50 Cent has thrown his support behind Drake‘s legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG).
Speaking on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast on Monday (Dec. 16), the New York rap icon backed Drake’s claims, alleging that UMG engaged in unethical practices.
“Everything Drake said in that lawsuit, they did it,” 50 stated, comparing Drake’s allegations to his own experiences with G-Unit and Interscope Records, a UMG subsidiary. Reflecting on his time with the label, which represented artists like Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck, 50 recalled the infamous “G-Unot” campaign spearheaded by The Game after his fallout with G-Unit. The boycott became so prominent that, according to The Game, 50 and Interscope head Jimmy Iovine paid him $1 million to stop using the phrase after he trademarked it.
“They see it as business, not personal,” 50 explained. “They’re just selling music. They don’t care about relationships. You’ll take it personally because you think you made them a lot of money, but for them, it’s nothing personal at all.”
Drake filed two petitions against UMG in November. The first accused the music giant of using bots, payola, and other illegal tactics to inflate Kendrick Lamar’s streaming numbers for the track “Not Like Us.” The second claimed UMG knowingly distributed the song, which allegedly made defamatory claims about Drake, including accusations of pedophilia.
During the interview, 50 Cent shed light on why he supports Drake so strongly, even though Kendrick Lamar is linked to his circle through Dr. Dre. “Look at how Drake is going after everyone. Doesn’t that feel like something 50 Cent would do? That’s where that energy comes from,” he remarked.
50 further speculated that Drake’s legal actions might be aimed at preventing Lamar from performing “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025. “If it’s what I think it is, I get it,” he said. “[Drake is] trying to stop the song from being played at the Super Bowl because it could cause more harm.”
The controversy has reignited debates about UMG’s practices and the lengths artists must go to protect their careers. For 50 Cent, it’s yet another example of the ruthless business behind the music industry, where personal victories are often overshadowed by corporate interests.
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