ever

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Power Book II: Ghost

In its first three days, Power Book II: Ghost on STARZ broke all previous marks for the network’s best premiere weekend. According to preliminary reports, the much-awaited third season delivered 5.8 million multiplatform viewers after its first weekend. The popularity of the third season of the popular show, which debuted on March 17, increased by almost 30% from the start of season two in November of the previous year.

While Tariq, Brayden, and the Tejada family are mourning Zeke’s passing, this season kicked off in dramatic fashion with all new twists, turns, and murder. However, they won’t have much time to do so because a new set of issues and questions soon appear. Even more family conflict, betrayals, and unexpected new alliances are there in this season, making it flashier, juicer, and sexier. With her family, Monet is at a crossroads, Brayden must decide between his birth family and his adopted family, and Tariq is leveling up this season.

Season three of Ghost cast includes Michael Rainey Jr. as “Tariq St. Patrick,” Mary J. Blige as “Monet Stewart Tejada,” Cliff “Method Man” Smith as “Davis MacLean,” Gianni Paolo as “Brayden Weston,” Woody McClain as “Cane Tejada,” Lovell Adams-Gray as “Dru Tejada,” LaToya Tonodeo as “Diana Tejada,” Berto Colon as “Lorenzo Tejada,” Alix Lapri as “Effie Morales,” Larenz Tate as “Rashad Tate,” Shane Johnson as “Cooper Saxe,” Paton Ashbrook as “Jenny Sullivan,” Monique Curnen as “Detective Blanca Rodriguez,” Keesha Sharp as “Professor Harper Bennet,” David Walton as “Lucas Weston,” Moriah Brown as “KeKe Travis,” Luna Lauren Velez as “Evelyn Castillo,” Caroline Chikezie as “Noma” and Lightskinkeisha as “Brushaundria Carmichael.”

The post ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Becomes STARZ’s Biggest Premiere Ever appeared first on The Source.

50 Cent’s $1 Billion ‘Power’ Lawsuit Might Be Heading To Mediation In New York City

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50 Cent Starz Power Season 6 Premiere 2019
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50 Cent’, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, is no stranger to filing and being on the receiving end of a civil lawsuit (see penis enhancement or former employee embezzlement lawsuits). However, as his co-executive produced series Power Book II: Ghost, starring Michael Rainey Jr., Method Man, and Mary J. Blige, made its return to the Starz network last week, the pending lawsuit surrounding it is also back in the headlines.

In April 2021, a gentleman by the name of Corey Holland Sr., whose nickname is Ghost, filed a $1 billion lawsuit again Jackson, the STARZ network, and series creator Courtney Kemp, alleging that the beloved show was based on his likeness. Holland believes that Kemp was inspired to current the show after obtaining a copy of his CD Blasphemy, which was originally given to Kemp’s father in 2007. He believes the seventh season of Power and the first two seasons of Power Book II: Ghost were directly inspired by that CD.

Given that Power has now birthed three spin-offs for the network (Power Book II: Ghost, Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force), Holland feels that the $1 billion asking price for supposed intellectual property theft is justified.

According to HotNewHipHop, because the rapper’s legal team never responded to Holland’s complaint, the courts ordered all parties to come to a resolution through mediation. Although no date has been formally set, it is being reported that mediation could begin as soon as May.

He also alleged in court documents reviewed by the outlet that 50 Cent himself showed up at his home as he filed suit against him and attempted to start a physical altercation between the two of them.

50 Cent has not yet issued a statement about the allegations or the lawsuit.