During a candid interview on Million Dollaz Worth of Game with Gillie Da Kid and Wallo, hip-hop mogul 50 Cent shared a surprising revelation: he had the chance to sign Desiigner before Kanye West, but ultimately decided to pass on the opportunity.
Reflecting on the encounter, the G-Unit leader recalled the moment he met with the “Panda” rapper, who was on the verge of making waves in the music industry with his breakout hit.
“The guy came to me—what’s his name? He sounded like Future. Panda, panda, panda,” 50 Cent said, initially struggling to recall Desiigner’s name. “I met with him before he signed with Kanye and the G.O.O.D. Music team.”
Despite the initial buzz around Desiigner’s hit single, 50 Cent’s excitement dwindled when he asked the Brooklyn artist to showcase more of his music. “I had him at the office. I was like, ‘Yo, let me hear the other records you got.’ And he’s like… ‘That’s it,’” 50 Cent explained.
“The track was fire, no doubt, but I couldn’t justify investing in him based on just one song. I thought, ‘Let them give him whatever they’re going to give him.'”
50 Cent’s instincts were proven right, as Desiigner struggled to maintain the momentum of “Panda,” which had topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2016 and earned a five-times platinum certification. The G-Unit boss’s decision to pass on the deal turned out to be a calculated move in the unpredictable world of hip-hop.
