50 Cent's TV projects are authentic to his real-life self.
The 51-year-old rap star signed a multi-year development deal with Starz through his production company, G-Unit Film and Television, in 2018, and 50 insists that he's never diluted himself in order to please TV executives.
The rapper - who has enjoyed success with TV shows such as Black Mafia Family and Power - told Interview magazine: "I’m not bending or doing things they want me to do. I’m making the things I want to make.
"Power was a passion project. I was paid $17,000 an episode. I was playing a recurring character, executive producing the project, doing the theme song, and being the head of marketing, because they didn’t know who Omari Hardwick or Naturi Naughton or Joseph Sikora were in the very beginning."
50 enjoyed significant success in the music business, but that didn't guarantee him an easy ride in the television industry.
The rapper said: "Until season three, they wouldn’t accept the cast if I wasn’t available.
"I did Jimmy Kimmel [Live!] and while we were off-camera he was like, 'What network is it on?' I said, 'Starz'. He said, 'That’s not a network.' It was that new."
50 has achieved fame and success through the music and TV industries, but he previously insisted that there's more to life than money.
The chart-topping star told The Talks: "Think about how many times you smile if you see a kid doing something. The innocence of that, that is priceless. If you ask a person about the last time they smiled or felt good, they will tell you that is valuable."
50 believes money creates "freedom" - but it doesn't resolve all of life's challenges.
He shared: "Money is freedom. It is the ability to do things as you come up with it. I used to think that money was the answer to everything because the big problem in front of me was financial.
"Every idea I came up with I needed the money to do it. You sit there and create these scenarios in your head and then if you have money it only gives you the ability to come and go as you please if you have an idea."