50 Cent weighed in after former Empire star Jussie Smollett took the stage during Harlem Pride festivities on Saturday (June 27).
Smollett performed at Harlem Pride’s “17 Shades of Pride” celebration along West Harlem’s 12th Avenue waterfront, marking his first live singing performance in eight years. Dressed in a white tank top and backed by a group of dancers, he delivered a set that included songs from his latest studio album, My Party. The actor and singer has largely stayed out of the spotlight since his 2022 conviction for orchestrating a fake hate crime against himself in 2019.
Reacting to the performance, 50 Cent shared a clip on Instagram and took the opportunity to crack a joke.
“I told you POWER was the shit, but no you want to watch Empire,” he wrote. “Now look this is all your fault. LOL.”
50 Cent has never shied away from claiming Power was the superior show to Empire, a rivalry that dominated social media while both series aired around the same time. As an executive producer behind Power and its growing lineup of spin-offs and sequels, it’s no surprise he used Jussie Smollett’s return to the spotlight to reignite the long-running debate.
The rapper has also repeatedly mocked Smollett over the years, especially following the actor’s legal troubles. After Smollett was initially charged with filing a false police report, the charges were dropped later in 2019. However, he was indicted again in 2020 on six felony disorderly conduct counts. In 2021, he was convicted on five of those charges and, the following year, received a sentence of 150 days in county jail along with 2.5 years of probation. His conviction was overturned in 2024, and after paying a $10,000 fine and completing community service, all charges were ultimately dismissed.
When Smollett was originally sentenced, 50 Cent also reacted to the actor’s emotional remarks in court.
“I did not do this and I am not suicidal and if anything happens to me when I go there, I did not do it to myself and you must all know that,” Smollett said after receiving his sentence. “Your honor, I respect you and I respect your decision, but I did not do this and I am not suicidal. If anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself, and you must all know that.”
50 Cent later shared the courtroom clip on social media, joking that he’d use the same speech if he ever had to appear before a judge again.
“If I ever go to court again, I don’t care if it’s for a parking ticket, I’m gonna say this,” he quipped. “This fool is crazy, I knew he was lying from the beginning.”
