Following a failed assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump’s life, many 50 Cent fans couldn’t help but make think of the diamond-selling rapper’s debut album, and the violent circumstances of his rise to fame.
“I know the vibes, we are all in trouble now,” Fif wrote via Instagram caption in a series on now-deleted posts, referencing his own failed assassination attempt. In another post he stated, “Trump gets shot and now I’m trending.”
50 Cent’s own brush with death occurred in May 2000, when he was shot nine times at close range outside his grandmother’s house in South Jamaica, Queens. The attack left him with injuries to his hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek. Remarkably, 50 Cent survived and used the incident as fuel for his music career, famously rapping about it in songs like “Many Men (Wish Death)” from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
The assassination attempt on Trump occurred on July 14, 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. While less severe in terms of physical injuries, it bears some similarities in its potential to shape public perception and political narrative. Trump sustained a minor injury to his ear and was quickly whisked away to safety, while the assailant was killed by Secret Service agents.
If Trump’s response to this incident mirrors 50 Cent’s reaction to his own near-death experience, we might expect the former president to become even more outspoken and controversial in the coming months. Just as 50 Cent’s survival of multiple gunshot wounds became a central part of his image and music, Trump may use this assassination attempt to bolster his reputation as a fighter against perceived enemies.
