50 Cent Heated Over ‘Racist’ AT&T Execs

Rapper and actor 50 Cent has lashed out on cable service provider AT&T as talks go sour for keeping the Starz channel alive for AT&T customers. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson isn’t taking it lightly that fans may not be able to see his show Power, which broadcasts on the channel.

He’s taken to Twitter to tell people to unsubscribe from AT&T. He’s pointed out incidents of racism in AT&T’s past. Rapper 50 Cent is really not happy that the show he produced could be taken out of the homes of potential viewers.

It’s just a set back to the 500,000 AT&T viewers that won’t see POWER next week. It’s AT&T’s fault.… https://t.co/6qMgSCgE8F

— 50cent (@50cent) July 19, 2015

AT&T could cut the Starz channel by the end of this month, preventing viewers from seeing the end of season 2 of Power. Starz and AT&T haven’t reached an agreement after months of talks, and now 50 Cent has added his two cents into the matter.

AT&T has stated they want to give their customers the best deal. Rapper 50 Cent has indicated they want to cut urban programming as much as possible. If people indeed unsubscribe from the service now that 50 Cent has spoken, AT&T will either prove out 50 Cent’s view on the matter, that their priority is to cut urban programming, or they’ll prove out the idea that they are meeting the needs of their customers.

If you look at the stats on Starz viewership, as provided by Deadline, then 50 Cent paints a compelling picture.

“Having had its second season debut last month with a record-breaking first run viewership for Starz, Power pulls in around 6 million viewers an episode on multiple plays and platforms for the channel.. Among more than half of Power‘s viewers are African-American – that’s more than any other scripted show on premium cable. Power was renewed for a third season on June 10. Now the second most subscribed premium cable channel after HBO, Starz last sealed a deal with AT&T back in February 2012.”

So can 50 Cent save Starz? Some would say he doesn’t need to. And others would say he needs to start looking into ways to save his own financial situation. Entertainment Tonight reported that 50 Cent filed for bankruptcy in the state of Connecticut.

“I make decisions to do things based on the position that I’m placed in at points and if I’m consistently being made out to be a target because of my financial situation…if [people] actually believe that I wouldn’t be conscious of who I am and protecting myself…”

He’s referring to going through lawsuits and the legal fees it entails. So 50 Cent may not necessarily be as broke as it seems. Bankruptcy could just be a tactic he’s using so others can’t reach the 50 Cent fortune. Carry on 50 Cent.

[Photo via Alex Const]