50 Cent, whose transition from multi-platinum rapper to successful TV producer continues to amaze, revealed Friday that he is working on an “8 Mile” TV show. The 47-year-old said Eminem, who starred in the semi-autobiographical 2002 film, is on board.
“I’m going to bring ‘8 Mile’ to TV,” 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, told Power 106 Big Boy radio host in an interview released Friday.
Curtis Hanson’s film — which followed a struggling rapper in the slums of Detroit — and its soundtrack single “Lose Yourself” largely mirrored the life of its star Eminem (whose real name is Marshall Mathers) and i -they won an Oscar for best original song. .
“It’s going to be great,” 50 Cent added when asked about the project. “I’m working. I’m not kidding. I’m hitting 100. I think it should be there for his legacy, because it’s important to me that they understand that.”
The New Yorker said the series will provide a backstory to the film and follow Eminem’s character as a young man. 50 Cent told Big Boy that he’s excited to share this story with a younger generation that may not recognize Eminem’s invaluable impact on hip-hop.
Eminem signed 50 Cent to Shady Records the same year the film was released, after Columbia Records dropped him when he was shot nine times in his Queens, New York neighborhood. The two rappers remain close friends.
“I’m here today because this is not only a business partner for me, but one of my best friends that I’ve ever known in the world,” Eminem said at the 2020 Hollywood Walk of Fame induction 50 Cent. It’s so much more fun to be his friend than his enemy, because this guy is so damn relentless.”
50 Cent previously revealed that his surprise appearance at the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show was only possible after Eminem promised he would not perform unless 50 Cent was given his seat.
Eminem “is the man,” 50 Cent wrote on Instagram after the halftime show won an Emmy. “They wouldn’t do the show without me, that’s my boyfriend.” Eminem performed “Lose Yourself” at the 2020 Academy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
50 Cent, meanwhile, has proven to be a powerful television producer in recent years. His crime drama “Power,” for example, has palpably renewed interest in the Starz network and has been turned into a franchise that now spans four different series.
Whether an “8 Mile” series will similarly appeal to audiences 20 years after its theatrical release remains to be seen.
