Once rap’s biggest villain, 50 Cent received nothing but love for his surprise cameo during Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige‘s Pepsi Halftime Show performance at Super Bowl LVI on Sunday (February 13).
Taking it all the way back to 2003, 50 crashed the star-studded set by performing his smash hit “In Da Club” while hanging upside down, just like he did in the song’s music video almost 20 years ago.
The Queens, New York rapper’s cameo was made all the more nostalgic by him rocking his once-trademark white headband and tank top, even if it did show off a slightly heavier frame.
50 Cent’s performance certainly struck a chord with LeBron James, who was seen rapping along to “In Da Club” as if he was a founding member of G-Unit in the SoFi Stadium stands during the halftime show.
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The Los Angeles Lakers superstar also took to Twitter to heap high praise on Dre, Em, Snoop, Kendrick, Mary and 50’s all-star medley.
“OMG!!!!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!! THE GREATEST HALFTIME SHOW IVE EVER SEEN!!!” he tweeted.
50 Cent reciprocated the love by saluting LeBron James on Instagram while sharing a clip of him vibing to “In Da Club.”
“See we came in 03 and we still here,” he wrote. “So we celebrate each other every chance we get. @kingjames you know the vibes. @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi.”
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LeBron later shared 50’s post on his Instagram Stories and wrote, “You already the vibes my G!!!”
It’s no surprise “In Da Club” resonates with LeBron James considering the future NBA Hall of Famer entered the league the same year 50 Cent’s blockbuster debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ dropped.
50’s aforementioned LP landed in February 2003, while an 18-year-old LeBron was drafted as the first overall pick by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers that June.
Both men went onto make tremendous impacts in their rookie seasons. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ topped the Billboard 200 after selling 872,000 copies in its first week, turning Curtis Jackson into a global superstar. The album was certified 9x platinum in February 2020 and is currently nearing diamond status.
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50 Cent Clowns Basketball Great Dr. J Following LeBron James Shade
LeBron, meanwhile, lit up the league as soon as he hit the hardwood, posting 25 points in his debut game against the Sacramento Kings, an NBA record for a prep-to-pro player. He ended the season as the Rookie of the Year thanks to season averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while helping the Cavs improve their record by an impressive 18 wins.
Unsurprisingly, Curtis Jackson and King James crossed paths during their rapid ascents. Last December, 50 shared a throwback photo of him and a fresh-faced LeBron on Twitter with the caption, “you a LeBron fan 50, YEP. the only people who don’t like him want to be him.”
