You know you’ve hit bottom when you’re ensnared in a homophobic PR nightmare and you’re being offered advice from 50 Cent.
In an interview with E!’s Nightly Pop, 50 Cent called embattled rapper DaBaby “a really talented, special artist” who is still figuring out how to be in the public eye after igniting a firestorm last month by making offensive comments about gay people and HIV/AIDS, followed by a non-apology, and then another apology that he later took back.
“He just transitioned from being in that pool that everyone’s in as a rap artist,” the 44-year-old, who endorsed Donald Trump in 2020, said. “They didn’t notify him that he’s turning into a superstar.”
But this doesn’t quite square with what DaBaby said on his own Twitter page, where he recently announced he has accepted God’s challenge to be an “icon”.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
I was tryna be a rapper for like one more year God ready for me to be a ICON now. This what I asked for I proudly accept the challenge ????? lets get it.
— DaBaby (@DaBabyDaBaby) July 30, 2021
“He’s just two years into his career, there’s no artist development, no A&R, and he’s definitely had no media training,” 50 Cent continued.
“There’s nobody that tells you, ‘now you’re being held to these standards that are mainstream standards that you can’t say things, you can’t do these different things’.”
As for DaBaby’s since-deleted apology to the LGBTQ community, 50 Cent said that was just sloppy PR.
“He didn’t have a publicist involved,” he said. “That’s why the response took so long. Even his apologies. … The first apology attempt at it is what made it worse.”
Asked whether he thinks DaBaby will be able to weather this storm, 50 Cent said he believes he will.
“Yeah, he will. As long as he keeps his consistency with the music. Remember they canceled Chris Brown, five, six times?”
We’re not sure it’s helpful to compare DaBaby to a guy who is best known for beating his girlfriend so badly that she needed to be hospitalized, but we digress.
Of course, 50 Cent is no stranger to homophobic scandals himself. He’s been using his platform to spew anti-LGTBQ vitriol for nearly 20 years.
In 2004, he told Playboy that he wasn’t “into f*ggots” and doesn’t like gay people around him “because I’m not comfortable with what their thoughts are.”
In 2010, he said any man who doesn’t sleep with women should “just kill” themselves and make the world a “better place.” That same year he also made a joke about sending a gunman to “shoot up a gay wedding.”
If you a man and your over 25 and you don't eat pu**y just kill your self damn it. The world will be a better place. Lol
— 50cent (@50cent) September 30, 2010
In 2014, he alleged Diddy, Rick Ross, and ex-record exec Steve Stout were all gay in a same-sex relationship together. And in 2015, he complained that Empire, Lee Daniels’ acclaimed LGBTQ-inclusive series about a hip-hip music company, had too much “extra gay stuff.”
Then there are his many, many, many social media posts from over the years mocking LGBTQ people, particularly trans people, including Dwyane Wade’s 12-year-old daughter, Zaya, who come out just last year.
Despite never apologizing for any of this, 50 Cent recently said it “stings” when people label him a homophobe.
Watch 50 Cent talk about the DaBaby scandal below. Or don’t.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
SDR94103
they are both MORONS.
G-Man
I totally agree with you, I bet you could put both of their brains together and still not have one complete brain.
Sqwoah
Media training will only prevent an a**hole from saying homophobic things publicly. The bar however, is higher than that. You’re not supposed to have hateful thoughts and feelings in the first place.
humble charlie
Not supposed to have hateful thoughts?! This is the human species we’re talking about, right?
humble charlie
It hurt Hitler and Stalin that people called them murdering psychopaths.
Jon in Canada
And I care what a homophobic thug rapist has to say about another homophobe because why? Oh that’s right, I don’t.
Kangol2
50 Cent is craptastic, a Don the Con supporter, and a diehard homophobe obsessed with gay and trans people, but I’ll ask again, whom did 50 Cent “rape”? He kicked an ex-girlfriend, but was he charged with or even alleged to have committed rape, like his fave Don the Con?
jonasalden
Thug, huh? Careful with your OWN coded speech!
Openminded
I don’t think referring to 50 cent as a “thug” involves any “coded” speech. It’s the simple truth, he is the exact definition of what a “thug” is. It’s ironic to hear him, a black man, make statements that clearly indicate it doesn’t matter what you think, it’s how you speak to the public that counts. The civil black community has been trying to wake up the majority of the white community to the fact that we must change our engrained thoughts and beliefs before we can even begin to speak with true honesty about racial issues.
Kangol2
On a certain level, 50 Cent is saying that it all comes down to PR; if you have the right PR and choice defenders, you can weather almost any scandal, no matter how horrible you are. Look at 50 Cent’s favorite politician Don the Con! In DaBoob’s case, he screwed up with his repeated non-apologies, and lost his bag, as they say, with valuable venues canceling his shows and his top collaborator, Dua Lipa, criticizing his homophobia. You’d think that we’d never hear from 50 Cent again after all of his homophobic and transphobic garbage, but he knows how to use PR and sympathetic outlets to stay in the media. Ignoring him would be best for all.
Jack
50 Cent is not going down in history without being tainted by his hateful words. He’s certainly not an A-List Rapper at this point. These old timey rappers like fiddy and T.I. needs to take several seats. DaBaby is cancelled and….bye girl, bye.
cuteguy
50 cent was already outed by Vivica A Fox that he liked a$$ play performed on him during s3x do you know he has closeted gay tendencies. He’s disgusting but unfortunately he has an ignorant fan base
Openminded
Is it fair to claim a$$ play is a gay tendency? Straight guys like anal sex with women along with blow jobs, both of which are a big part of gay sex.
Chrisk
So his words of wisdom wasn’t about the hate and bigotry but how you present the hate and bigotry. Yeah, because this POS has been such a statesmen to look up to. Then he reminds everyone that he’ll be back. Just feed them your trashy music and you’ll be back just like the women beater Chris Brown.
Doesn’t say much about their fans. Just absolute scum. All of them.
hotdogla
Oh lordt.
BoomerMyles
Hip hop and rap is at its roots homophobic.
Kangol2
Are they? Do you even know anything about hip hop and rap? I’ve been listening to them for decades and there are numerous rappers who are anything but anti-LGBT. I’m not just talking about current rappers, but remind me, since you mentioned the “roots” of these genres, how are they homophobic? How are the Sugar Hill Gang or Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Soul Sonic Force or Kurtis Blow or the Jonzun Crew or the Real Roxanne or Erik B & Rahim or Queen Latifah or Money Love or the Fat Boys or Slikk Rick etc. “homophobic”? If you don’t like hip hop, just say that, but long before 50 Cent or the DaBoob hit the airwaves, hiphop existed and its roots are anything but what you claim.
Chrisk
I would’ve just stopped at Rap and yes it most certainly is homophobic at it’s roots. Not to mention racist and mysogonist too. 5 cent and Da shithead were the rule and not the exception.
cantstopwontstop
Kangol2 are you for real? Rap isn’t homophobic and hasn’t been since it’s roots? Are you high?
It absolutely is, because the artists push that homophobia themselves, because most of the artists come from the streets. And you definitely can’t be gay in the streets, definitely not around the homeboys. I would take several seats before you make yourself look anymore foolish.
cantstopwontstop
I will agree that hip hop is definitely more open minded than rap will ever be.
LegionKeign
Kangol2, Honey, you took me down memory lane. As a young white sisy growing-up in the cornfields of Connecticut, I was blessed with the fact that I had family who listened to soul & funk.
Then it was the Black & Latino kids who introduced me to rap when I was in junior High.
God, some of those groups and the hotties. I had the biggest crush on Rakim from Eric B. & Rakim!
Thanks for that!
Kangol2
Thank you for your post and I’m glad you see where I’m coming from. People who actually have listened to rap from the beginning or at least early on know it’s not as “homophobic” as people love to claim. I asked a legit question about those early rappers and hip hop folks and of course, no real response. 50 Cent and DaBoob are homophobic crappers but there’s a history–the real history–of rap that isn’t the demonized genre people like to claim. That said, there are many homophobes and misogynists in rap and today, it’s nothing like what it once was, even in terms of lyrical skills, style, you name it.
Cam
Vivica A Fox who dated 50 Cent said she thought he was a closet case.
So no surprise that the homphobic Trump supporter obsessed with gay men would defend another homophobe obsessed with gay men. He’s probably hoping for a hookup.
powersthatbe
I think it’s time to send in a grown up, to teach the little boys some.
*Calls Megan Thee Stallion*
toddlicious
50 cent? Who dat?
Kevan1
Trash taking up for trash.
GayEGO
Wow! I thought we were moving away from these homophobes! I played the flute in the Navy back in the 1960’s when they called the flute a “sissy” instrument! I guess some people never learn!
Saki
why doesn’t this gorilla just STFU already
richardkm76
I thought 50 cent died oooops