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10th Jan 2023

Eminem turned down $8m to perform with 50 Cent at the World Cup in Qatar

Charlie Herbert

Eminem World Cup

‘I would’ve taken one, and then the other eight would have been for him’

50 Cent has revealed that Eminem turned down $8,000,000 to perform with him at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Last year’s tournament was arguably the most controversial in the competition’s history due to Qatar’s human rights record and strict laws and attitudes against homosexuality, which is illegal in the country.

As a result, a number of artists and performers distanced themselves from the tournament.

The likes of Rod Stewart, Shakira and Dua Lipa all denied any involvement in the World Cup in the Gulf State.

And, according to 50 Cent, one of these was Eminem, who turned down a huge payday to perform at the World Cup.

Speaking during a radio interview on Big Boy’s Neighborhood on Real 92.3, 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, claimed that he and Eminem “got an inquiry” about performing in Qatar following their halftime show at the Super Bowl earlier in the year.

He said: “They [Qatar] had a budget of $9 million. I would’ve taken one, and then the other eight would have been for him.”

However, the proposal was quickly shot down by Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg.

The rapper then recalled how he tried to persuade his mentor, but wasn’t successful in his negotiations: “They’re like, ‘He’s not gonna do it.'”

Jackson was shocked to hear Eminem’s decision considering he performed alongside him at the Super Bowl with Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige.

The rapper said: “If you would do a one-off show, maybe you would do the biggest live sporting event in the world.”

Some artists did decide to perform at the tournament though, including BTS star Jungkook, Sean Paul and Lil Baby.

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