50 Cent: The Money and the Power

50 Cent: The Money and the Power is a scrapped reality show^[1] that initially premiered November 6, 2008 on MTV and is now regularly aired on MTV2. The show was hosted by 50 Cent and follows the same mold as The Apprentice.^[2] It was meant to serve as a "visual companion" to 50 Cent's book The 50th Law, which he co-wrote with Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power.^[1][3][4]

Format

The show follows fourteen aspiring entrepeneurs through challenges issued by 50 Cent, with the winner receiving a $100,000 investment from 50 Cent to start his or her own business venture.^[5] A panel including G-Unit members Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks will judge the contestants, along with guests such as Chris Lighty, Ryan Schinman, LL Cool J, DJ Whoo Kid, Miss Info, and former Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day.

Contestants

Bosses and Underbosses

Contestant Progress

     The contestant won.

     The contestant was eliminated.

     The contestant was told that they were in risk, but ended up being safe from the chopping block.

     The contestant was in risk of being eliminated, and was on the losing team.

     The contestant was in risk of being eliminated, and was on the winning team.

     The contestant won the challenge, and was not in risk or eliminated.

     The contestant lost the challenge, but was not in risk or eliminated.

     The contestant left the game towards other reasons rather than being put in the chopping block.

     The contestant voluntarily left the competition.

^1 In Episode 2, Nathan won the challenge, and was eliminated because 50 Cent said Nathan was in the game for the wrong reasons.

^2 The Teams were changed in Episode 4 and Dajuan was named boss of Team Money, and Jennifer and Rebecca switched teams.

^3 In Episode 4, Rebecca lost the challenge, and left the game because she felt she didn't need to be there.

^4 In Episode 7, Musso was sent home for lack of motivation and wanting to go home.

Episodes

Episode 1: Choose Your Crew Wisely

Airdate: November 6, 2008

• Bottom Three: Joanne, Larry, and Precious
• Eliminated: Joanne. Joanne didn't choose her crew wisely and weak leadership skills.

Episode 2: Turn S... Into Sugar

Airdate: November 13, 2008

• Early Elimination: Nathan was goofing around and called 50 "Curtis Johnson". 50 walked in and saw all of this, prompting him to take Meghan and Nathan up into his office to have a chat. 50 asked Meghan what she thought of Nathan, and she said that Nathan was here for the fame and not here for the money. Nathan then was asked to name two songs by 50 and he could only name Straight To The Bank. 50 gradually became furious and told Nathan to leave.

• Bottom Three: Nikki, Larry, and Nima

• Eliminated: Nima. He stirred up too much drama and was there to make enemies. He was more interested in "stirring up the drama than getting 50's money". He made bad situations worse, and that was counterproductive.

Episode 3: Truth Equals Money

Airdate: November 20, 2008

• Bottom Three: Larry, Nikki, and Precious

• Eliminated: Precious, for harming her team instead of helping them.

Episode 4: Respect the Hustle

Airdate: December 4, 2008

Dajuan & Musso travel to 50 Cent's Connecticut mansion to get various items. Dajuan was switched to Team Money and promoted as boss himself. The challenge was to sell items for strange acts. Then it was time for the teams to regroup. Jenn was traded for Rebecca from Team Money to Team Power, respectively. The most trades done wins the challenge at Coney's Island. Team Power had 17 trades, while Team Money has 15 trades, leaving Power the victor. Team Power and Tony Yayo get to spend the day having fun at Coney's Island, while Team Money had to wash cars for punishment. Rebecca was upset about leather fur seats in a car and decided to quit the show, infuriating her team and Yayo. Later, 50 pulled Jenn for a one-on-one conversation, but she didn't notice that the whole conversation was aired on the intercom. Dajuan and Larry were up for elimination and Musso chose Cornbreadd to be put up. 50 decided to send Cornbreadd back off the chopping block, leaving Dajuan and Larry. Larry strongly defended himself, leaving Dajuan eliminated.

• Quit: Rebecca, after seeing the leather fur seats she quit.

• Bottom Three: Dajuan, Larry, and Cornbreadd

• Eliminated: Dajuan, for not following 50's first rule: "Choose Your Crew Wisely".

Episode 5: The Hustler's Eye

Airdate: December 12, 2008

50 Cent is all about having the Hustler's eye, and he wants to make sure that whichever contestant getting his money will have this skill. He wakes the contestants up for a blackmail, instructing them to take on the personality of another contestant. He reasons this will help them see things for what they really are, not only in business, but in each other, even if they're people they hate. Most of the contestants have fun with it, but some cross the line and take the teasing a little too far. After the games are over, 50 has another surprise: Team Power has to send one of their teammates over to Team Money to even out their bad-luck losing streak. Without hesitation, Derrick volunteers to switch teams, thinking this is a great opportunity to prove himself. Team Money is ecstatic when Derrick walks into their war room, and immediately start strategizing how to win the next challenge. With their only clue being a hard-hat on the table, the team chooses Cornbreadd as their boss. Team Power, on the other hand, lets the loss of Derrick bring down their team spirits, and they let Jenn be the boss, although they all know it's probably not such a good idea. While the teams are strategizing, 50 Cent brings a special guest, Aubrey O'Day of Danity Kane, to Camp Curtis for a visit. The guys are all speechless, and determined to impress Aubrey as she watches their next challenge. 50 calls the challenge 50 by 50, where each team must assemble a huge, 50-piece billboard puzzle. One puzzle is a picture of 50, the other a picture of Aubrey. The catch is, the boss can't touch the pieces. As soon as 50 gives the signal to start, Cornbreadd steps into his roll as boss, and commands his team with authority and efficiency. Jenn, on the other hand, seems completely lost, and her teammates become confused and disobedient. Team Money quickly pulls ahead, and finally achieves their first-time victory in a challenge. 50 rewards the winners with an afternoon of playing pool with him and Aubrey. The losers are sent out to pick up dinner for 50 and Team Money. 50 warns them that if they're not back in 30 minutes, their entire team will be up for elimination. Team Power hops in a waiting car, and finds waiter outfits for them to put on. They quickly change in the car, pick up the bags of food, and run out the door. Unfortunately, the truck that took them there had already driven off without them. Not seeing any other option, they take off running for Camp Curtis on foot. But Team Power's bad luck is still in full swing, and as they get to the bridge, they realize it has been pulled up for a passing boat, and is impossible to cross. With only five minutes left to bring the food back to 50, Team Power's only option is to wait by the bridge as the minutes tick away. Meanwhile, back at Camp Curtis, 50 is getting impatient, especially when Aubrey has to leave for a show without eating. Finally, the bridge comes down, and Team Power sprints the remaining blocks back to Camp Curtis. Unfortunately, an irritated and hungry 50 Cent does not accept team Power's excuse that the Polaski Bridge was up. Although Team Power thinks they are right on time, 50 tells them they're unacceptably late. He says in his eyes, they've lost twice, and they'll all be up for elimination. As winning boss of Team Money, Cornbreadd is given the responsibility of choosing one member of Team Power to save from elimination. As Team Money feasts on filet mignon, Team Power retreats to the kitchen, where they snack on bologna sandwiches and wonder who will be saved by Cornbreadd, and who 50 will send home. Cornbreadd talks to each member of Team Power, trying to decide who he should save. At elimination, 50 calls Team Power front and center. Before asking who Cornbreadd chose for immunity, 50 tells Mehgan she's done a great job so far, and she's safe. After Mehgan sits down, Cornbreadd reveals that he's giving the blessing of immunity to Ryan. 50 expresses his disappointment, saying that if it were up to him, Ryan would be going home tonight. Now it's down to either Musso or Jenn. After almost every contestant tells 50 that Musso should go home, 50 decides to give Musso a chance to talk. Musso explains that everyone is going against him because it's a competition. After hearing what Musso had to say, 50 tells Jenn she was a 'whack' boss, and sends her home. 50 warns Musso to fix the mess he's created, then warns the rest of the contestants to make sure they've got their business plans ready to sell at any moment. If anyone slips up, at any time, they'll be going home.

• Up for Elimination: Jen, Ryan, Musso, Meghan, but 50 allowed Meghan to sit back down, and Cornbreadd saved Ryan from elimination
• Eliminated: Jen for showing weak leadership skills.

Episode 6: Use Your Cents to Make Change

Airdate: December 19, 2008

The teams are asked to raise AIDS awareness in The Bronx. Team Power chose Meghan as the boss and Ryan as the underboss. In Team Money, Larry was the boss and Derrick was the underboss. During the competition round, Team Money's "fact sheet" gets lost, which left Larry no choice but to get another fact sheet, from Team Power. He tried looking through Team Power's boxes, but Ryan and Musso tell him to leave, so Larry just takes some pamphlets that were on the ground. While Larry was trying to get information, Derrick tells the crowd the wrong information. Later on during the day, 50 said that everybody was up for elimination because he wasn't impressed at the performance of any of the groups, and also because they had passed on wrong information. Also, he talked to each contestant about their business plans, and was disappointed on how poor their business plans are. Chopping block - Ryan and Cornbreadd are told that they aren't up for elimination. A few minutes later he reveals to Larry and Musso that they aren't up for elimination either, leaving Nikki, Meghan and Derrick up for elimination. After letting them have some suspense, he reveals that nobody will be eliminated because they have done a good deed, trying to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS.

Episode 7: Expand and Protect Your Turf

• Airdate: January 1, 2009

Both teams competed in selling vitamin water, and the winner was decided when a team raised over $50. Nikki and Meghan were originally chosen to be the bosses of Team Money and Team Power, respectively, but 50 Cent switched up the teams before the challenge. At this time, he eliminated Musso due to his wanting to go home, for his lack of motivation and participation in tasks, and for physically attacking Ryan. Team Power won the challenge, and Team Money, the losers, were forced to wash the laundry from Camp Curtis. Team Power was given the privilege to visit 50's recording studio, where Cornbread recorded a track. At eliminations, 50 Cent chose Nikki.

• Eliminated: Musso and Nikki

Episode 8: Move From Demand to Supply

• Airdate: January 8, 2009

50 switch up the teams a little bit, ending up with Derrick back in Team Power and Cornbread back in Team Money. Both teams have to come up with an idea for a fitness video, direct the video, edit the final product, and finally distribute the film. Although Team Money only consisted two members, Cornbreadd and Larry, they proved to be the harder working team in producing a better video. Later, 50 Cent's manager, Chris Lighty, interviews all the contestants with a final statement to 50 Cent that not one of them have a good enough business plan to invest in. Finally, Meghan and Derrick are put up on the chopping block, due to Meghan being the boss and Derrick not getting along with other members. At elimination, 50 chooses Derrick and tells everyone left they need to step their game up.

• Eliminated: Derrick

Episode 9: Knowledge Reigns Supreme

^[6] Airdate: January 15, 2009

In the most challenging episode of the season, the four remaining contestants are kidnapped, blindfolded, re-educated and shot with paintball guns. After the test, 50 quizzes them on their experiences at Camp Curtis. Cornbreadd answers one question incorrectly, Ryan three, Larry three, and Meghan two. Because the contestants answer a total of nine questions wrong, they must run NINE laps around the camp. The last place runner will be put up for elimination . The fit Mehgan and Ryan have an advantage—Larry and Cornbreadd are out of shape. Mehgan was up for elimination for finishing last. 50 also brings Cornbreadd up for elimination. Larry and Ryan voted for Cornbreadd, but 50 could see the determination in Cornbreadd's eyes and sends Megan home. Then he brings in Musso, Nikki, and Derrick.

• Eliminated: Mehgan since she did not give a sufficient amount of effort running the laps and 50 would rather invest in Cornbreadd's music industry.

Episode 10: Crush Your Competition

^[7] Airdate: January 22, 2009

In the season finale, three eliminated contestants return to help the final three players compete in a trash-talking contest Musso, Derrick and Nikki. Afterwards, Cornbreadd gets eliminated because his trash talking skills were not as expected. Then the final two contestants, Ryan and Larry, get special gifts from 50 Cent and a 1 on 1 talk with 50 on the eve of their final presentations. Later, the finalists get new clothes and Sahjeev takes out his cornrows and gets a new look. And lastly, the final two present their business plans to 50 Cent, Chris Lighty, and Tony Yayo with 50 awarding the winner $100,000 of his own money. But in the end, Ryan wins the competition and then gets into a vehicle with 50 Cent with police cars surrounding them and both go to Manhattan.

• Eliminated 1st: Cornbreadd

• Eliminated 2nd: Larry

• Winner: Sahjeev

References

External links

• 50 Cent: The Money and the Power on MTV.com
• Website on Muchmusic.com