50 Cent On Making $17K Per 'Power' Episode: 'I Get Paid More To Go To The Nightclub And Wave'

The rapper-turned-entrepreneur-turned-television powerhouse gave insight into the successful rise of his “Power” franchise, admitting that those wins came with what he says were some very unfair conditions.

During an interview with Vulture, 50 Cent revealed that when shopping to find a home for the original “Power” series, a lot of the heavy-hitters such as HBO, Hulu, Paramount, and Showtime were not interested.

“We went to all these organizations in the early stages,” he explained. “They probably had something else they felt was similar, or it wasn’t what they was looking for. I’m sure now they wish they didn’t pass on it.”

What’s more, when STARZ decided to take a chance on the show, the network saw proof it had made the right decision when “Power” became its biggest show, accomplishing record-breaking feats.

Yet, despite the show’s success, 50 Cent said that things would get tricky when the time rolled around to renegotiate his contract.

“Every two years, it felt like we was auditioning for a major carrier,” the New York native said. “It’s time to renegotiate, and it would be an issue. So for me at that point, really what it is, is racism. Because the project is a success, but the platforms are not necessarily acknowledging things that have diversity connected to them. I’m outperforming a lot of the shows that they had in the award-show ceremony, and they’re not putting the work in the awards show, even to watch it lose.”

Even beyond that, 50 Cent took a massive pay cut when he decided to leave music to pursue making his stake in the television industry. 

For him, the amount that he was receiving per show did not properly reflect the time, effort, and energy put into the series. In fact, 50 Cent says the lowball payment would not have flown in the music industry.

“There’s no one that could come and tell me to take $17,000 to act and executive produce and make music,” he said. “I gave them the theme song for ‘Power.’ I gave them the things that connected, hopefully, in a different way for it. You see what I’m saying? All those things for $17,000 per episode? I get paid more to go to the nightclub and wave.”

Although he was being cut short, 50 Cent had a vision that he was not determined to let up on. Still, as previously reported by AfroTech, the “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” emcee has admitted that he wished he wouldn’t have gone into business with the network.

As he turns over a new leaf in the television space, 50 Cent will join the FOX family.

“I am excited to formalize a partnership with Michael Thorn and FOX that will allow G-Unit Film & Television to focus on putting multiple series on FOX, a perfect broadcast destination for G-Unit Film & Television content while our premium, streaming, scripted, and non-scripted slates continue to grow in all directions,” he said in a statement after his STARZ deal expired in September 2022.

There’s no telling what 50 Cent is cooking up next, but if it is anything like the success he’s garnered through the “Power” franchise and hit shows like “BMF,” it will be worth the wait.