Rapper 50 Cent made waves online after sharing a photo with a controversial Republican Party representative during a trip to the nation’s capital.
The musician, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, made a surprise appearance at the Capitol on Wednesday, alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
During his trip, the rapper stopped to pose for a photo with Rep. Lauren Boebert at the Capitol building before sharing the snapshot on his Instagram account.
“Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, makes the White House look good,” Jackson wrote in her post.
The 48-year-old was in Washington defending black entrepreneurs and pushing for greater representation in the luxury liquor industry.
Rapper 50 Cent drew criticism after posing for a photo with Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, during a surprise trip to the Capitol.
The musician, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, defended his fellow black businessmen.
Netizens quickly expressed their disapproval, with some comments racking up thousands of likes each.
“I don’t understand why anyone would want to associate with this type of woman,” one user commented.
‘But why would you take a photo with this shame in front of Congress?’ another wrote.
Others were more direct. “Lord, there’s still time to delete this,” one comment read.
Boebert, a staunch Trump ally, has been condemned for her politics, including her advocacy for gun rights, her opposition to COVID-19 mitigation policies and her alignment with QAnon conspiracy theorists.
Her reputation was further tarnished in September 2023 when she became the subject of a scandal involving an alleged sexual act during a performance of ‘Beetlejuice’ in Denver.
Boebert and Quinn Gallagher, a local business owner and registered Democrat, were warned during intermission after other patrons complained that they were singing, filming the performance and vaping.
Five minutes into the second act, Boebert and her date were escorted out of the theater.
The photo drew condemnation from netizens, including one who wrote: “I don’t understand why anyone would want to associate themselves with this type of woman.”
Boebert became embroiled in a scandal late last year after video surfaced of her groping her date’s crotch during a ‘Beetlejuice’ performance in Denver.
The far-right politician was kicked out of the theater after patrons complained she was vaping and filming the performance on her phone.
One comment appeared to mock the incident, joking: ‘Did he take you to see Beetlejuice?’
Surveillance footage later surfaced showing Boebert grabbing Gallagher’s crotch, while another clip captured her giving the middle finger to an usher as they walked away.
Some comments on Jackson’s post mocked the incident, including one that joked: “Did he take you to see Beetlejuice?”
Boebert shared her own photo from their meeting on X, formerly Twitter.
‘I’d still love you if you made burgers at Burger King, I used to do it myself!’ she wrote. ‘Thanks for the photo, nice to meet you!’
The caption appeared to reference a line from the rapper’s 2003 hit song, ’21 Question.’
Boebert, 37, was re-elected to her House seat in 2022 by a slim margin of just 546 votes.
In December 2023, he announced that he would move from running in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District to the 4th Congressional District, a stronghold of the Republican Party.
Jackson also stopped to take a photo with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who survived an impeachment vote last month.
The rapper was quick to point out that he took photos with politicians from the opposite side of the aisle, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
He is currently on the ballot for the state’s Republican primary on June 25.
During Wednesday’s surprise trip, Jackson also stopped to take a photo with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who survived a dramatic impeachment vote last month.
“My friend friend from Shreveport said he’s happy to see me making things happen and creating a lot of jobs,” the rapper wrote.
He also posed for photos with those across the aisle, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA).
In the wake of the backlash, Jackson posted a follow-up message to X.
“Wait, wait guys, I took pictures with everyone and the only thing they seem to care about is Lauren,” he wrote.
‘What did he do in a dark theater that hasn’t been done, my God! Hey, by the way, I don’t have chlamydia. HA HA HA.’
Jackson openly supported Donald Trump before the 2020 presidential election.
Speaking to reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday, the rapper said he believed black men would identify with Trump and not Biden “because they have RICO charges.”
Trump and several accomplices face charges of extortion and corruption in Georgia for their efforts to overturn the election results in that state.