50 Cent and Eminem’s relationship began with Eminem hearing 50’s mixtapes and bringing them to Dr. Dre. Their 2002 introduction led to a Shady/Aftermath deal, early music together and, years later, public declarations of friendship that outlasted 50 Cent’s label transition. Here’s what the documented milestones show—and what they do not.
How Eminem first heard 50 Cent’s music
Before they met, Eminem had heard 50 Cent’s early mixtapes and took the music to Dr. Dre. Shady Records’ history describes Eminem offering 50 the chance to work together; a contemporaneous Los Angeles Times account says a tape reached Eminem’s manager, Paul Rosenberg, and Eminem played it for Dre.
![The Eminem Show [CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zqF5UnsxL._SL160_.jpg)
The introduction came while Eminem was working on 8 Mile. The available accounts establish the broad sequence, rather than the private details of their first conversation. Stories about exact dialogue or other colorful meeting details are not confirmed by these sources.
2002: The introduction leads to a label deal
The Los Angeles Times reported that Eminem flew 50 Cent to Los Angeles for The Eminem Show release party in June 2002, introduced him to Dre the next day and proposed a deal. 50 met with several labels and received higher offers, but chose the Shady/Aftermath arrangement because he thought it offered a better creative fit.
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The same 2003 report put the advance at $1 million. That is a figure from a contemporaneous news account, not a current contract disclosure or an independently audited total. Shady Records’ official history calls 50 its first solo artist, distinguishing his signing from the earlier Shady act D12.
8 Mile brings their early work to a wider audience
50 Cent’s appearance on the 8 Mile soundtrack served as an early high-profile stage for the partnership. The Los Angeles Times described it as his major-label debut. Shady Records says “Wanksta” was the soundtrack’s second single and had been released as a buzz track after becoming popular in 50’s hometown. The label’s history also notes that “Lose Yourself” became the first hip-hop song to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song; that achievement belongs to the soundtrack era, not to a 50 Cent performance or award.
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![The Eminem Show (Expanded Edition)[2 CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41jY4MYfEPL._SL160_.jpg)
- The Eminem Show (his fourth studio album) was originally released on May 26, 2002 by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records and Interscope
In its January 2003 chart snapshot, the Times reported that the soundtrack had sold nearly 119,000 copies in the preceding week. That is a one-week figure at that time, not a lifetime sales total.
Get Rich or Die Tryin’ establishes a second collaboration
50 Cent’s debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, arrived in February 2003, according to Shady Records’ history. In a fan Q&A conducted on January 8, 2003, 50 named “Patiently Waiting” as his album collaboration with Eminem, distinguishing it from their earlier soundtrack work.
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In the same Q&A, 50 said Eminem and Dr. Dre made the final executive decision on the album’s selections and named Eminem among its producers. Asked about working with Eminem, 50 described his focus at the time as fitting in with Eminem and Dre rather than keeping up with other artists. That contemporary answer documents his public outlook during the album’s launch, not the private dynamics of their friendship.
2014: Eminem says their friendship will continue
When 50 Cent transitioned away from Shady Records in February 2014, Eminem addressed their relationship in a label statement. “I’ve developed a great friendship with 50 over the years, and that’s not going to change,” he said. The same Shady Records statement said the label would continue supporting 50 Cent and G-Unit. That was the label’s public position; it does not, by itself, disclose the full contractual arrangements.
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2023: A Detroit concert makes the friendship public again
At a surprise appearance during 50 Cent’s Detroit concert in September 2023, Eminem introduced him to the crowd as “one of the best friends I’ve ever known.” The Los Angeles Times report says they performed “Patiently Waiting” and “Crack a Bottle.” After the show, 50 wrote on Instagram: “Bro when I do anything with EM people just go crazy they know he really my boy. I love him till death!”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A joint album was still only a possibility in December 2024
In an interview reported by iHeartRadio on December 26, 2024, Eminem said a joint album “would be great” and that they needed to “just do it.” The report said no official joint album had been released at that point and identified “Gunz N Smoke,” from Snoop Dogg’s Missionary, as a recent collaboration. His comments show openness to the idea, not an announcement that an album is underway. No later status is established here.
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What the timeline shows
The documented story moves from Eminem championing 50 Cent’s mixtapes to a joint label and creative launch, then to explicit public statements of friendship in 2014 and 2023. The sources support those milestones and collaborations; they do not establish the private texture of the relationship or confirm a released joint album.
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