50 Cent Reveals Whether He Thinks Hip-Hop Is More Violent Now

50 Cent says social media plays a big role in the rising number of deaths of rappers.

BYAron A.
2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 2 - Show

50 Cent recently debuted the most important entry into his TV catalog, Hip Hop Homicides. The show, hosted by Van Lathan, explores the unsolved murder cases of Soulja Slim, XXXTENTACION, King Von, and more.

The show is a timely effort that speaks directly to the current climate of the culture. It's a particularly important show as many have noticed the spike in deaths among rappers in recent times.

The debut episode finds Van Lathan exploring the case surrounding Pop Smoke's murder. The fatal shooting of the Brooklyn drill rapper occurred in Los Angeles, shortly after the release of Meet The Woo Vol. 2. Though he wasn't the first rapper to die from gun violence, his death sparked dialogue surrounding the safety of rappers.

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 28: Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson attends the "POWER" Season 5 Premiere at Radio City Music Hall on June 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

During the episode, 50 Cent chops it up with Van Lathan where he discusses his relationship with Pop Smoke and more. However, Fif also reflects on the state of the culture and whether hip-hop is more violent now than it's ever been.

"I think it’s the same energy but we’re in a different period so it looks different,” he said. “It’s gonna happen where everyone can take a look on camera."

There's no doubt that social media has put a magnifying glass over street culture's overlap with hip-hop. 50 Cent used the death of Nipsey Hussle as an example.

"Because of social media, everyone’s involved now," he continued. 50 Cent said that the biggest shift is accessibility. "Because those kids in middle America are clicking the fucking button to look and are fascinated with the killings because they’re living on a side so wild compared to the conservative lifestyle they’re having.”

50 Cent and Mona Scott-Young are the executive producers of Hip-Hop Homicides. P. Frank Williams, who worked on Who Killed Tupac? among other investigative series, serves as the show's director. The series will also dive into the deaths of MO3, Magnolia Shorty, Chinx, and more.

Check out 50 Cent's comments below. Do you agree with his assessment surrounding the state of the culture? Let us know in the comment section.

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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.