In time for the 25th anniversary of 50 Cent’s debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Kendrick Lamar is saluting the Queens rapper and multimedia businessman. In conversation with Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems for Interview Magazine, the Compton native discussed 50 once giving him a “jewel” that remained pivotal to his career.

“Now, I’ve always studied 50 Cent’s music and watched his interviews, and someone asked if he was a conscious artist,” Lamar recalled. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’m a conscious artist because I have a conscience.'”

“That s*** blew me away. It gave me a different perspective — 50 drops a lot of jewels that give me perspective, but that one right there gave me a sense of, okay, a lot of artists live and know how to project duality.”

He added, “That’s the true gift, because that’s what life is about in its wholeness. When I seen that I said, ‘I can relate to that,’ and what you’re saying is confirmation that that’s still alive. It’s really dope to hear another artist say it. Lets us know we not crazy.”

While Lamar and 50 have yet to collaborate together in music, K. Dot once made a 2018 cameo on the 50-produced STARZ drama Power as a drug addict named Laces. Five years prior, 50 shared his admiration for the Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers artist in a XXL interview.

“I love Kendrick,” he said. “Obviously there is a huge difference in the two of us, in our characters, and the way we present ourselves ’cause to me he possesses the ability to appear like he didn’t know this was going to happen.”

The two also performed alongside each other during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, with curator Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and special guest Anderson .Paak.

‘Kendrick Lamar on Power’ Ep. 5 BTS | Inside the World of Power Season 5 | STARZwww.youtube.com

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & 50 Cent FULL Pepsi SB LVI Halftime Showwww.youtube.com