A recent report has stated that several Nigerians are signing a petition to stop 50Cent’s Hushpuppi project, in a move to prevent the American rapper from going on with plans to create a show about the convicted cyber-fraudster.
Following Hushpuppi’s conviction for fraud on November 7, 2022, 50 Cent had announced on his social media accounts that he planned to create a television program based on Hushpuppi and his way of life.
People expressed outrage online over this news, claiming it would promote cybercrime and this prompted a petition asking for the proposed show to be cancelled.
Samuel Effiong, the Nigerian who started the petition, bemoaned the rapper’s romanticization of fraud and how the planned production will further harm Nigeria’s reputation.
“I am disappointed by 50 Cent’s recent announcement about a planned movie series on Ramon Olorunwa Abbas also known as Hushpuppi, a convicted felon currently serving 11 years in a maximum security prison in the U.S over cybercrime or ‘yahoo yahoo’ as it is popularly called in Nigeria. This proposed series will further tank Nigeria’s battered image as it will reinforce stereotypes about all Nigerians being scammers.
“Furthermore, this plan would not only make Hushpuppi rich, as he would have to be paid for rights, but it would also encourage and glamourise cybercrime. This has to be stopped. Join me to call on 50Cent to stop the Hushpuppi series.”
The concept for a movie based on Hushpuppi’s encounter with foreign law enforcement is not exclusive to 50Cent. Prior to the announcement by 50Cent, Universal Pictures, Will Packer Productions, and Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife purchased the rights to the 2021 release of the Bloomberg article “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master,” which is about the Instagram influencer Hushpuppi. Nigerians’ responses to this action were mainly negative.
So far, more than hundred people have signed the petition which was created few days ago.