50 Cent Reveals What Motivated Him To Produce The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Docuseries

Hip-hop has always had its share of controversies, feuds, and uncomfortable truths that industry insiders would rather not address publicly.

There's an unspoken code about not airing dirty laundry, especially when powerful figures are involved. But every now and then, someone decides that silence has become complicity, and they break that code regardless of the consequences.

That's essentially what happened when 50 Cent chose to get involved with Netflix's new docuseries about Sean "Diddy" Combs.

The rapper and businessman has never been one to stay quiet when he has something to say, particularly when it involves Combs. Their feud stretches back over a decade, filled with public jabs and tension that never quite resolved itself.

So when news broke that 50 Cent would serve as an executive producer on a documentary examining serious allegations against Combs, some people questioned the motivation. Was this genuine concern about accountability, or just another chapter in their longstanding rivalry?

In a recent interview with GQ, 50 Cent addressed those questions directly, explaining what drove him to take on such a controversial project. His reasoning goes beyond personal beef or opportunistic timing.

According to him, somebody needed to speak up when everyone else in the industry chose silence, and if that person had to be him, so be it.

The documentary has sparked intense debate since its release, but for 50 Cent, that conversation is exactly the point.

The Reckoning Trailer

50 Cent has lifted the lid on what inspired him to get involved with Netflix's new docu-series on disgraced rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

Last week (2 December), the four-part docuseries titled Sean Combs: The Reckoning hit Netflix, with 50 listed as one of the programme's executive producers who worked alongside Emmy Award–winning director Alexandria Stapleton.

The doc unpacks the 'allegations behind Sean 'Diddy' Combs and his Bad Boy empire, spanning decades of his life and career. ' In a statement released through a spokesperson, Combs slammed the doc as a 'shameless hit piece' by 'a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta' against him.

The timing of the documentary's release is particularly significant given recent legal developments. Last year, the fallen music executive was arrested and accused of running a s*x-traff**king scheme. A federal jury returned its verdict in October this year, finding Combs guilty on two counts of transporting individuals for pr*stitution.

He received a four-year, two-month prison term and was cleared of three other charges, including a racketeering count that could have carried a life sentence. Combs maintained his innocence throughout the trial and rejected every allegation.

The Reckoning premiered on Netflix on 2nd December

Netflix

These convictions add weight to the documentary's examination of allegations that, according to the filmmakers, span decades. The series doesn't just focus on recent legal troubles; it attempts to trace a pattern of behavior and examine how someone could operate within the music industry for so long without facing consequences.

In a recent interview with GQ, 50 Cent (who has a decade-long feud with Combs) was asked why he wanted to be included in the doc, and he responded that it was 'just the culture itself' that attracted him.

"If someone's not saying something, then you would assume that everybody in hip-hop is okay with what's going on because [other rappers] will say, 'I ain't going to say nothing. I'm going to mind my business,' because of a position that [Diddy] held in culture for so long, you understand? So that would leave me. Without me saying that I will do it, there's nobody there," he explained.

His point cuts to something deeper about how power operates in entertainment industries. When someone holds significant influence for decades, speaking against them becomes professionally risky.

People who might have concerns stay quiet to protect their careers, their relationships, or simply to avoid becoming targets themselves. That collective silence can create an environment where problematic behavior continues unchecked.

"So in your mind, this is like you drawing the line in the sand here, making this and putting the right context around it?" the interviewer asked, prompting 50 to respond: "That's right, because if it's one person's decision, one person's behaviour, it's not the entire culture's behaviour."

That distinction matters to 50 Cent. He's pushing back against the idea that one person's actions should define or taint hip-hop as a whole. By being involved in the documentary, he's attempting to separate accountability for individual behavior from broader cultural criticism.

50 Cent said that the team wanted to give a voice to the voiceless

Bruce Glikas / Contributor / Getty Images

In a joint statement to PEOPLE, 50 and Stapleton called the doc 'a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far.

50 argued he had been speaking plainly for years, claiming: "Look, it seems like I'm doing some extremely outrageous things, but I haven't. It's really me just saying what I've been saying for 10 years."

For anyone who's followed 50 Cent's social media presence or public comments over the years, this rings true. He's made no secret of his opinions about Combs, often through pointed jokes and not-so-subtle references. What changed wasn't his position; it was the platform and the stakes.

He framed the documentary as part of that stance, adding that the team wanted 'to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives'.

"While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs' story is not the full story of hip hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture's broader contributions," he told the outlet.

Whether you see 50 Cent's involvement in this documentary as principled or opportunistic likely depends on your perspective going in. What's undeniable is that the conversation is happening now in a way it wasn't before, and the documentary has forced people to grapple with uncomfortable questions about complicity and silence.

The debate will continue long after the credits roll, which might be exactly what 50 Cent intended all along. What's your take on his decision to produce this documentary? Share your thoughts in the comments.