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Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson may not be releasing the same amount of music as he did in the first decade of the 2000s, but Fif’s pen game is stronger than ever when it comes to his work with the Starz network. According to an article by The Wrap, Jackson is producing a new drama for the network called Black Mafia Family, and his mentor Eminem has been tapped to play the role of real-life FBI informant Richard John Wershe Jr. a.ka. White Boy Rick.
“I’m honored and appreciative of my good friend Em for supporting my new show BMF,” the G-Unit entrepreneur said in a statement. The drama will be set in the Motor City, true to reality, and Jackson knew the perfect person for the part. “We couldn’t do a show based in Detroit without incorporating the legend that is Eminem,” he said.
Eminem has spent little time in front of the camera since his 2002 autobiographical flick 8 Mile; he also made a quick cameo in The Interview seven years ago. However, Slim Shady won’t be the only hip-hop heavyweight to appear in the series. Snoop Dogg is also going to be a part of the show. In addition, Lala Anthony, already known to Power fans as Lakeisha Grant, joins the BMF cast alongside other veteran actors like Michole Briana White and Russell Hornsby. Lastly, the role of BMF head honcho Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory will be played by his own son, Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr.
Black Mafia Family is based on the actual Detroit-based crime syndicate of the same. Founded in 1989 by Big Meech and his brother Terry a.k.a “Southwest T,” the organization eventually moved into the music industry and became involved in money laundering in addition to its flourishing drug trafficking business. The Black Mafia Family reportedly made north of a quarter-billion dollars during its twenty-year run, and tales of its notorious flamboyance have influenced the lyrics of rappers such as Rick Ross and Young Jeezy.
Starz has called BMF “a story about love, kinship and capitalism in the pursuit of the American dream,” and it is the newest of many projects between Fiddy and the network. Others include his popular and expanding Power franchise, an upcoming series detailing his fallout with former protégé/Compton rapper The Game, and a venture with Kenya Barris that is based on 50 Cent’s New York Times bestseller The 50th Law.
Eminem Returns to Acting With Guest Role in New 50 Cent Drama, “Black Mafia Family” was originally published on cassiuslife.com
