50 Cent and Lauren Boebert are not a pair that most people were expecting to join forces, but the sight of the two of them together has had social media abuzz — potentially overshadowing 50’s trip to Capitol Hill and symbolizing the issues that many folks have with the rapper’s aims in Washington, D.C.

50 and Boebert photo roasted

50 Cent visited the nation’s capital on Wednesday to meet with lawmakers about promoting Black wealth. But most of the attention to 50’s visit has focused on his meeting with Boebert, a far-right MAGA Republican who has had multiple controversies in office, including a recent scandal over her and a date groping one another in a theater.

“Did you take her to the Candy Shop?” read one reply to the photo, one of many examples of innuendo about the meeting.

Reflecting the sentiments of many tweets, one social media user wrote, “I broke up with 50 Cent today,” expressing her disappointment at “watching him flatter Lauren Boebert; a racist, pro-gun violence in school, dumbass.”

50 defended himself over criticisms of his picture with Boebert, saying that he “took pictures with everyone” and joking “what did she do in a dark theater that hasn’t been done.”

Disappointment with Congress and 50

Accompanied by people such as famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, 50 Cent met with a number of other members of Congress from both parties, including current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, as well as Democrat Troy Carter and Republican Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Many people on social media expressed disappointment with the legislators for turning to 50 for an economic plan instead of consulting experts within the Black community. Researcher Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman tweeted, “A loud reminder that there *are* Black economists who study the racial wealth gap and how to close it,” before noting, “However, congress has taken 50 cent’s name to mean that he knows a thing or two about economic policy.”

In addition to 50’s picture with Boebert, he also drew criticism for his comment that Black voters would identify more with Donald Trump now that he faces RICO charges in Georgia (a talking point that has also been suggested on Fox News).

 

Still others pointed out that the actual issue that 50 Cent was in Washington to address — Black ownership in the liquor and music industries — is not necessarily beneficial to the Black community but is more about 50’s own wealth, as he is in the middle of a corporate dispute over his own liquor company.

“He’s not advocating for more funding for black schools, allocation of funds to underfunded community programs, The eradication of food desserts,” tweeted one disappointed observer, adding, “They only serve themselves.”

We will see if much comes of 50 Cent’s visit to Washington, D.C., beyond photo ops and online controversy. But as both parties look to reach out to Black Americans in this election year, more Black celebrity political meetings and photo ops are likely to come soon.

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