50 Cent Opens Up About Oprah Winfrey, Says Talk Show Host Called His Music Lyrics “Misogynistic”

Rapper and entrepreneur 50 Cent is opening up about his longtime disdain for Oprah Winfrey and how the talk show host once condemned the lyrics in his music.

In his new book, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter, the 44-year-old hip hop artist turned mogul highlights how he intentionally became “enemies” with Winfrey after she criticized the lyrics in his music earlier in his career. In an attempt to show his grandmother the high level of success he had achieved, he knew his best bet was to have an opportunity to talk to the one-and-only Oprah Winfrey on her former show Oprah’s Next Chapter. 

However, when 50 appeared on the show, he was met by Winfrey’s reprimanding. He said Winfrey called his music “misogynistic” and accused him of glamorizing gun violence. “She was completely against everything that was in my music. So she ain’t never going to have me on that show. I’m never going to reach that platform, which is confirmation of you being a huge success. So I just said: OK, if we can’t be friends, then at least let’s be enemies,” said Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson during an interview with The Guardian. 

Following his meet up, 50 named his dog after Winfrey and expressed to the media that Winfrey’s fan base is comprised mostly of middle-aged white women. While the two have somewhat settled some of their discourse, Jackson says he’s never been able to get over Winfrey’s remarks about his music.

“They are misogynistic, but the world is not under the same circumstances,” said Jackson. “Are you going to tell a painter what to paint? I’m an artist. Why am I limited to what you feel should be said? In film and television, they will show art imitates life. Are you not aware of those situations taking place?” Jackson’s anger towards Winfrey grew more this past December when 50 went after her online, claiming the TV queen “goes after black men.” The TV executive was referring to Winfrey holding a talk-back episode with two of Michael Jackson’s sexual assault accusers and seemingly co-signing sexual assault allegations against Russell Simmons. Jackson claimed Winfrey has failed to acknowledge the white male attackers like Kevin Spacey and her former friend Harvey Weinstein.

“I don’t understand why Oprah is going after black men,” said Fif. “No Harvey Weinstein, no Epstein, just Michael Jackson, and Russell Simmons, this s*** is sad. These documentaries are publicly convicting their targets; it makes them guilty till proven innocent.”