‘How To Rob’: Arguably the funniest joke 50 Cent ever made
50 Cent is known for ruffling feathers. When he first came on the scene, he was one of the most aggressive, vicious MCs aside from DMX. Before he signed with Shady Records in 2002, 50 Cent had some records out, one of which was very cheeky and extremely edgy.
In 1999, Columbia Records was set to release 50 Cent’s debut EP, Power Of The Dollar. However, the project’s lead single was somewhat controversial. Entitled ‘How To Rob’, the iconic track mentioned a slew of artists. With lines such as “I’d rob ODB, but that’d be a waste of time” and “I’m ’bout to stick Slick Rick for all that old-school shit,” it was a risky track to record.
Still, it was undoubtedly a precursor to the online trolling, goading and taunting we see from Fifty today, who prods the biggest, baddest rappers in the industry and makes them the butt of his jokes. Whether it’s Rick Ross, Jay-Z or Diddy, the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ creator has gone all in with some of his jokes.
In a 2003 interview with XXL, 50 Cent explained that he was highlighting how much money MCs were getting compared to in the ’90s and said he wanted to draw attention to it but in a funny way, stating, “We know the game has changed, the artists are getting a lot more money so it’s like, how to rob them. It was a warning to a point in a comedic way, and I wanted to make it funny at the same time. That’s why I got the Madd Rapper [on the song].”
50 Cent is an emcee who, in the lead-up to his debut album, was untouchable and, having already been shot in the face nine times, seemed to have a “fuck you” attitude to everyone in the industry. However, he didn’t hold it in; instead, he chose to let it be known on his records that he wasn’t scared of other MCs and almost relished a challenge.
During an interview on Hot 97, Ebro Darden asked Fifty about his trolling, asking, “How much of what we see when you trolling people on Instagram is real dislike, and how much of it is just having fun because you like trolling?” But the lyricist just chuckled. In reality, 50 Cent’s sense of humour at the time of making ‘How To Rob’ was not too dissimilar to that of his now-friend Eminem. The latter used to regularly take jabs at pop stars and powerful cultural figures.
‘How To Rob’ was an audacious yet hilarious track that put many other artists on their toes. With the backing of Eminem and Dr. Dre and a multi-platinum breakout album, few were willing to challenge him. While all done in jest, 50 Cent continues to be unphased by those who dislike his jokes and still enjoys toying with his counterparts, whether that be Rick Ross, Jay-Z or Drake.