A childhood memory that made its way into one of 50 Cent's biggest records is getting another look, nearly two decades after he first discussed his mother's sexuality publicly. During a wide-ranging interview with Variety, the G-Unit mogul reflected on growing up with his late mother, Sabrina Jackson, who was a lesbian. Although he didn't fully understand her relationships with women as a child, he said learning about them never made him uncomfortable.
"When your mom has friends around, you look at them and just see friends," 50 told Variety. His grandmother eventually helped him understand that the women spending time with his mother weren't simply friends. "I'm not ashamed of that in any way," he explained. "I grew up around that."
Jackson gave birth to 50 Cent when she was 15 and died when he was eight. With his father absent from his life, the future rapper was raised by his grandmother. He told Variety that he struggled to comprehend his mother's death, initially believing she would eventually return home. Those childhood experiences later became part of his music, including his memorable contribution to The Game's 2005 hit "Hate It or Love It."
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50 Cent Compares His Experience To Jay-Z's Relationship With His Mother
During the interview, 50 also spoke about why he included the reference to his mother's sexuality in "Hate It or Love It." He believed others could relate to his experience but might hesitate to discuss it publicly because they feared how they would be perceived. "I didn't care about being vulnerable," he said. "It made it more powerful for me because I know someone else has had that experience and would understand it."
The conversation also turned to Jay-Z, whose mother, Gloria Carter, publicly discussed her sexuality through the song "Smile" from his 2017 album 4:44. Asked whether the two rappers had ever talked about having lesbian mothers, 50 said they hadn't. However, he suggested they approached the subject differently. "No, but it is something we have in common," he explained. "We just reacted differently to it. One of us doesn't mind, and the other one kind of minds a little bit."
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Jay-Z has previously described how his mother was initially reluctant to have her personal life discussed publicly. During an appearance on The Shop, he recalled her objections after hearing "Smile." Gloria later explained her hesitation, saying she had shared something personal with her son without initially intending for the world to know. She eventually contributed a spoken-word poem to the recording.
This isn't the first time 50 has addressed his mother's sexuality. During a 2012 interview with Perez Hilton, he talked about his upbringing and voiced support for same-sex marriage, citing Barack Obama's public endorsement of marriage equality. His latest remarks revisit an experience he has never treated as a secret and offer more insight into why he chose to include it in his music. The subject may never have come up between him and Jay-Z, but both artists have recorded personal accounts of their mothers' lives, with Gloria Carter eventually choosing to tell part of her story in her own voice.
