50 Cent has elaborated on the upcoming 8 Mile TV series he’s working on, and said it will be just as popular as the iconic Eminem film.
The G-Unit mogul first announced the project in January, telling Big Boy’s Neighborhood that he hopes the series will help further Eminem’s already bulletproof “legacy.”
“We in motion,” 50 said at the time. “It’s gonna be big. I’m working. I ain’t got no duds. I’m batting 100 … I think it should be there for [Eminem’s] legacy because it’s important to me that they understand it.”
While he’s remained tight-lipped on the show’s progress since then, Fif shed more light on it in an interview with Men’s Health this week, noting that his 8 Mile reboot is on track to be just as big as the 2002 film.
“I’m developing the 8 Mile film into a series,” 50 began. “So this shit is expected to be just as big as the feature film, just huge. It’ll be huge. The interest in it is because the time period of 8 Mile was capturing per the bat, so as we move it into modern times you’ll see things about how we function now, how technology changed the way people enter the music business.”
He continued: “This is why you don’t see groups in the music business. You see so many individual artists because there’s no artist development. They used to take time, find Justin Timberlake over here, this guy from over here, bring this guy then we got NSYNC. Then we got Backstreet [Boys], then we got all of these cool boy bands because you put all of that talent into one show.”
The Power creator went on to share a tidbit about how times have changed because of tools like social media and accessible recording equipment, with a lot of new artists able to find and reach their audience without having to worry about being discovered by a label.
“When you leave them out there and they reach the audience before they reach the record company? Because if you got a computer and you got a decent microphone in front of it,” he said. “You can buy the beat from YouTube, record your record…soon as you do that, you’re in the music business. It’s just how much interest are you generating.”
50 Cent’s comments come after the 8 Mile soundtrack celebrated its 20th anniversary with an “Expanded Edition” re-release, which arrived as the original album was certified 6x platinum. The new edition features all 12 original songs, along with instrumentals for each of the tracks.
All of the original cast members might not be game for an 8 Mile revamp, though. Mekhi Phifer, who starred as Rabbit’s friend Future (an homage to Em’s real-life childhood friend Proof) in the film, previously told TMZ Hip Hop that there will “never” be a sequel to the beloved rap film.
“Sometimes it’s just best to leave it alone. Once you make it a classic, no reason to fool around with it,” he said. Phifer added that a sequel could be interesting, but he would never consider reprising his beloved role.
“It could be interesting, but I wouldn’t be in it and I’m sure Eminem wouldn’t be in it either,” he said.
50 Cent will likely make sure that if Marshall Mathers is involved, he’ll have a better experience than he did the first time around. In a 2021 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the Queens legend recalled that Eminem had an agonizing time working on 8 Mile and that it soiled the Hollywood experience for Slim Shady.
“I think he had a terrible experience on the 8 Mile project because he didn’t want to go back ever again,” he said. “There was a period Hollywood would offer me things to get him. Then his agent would go, ‘Yeah, this is good. Give it to 50 and let 50 take it.’
“Projects that are offering $8 million to do it and he’ll look at it and go, ‘I just think that we should do Warriors. I’m like, ‘Did you miss the $8 million?’ It didn’t move him at all and then he’d go, ‘Let’s just go record records.’”
Did he just call NSyNC and Backstreet Boys “cool”?
I mean just 1 member from both groups got more ass and cash than you ever will, so they’re definitely cooler than you are
Lmao
Power was trash.
So why would this be any better ?
L
I’m sure youre just looking for someone to bite. I’m bored so ok. How is power trash? It’s like New Jack City and Scarface had a baby with Butch and Sundance. Ghost is one of the best ORIGINAL character on TV in forever. Stop hatin on the kid. 50 is the truth, nothing but respect deserved. Mic drop
Why would you set this now? I’m sure most people agree that the whole interest of the film is Eminem’s story, battle rap, the classic 90s Hip Hop era… Setting it now is boring AF – basically somebody uploads hundreds of songs to soundcloud and one of them goes viral and gives them a career. That is a boring thing to watch.
Yep, it’s a terrible idea to try to “modernize” it and they misunderstand what made the original so poignant and classic. That mid-90s Detroit setting is imperative to the story. Detroit was still trying to establish it’s hip-hop voice on the national stage, white rappers were still considered outsiders in the culture, and the hustle to “make it” was still analog and an uphill battle. Setting it any time after the 90s is a mistake. If they want to do that, just make it an original hip-hop story and don’t taint the 8 Mile name.
Here’s a thought, How about you give things a chance before you start negatively criticizing things that are not even in your tax bracket. I’m also not saying you don’t have semi valid takes on the show, but then let’s say they do it in a creative and unique way and you even just somewhat like it, not love it just a small like 👌. Now you two look like idiots for belittling their vision and dreams. I do apologize if you two are like 80 years old or something and set in you ways, but I’m sure your not
If you don’t have anything good to come out of your mouth about 50 shut the fuck up….
Word