As one of hip-hop's legendary icons, 50 Cent's opinion carries a lot of weight. And while he's been relatively quiet on the musical front -- save for a recent comeback drop with NLE Choppa -- the Curtis rapper seldom misses a chance to offer commentary on the culture's major events. Following yesterday's violent storming of the Capitol building -- enacted by Donald Trump's supporters and leaving four dead as a result -- many artists were quick to notice a disturbing double standard.
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For the most part, the forceful and no-nonsense police response seen during the past summer's Black Lives Matter protests was notably toned down. Footage emerged in which police were taking selfies with rioters, many of whom have been captured in photographs and video footage. As the chaos transpired, 50 Cent was left watching it unfold, drawing a comparison between the storming of Capitol and the aforementioned BLM protests. To emphasize the hypocrisy, Fif shared a picture of a gleeful rioter in the midst of looting, offering up some of his signature wit to drive his point home.
"BLM wasn’t invited, Trump told us to stop by the crib, Hi mom just re decorating," captions Fif, offering a rare foray into the realm of political punditry. While his comment was tinged with humor, it does stand in line with the response that many rappers have been voicing -- primarily, the disturbing speculation that a different outcome would have occurred had the rioters, looters, and protesters been black. Though 50 Cent did his best to highlight the dark and surreal absurdism surrounding yesterday's incident, it's likely that the fallout of what transpired will continue to stir conversation for some time. Check out his post for yourself below.