50 Cent is celebrating a major commercial win after his G-Unit G6 Reebok sneakers reportedly sold out within just two hours — and he wasted little time using the moment to take another swipe at longtime rival Rick Ross.
The rapper and entrepreneur’s latest sneaker release arrived on Thursday, reviving one of the most recognisable footwear collaborations of his career. The retro G6, inspired by the original 2003 design, reportedly moved all available stock through Reebok, JD Sports and Finish Line within 120 minutes.
The reported sellout was particularly satisfying for 50 Cent because it came after Rick Ross publicly questioned whether anyone would actually buy the sneakers.
Following the rapid sellout, 50 Cent took to social media to remind his rival of his earlier prediction, posting a taunt aimed directly at Ross.
The exchange added another chapter to one of hip-hop’s longest-running rivalries, with 50 once again turning a business achievement into ammunition for their ongoing feud.
The latest G6 release is a recreation of the original white, red and blue colourway associated with the sneaker’s 2003 launch. Priced at around $130, the shoe taps into the nostalgia surrounding the early years of 50 Cent’s career and his hugely successful partnership with Reebok.
The original G6 arrived around the same period as 50 Cent’s landmark debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and became closely associated with the rapper’s cultural dominance during the early 2000s.
The collaboration was reportedly a huge commercial success, with millions of pairs sold and tens of millions of dollars generated for 50 Cent.
More than two decades later, the rapid sellout suggests that the G6 still carries considerable nostalgic and commercial appeal.
50 Cent also credited the strong response from New York, suggesting that the city’s support played an important role in the release’s success.
For the rapper, however, the sneaker launch was about more than simply selling shoes. It provided another opportunity to demonstrate his ability to turn his celebrity, catalogue and cultural influence into commercially successful ventures.
And, naturally, it gave him another opportunity to troll Rick Ross.
The latest confrontation is only the newest instalment in their long-running war of words. The two have repeatedly exchanged insults over music, business and their respective careers, with neither showing much interest in calling a truce.
50 Cent has also recently taken aim at Ross over the performance of his album Set In Stone, which reportedly opened at No. 39 on the Billboard 200 with about 19,000 equivalent album units in its first week.
The sneaker victory therefore arrived at an opportune moment for 50, giving him fresh evidence — at least commercially — with which to needle his rival.
For now, the G6 has delivered its answer at the checkout: the sneakers sold out, and 50 Cent was more than happy to make sure Rick Ross heard about it.
