“I think Kendrick deserves [it]. As a solo artist right now, he’s the guy.”

Everyone has a take on Kendrick Lamar being selected as the Super Bowl LIX halftime performer in February 2025, especially with some believing that Lil Wayne should have been the pick. 50 Cent recently gave his perspective on the controversy.

The G-Unit leader appeared on The Talk and was asked for his thoughts on the Compton rapper being chosen. “I mean, it was a choice,” Fif dryly said, seemingly an intentional delivery to not appear on either side. “I think Kendrick deserves [it]. As a solo artist right now, he’s the guy.” Again, the “In Da Club” rapper offered facts but did not present any conviction in his answer.

He continued, “But having the game be played in New Orleans, I could see why [people think Lil Wayne should have performed]. The way the last show was put together with me, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Kendrick was there then, and Mary J. Blige.” The Power executive producer was once again selective in his words, assessing what he thought people felt as opposed to sharing his feelings.

One of The Talk hosts suggested that Kendrick Lamar could bring out hometown acts such as Master P and Juvenile, but 50 Cent countered with a more likely reality. “He should bring out the people he featured on big records with,” he said. The Get Rich Or Die Tryin‘ artist’s measured approach to this conversation could stem from the fact that, a few months ago, he opposed Lamar’s side during his beef with Drake.

In May, Drizzy released “Family Matters” accompanied by a seven-minute music video. The visual opened with him wearing a Johnny Dang-created, reimagined G-Unit spinner pendant chain similar to the one Fif and his comrades wore in the early 2000s when they were beefing with almost the entire rap game. The Queens rapper shared the video on his Instagram, writingm “I told you [ninja emoji] leave him alone, now he spinning on all yall. [purple demon emoji] everybody must die, [fire emoji].”

50 was asked for his thoughts on the Toronto superstar and Pulitzer Prize winner’s beef during his appearance on The Talk. “Both Drake and Kendrick produced quality music faster because they had to compete with each other,” he said. “That competitive nature made them go work and have responses. Hip Hop is still — it’s not just a genre where you can just make a song and sit back. You have to make a song and be ready to make a song again right away with other artists.”