50 Cent has revealed that he initially took on multiple roles related to the production of the hit series Power during the early seasons of the show.
During his recent interview with Steve Stoute at UnitedMasters’ SelectConNYC event, the G-Unit rap mogul and television powerhouse dropped a bombshell about his early earnings on the hit STARZ series Power. Despite wearing multiple hats on the show, 50 Cent told attendees that he was only pulling in a modest $17,000 per episode.
“In the Power series, I was receiving $17,000 to be an executive producer, to be a reoccurring character, to be almost a music supervisor, to create the theme song for the show,” 50 Cent said.
When Steve Stoute pressed for confirmation, 50 Cent further peeled back the layers, revealing the major pay discrepancy between his walk-thru fees for appearances versus what he was making for his significant roles within the production of the series.
“$17,000 per episode — I get paid more to go to the nightclub and wave,” he said.
50 Cent then explained that his vision extended beyond the paycheck and was driven by his determination to prove the value of his brainchild.
“I just wanted them [STARZ] to get pregnant with the idea that we have to have this baby,” he said. Stoute dug deeper, questioning what drove Jackson to work on the series for a rate so far below his usual earnings.
“I wanted to make the show,” 50 Cent said, adding that his determination wasn’t just about personal gain but about telling a story that resonated with his culture.
“No one in our culture has made any television and produced what they wanted to make,” he concluded.
Today, Power is far more than a cult classic, considering the franchise has cemented itself in TV history. The original series attracted over 2 million viewers per episode at its peak and generated hundreds of millions in revenue for STARZ.
Throughout six seasons and numerous spinoffs—including Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book III: Raising Kanan—the franchise has received critical acclaim and several NAACP Image Awards, solidifying 50 Cent’s gamble as one of the best of his career. Not to mention that 50 Cent also won a $1 billion lawsuit in August over the series after defeating ex-drug kingpin Cory “Ghost” Holland in a court battle after he claimed the entertainment mogul stole his life story to create Power.
The rap star defeated three legal actions brought against him by Holland in connection to the lawsuit filed in 2021 against 50 Cent, Courtney Kemp, Starz and Lionsgate, asserting that Power unlawfully reflected Holland’s life without consent.