The Bert Show: Vault Episode – 50 Cent Joins The Show

Date: January 21, 2026
Podcast: The Bert Show
Host: Pionaire Podcasting
Featured Guest: 50 Cent

Episode Overview

In this vault episode, the Bert Show welcomes rapper, entrepreneur, and actor 50 Cent for a candid conversation. The show dives into his film debut with "Get Rich or Die Tryin’," creative insights, the pressures of fame, industry politics, and how he manages branding across music, movies, merchandise, and more. 50 speaks openly about criticism, maintaining focus, his transition from music to film, and his feelings about success, awards, and personal responsibility.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening & Context

• The hosts set the scene: 50 Cent is riding high with the release of "Get Rich or Die Tryin’," its soundtrack, and multiple award nominations. (00:00–00:47)
• Exchange about being on East Coast time; 50 jokes about being up and awake. (00:35–00:50)

2. Atlanta's Anthem Dilemma

• The Bert Show seeks 50's professional opinion on Dallas Austin's commission to write Atlanta’s new city anthem, playing a short clip for his reaction. (01:07–03:04)
  • 50 Cent’s Reaction:
    “Sounds like a great record. It sounds like a regular party record, though. Doesn’t sound like an anthem.” (03:09)
• They discuss the pressure on Dallas Austin to represent Atlanta’s diversity and branding, with 50 suggesting something more “along Star Spangled Banner line.” (03:47–03:54)

3. Movie Poster Controversy

• Questions arise about LA community leaders criticizing the "Get Rich or Die Tryin’" movie posters for featuring guns. (04:34–04:45)
  • 50 Cent’s Take:
    “It’s a gun on the poster. How often have you seen a gun used for marketing for a film? ...These are standards that are placed on music as an art form that aren’t placed on any other form of entertainment.” (04:45–04:58)
  • He notes the hypocrisy, citing films like "The Matrix" and "Doom" that use similar imagery without backlash. (05:19–05:21)

4. Art, Responsibility, and Criticism

• 50 discusses social responsibility in music, stating:
  • “My responsibility is to write the true perspective of what goes on there.” (06:06)
  • He explains how media fixation on his being shot nine times overshadows broader realities and reveals the press’s tendency to build up and tear down entertainers. (06:06–07:18)
• On the pressures of fame:
  • Starting out versus staying on top—financial and public expectation pressure shifts over time. (07:18–07:51)

5. Managing Fear and Focus

• On threats to his “empire,” 50 reveals his greatest fear:

  • “Losing focus, that’s all… Can’t nobody do nothing to me that hurts my situation outside of myself.” (08:16)

• He highlights his work ethic and consistency, referencing album sales and the persistent public and industry skepticism after early success. (08:16–09:58)

  • “At the end of the day… they only doubted me because generally people in the public don’t believe in themselves.” (09:58)

6. Life in the US vs. Overseas

• 50 shares his preference for international audiences, who “enjoy hip hop as an art form” rather than from a critic’s lens:

  • “I do 30,000 people a night while I’m overseas… Some of them don’t even speak English, watch my music break the language barrier.” (10:31)

• In America, he sees more cynicism due to the ease of making and pursuing music. (10:31–11:35)

7. Industry Politics & The Kanye Comparison

• Discussion on genre competitors, particularly Kanye West.
  • 50 outlines how his confrontational style and themes led to exclusion from some awards (e.g., Grammys), while Kanye’s “non-confrontational” style was more readily accepted. (12:22–13:54)
  • “My trophies come, they usually have signatures under them. They check. All right, you see what I’m saying? And these people make decisions on… That’s politics.” (13:54)

8. Awards: Credibility and Value

• 50 distinguishes between industry awards:

  • He values those based on measurable success (Billboard), rather than opinion-based awards like the Grammys. (15:08–15:19)
    • “Billboard Awards are based on the actual performance of the music.” (15:08)

• For him, happiness comes from setting and reaching new goals, not external validation. (14:23–15:02)

  • “Ambition is not a learned behavior. I think it’s a part of a person’s character.” (15:02)

9. Get Rich or Die Tryin’: The Movie

• 50 talks about acting, financial tradeoffs, and viewing the film as a tool to connect fans to his story:

  • “It’s an opportunity to draw my base closer to me, for them to understand some of my experiences.” (15:44–16:19)

• The movie is about “75% factual,” focusing on authenticity but including dramatic changes for storytelling. (16:29–16:33)

• 50 had significant creative input during the scripting phase and trusted director Jim Sheridan with the film. (17:02–17:53)

  • On acting: “My comfortability with being in front of the camera is probably 100 times more than before.” (17:57)

10. Multi-Platform Branding

• Release dates plug fest:

  • Movie: Nov 9
  • Soundtrack: Nov 8
  • Sneaker (G63/RBK): Nov 10
  • Video game (Bulletproof): Nov 15
  • G-Unit Watches: Nov 22
    (19:31–19:48)

• On sneaker design:

  • “I know what I like. I keep telling them what they keep going back until I’m happy with the shoe... My shoes have a more classic vibe.” (19:54–20:27)

• Joking banter about launching the “Bert Show shoe.” (20:27–20:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-----------|-------| | 03:09 | 50 Cent | “Sounds like a great record. It sounds like a regular party record, though. Doesn’t sound like an anthem.” | | 04:45 | 50 Cent | “It’s a gun on the poster. How often have you seen a gun used for marketing for a film?...These are standards that are placed on music as an art form that aren’t placed on any other form of entertainment.” | | 06:06 | 50 Cent | “My responsibility is to write the true perspective of what goes on there.” | | 08:16 | 50 Cent | “Losing focus, that’s all… Can’t nobody do nothing to me that hurts my situation outside of myself.” | | 09:58 | 50 Cent | “At the end of the day… they only doubted me because generally people in the public don’t believe in themselves.” | | 10:31 | 50 Cent | “I do 30,000 people a night while I’m overseas…they come out and the energy level is higher. They still can view things from a fan perspective because they’re not that personal with it.” | | 13:54 | 50 Cent | “My trophies come, they usually have signatures under them. They check. All right, you see what I’m saying? And these people make decisions on… That’s politics.” | | 15:08 | 50 Cent | “Billboard Awards are based on the actual performance of the music.” | | 15:02 | 50 Cent | “Ambition is not a learned behavior. I think it’s a part of a person’s character.” | | 17:57 | 50 Cent | “My comfortability with being in front of the camera is probably 100 times more than before.” | | 19:54 | 50 Cent | “I know what I like. I keep telling them what they keep going back until I’m happy with the shoe... My shoes have a more classic vibe.” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–00:47 – Show Introduction, Setting the Scene for 50 Cent’s Big Week
• 01:07–03:05 – Atlanta Anthem Discussion & Dallas Austin’s Task
• 04:34–05:31 – Movie Poster Controversy, Media Standards Double Standard
• 06:06–07:18 – Social Responsibility, Reflections on Media and the Public
• 08:16–09:58 – The Dangers of Losing Focus and Dealing with Doubt
• 10:14–11:49 – Performance Abroad vs. US, Breaking Barriers with Music
• 12:22–14:18 – Kanye West, Awards, and Industry Politics
• 15:02–15:19 – Awards & What Matters
• 15:43–16:39 – Transition to Film, Authenticity in Storytelling
• 17:57–18:17 – What 50 Learned on Set
• 19:31–20:27 – Multi-Brand Releases & 50 on Product Design

Overall Tone

The episode maintains The Bert Show’s signature style: conversational, humorous, engaging, and candid. 50 Cent’s responses are authentic, insightful, and often laced with humor and perspective—a window into the mindset behind his relentless drive and ability to thrive amid scrutiny and expectation.

Useful For

This episode is particularly insightful for:

• Fans of 50 Cent and hip hop/rap music
• Aspiring artists managing public image and criticism
• Anyone fascinated by the crossover between music, Hollywood, and branding
• Listeners interested in the realities of modern celebrity and staying grounded amid fame