50 Cent Turned Down $1.3M While Dead Broke — And the Real Reason Has Everything to Do With Eminem

Before the fame, before the money, 50 Cent walked away from a $1.3 million deal when he had almost nothing. No safety net. No guarantees. Just a decision that could’ve ended everything. Years later, he finally explains why — and how Eminem’s loyalty played a role in a move most people would never dare make.

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50 Cent Explains Why He Rejected a $1.3M Deal When He Was Broke & Shows Loves to Eminem

As they say, the rest is history.

50 Cent and Eminem attend the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for Dr. Dre on March 19, 2024, in Hollywood.Monica Schipper/Getty Images 

50 Cent’s intuition and pettiness helped guide him to rap glory. The G-Unit mogul looked back on turning down a million-dollar deal with Universal, which was a blessing that led him to sign with Eminem and Dr. Dre.

50 posted a clip on X on Wednesday (Jan. 14) of the late Irv Gotti talking about how he was trying to block 50’s deal with Universal Music Group over the Queens rapper’s feud with his Murder Inc. label, which operated under the Def Jam/Universal umbrella in the early 2000s.

50 Cent ended up rejecting the alleged $1.3 million offer from Universal. He ended up meeting Eminem, who introduced 50 to Dr. Dre, and, well, the rest is history. 50 signed a million-dollar deal with Shady Records through Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment in 2002.

“[Tony] Yayo did not understand why I wouldn’t do a deal with universal they offered me 1.3 mill and we was broke,” 50 recalled. “I said No yall can keep that. Now you see why I love Eminem so much, if he ran your kid over with a car. I’d say No he didn’t! LOL.”

50 and Em remain close to this day, more than 20 years later, and they’ve teamed up for a handful of collaborations over the years, including “Don’t Push Me,” “Gatman & Robin” and “Patiently Waiting.”

During a 2023 backstage interview with Apple Music’s The Rebecca Judd Show at O2 Arena, 50 revealed that the first purchase he made with his rap money after signing a deal was a Mercedes Benz for his grandma.

“I bought my grandmother a C220 Benz. I’ll never forget because when I got the car, I got it right away is the first thing I bought when the deal was done,” he said.

Things turned out OK for 50, who went on as dominant a run that rap has ever seen in the mid-2000s, while selling millions of albums, topping the charts and notching profitable brand deals.

Even though he’s still not releasing new music and running the charts, 50 remains a pillar of hip-hop culture, and has pivoted to owning spirits brands as well as running his lucrative film/television production company.