50 Cent's Beef With Vivica A. Fox Ignites Debate Over the Use of Homophobia in Hip Hop

It should be clear by now that 50 Cent is not a man afraid of speaking his mind. However, this proclivity for provocativeness has often landed the rapper/businessman in trouble. In recent weeks, the rapper has had beefs with Rick Ross, Meek Mill, and now, it appears, with Empire actress Vivica A. Fox.

50 Cent, who previously dated Fox, has been a harsh critic of Empire, claiming its recent drop in ratings was due to the "gay stuff" in the show. In response, Fox appeared on Watch What Happens Live and told the audience that this was simply a case of the "pot calling the kettle black." Their usage of homophobia as a means of harm has been criticized by many, including The Huffington Post, which wrote, "Both 50 Cent and Fox's comments and actions have been petty, but on a larger scale they've also been damaging to the dialogue surrounding black male sexuality.

This elicited a question from host Andy Cohen: "You're not insinuating 50 cent is gay?" as well as murmurs and hollers from the crowd. Everyone present on the show was both incredulous and enthused at the idea of 50 cent being a homosexual.

At this point, Fox said, "He just...seems like... he's got something that's...not quite clear." She partially attributed this to his comments over the show, noting that someone who so vehemently denies their homosexuality may, in fact, be holding back certain sexual urges.

She recalled a VIBE magazine cover with Soulja Boy and 50 Cent on it, saying, "that make me kind of go (squeamish face)." The cover featured the two rappers standing very close to one another, which Fox thinks gave a certain homoerotic hint. Because 50's hand was close to the young rapper's behind, she referred to her ex as a "booty snatcher."

This comes after other allegations of 50 Cent's homosexuality, promulgated by fellow rapper, The Game, NME reports. The confrontation has invited the ire of many who feel that calling someone a homosexual should never be an insult, nor said salaciously in order to hurt someone. This has long been an issue in Hip Hop, where words like "f--got" and other slurs are used with extreme frequency by some of the genre's most popular artists. Further, the idea that anyone would use someone's sexuality against them has been a rallying cry for those who believe that "gay" is not an insult.

Tags

50 cent, Soulja Boy, The Game, Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Vivica A. Fox