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Photography by: Kiara Gomez Glad Bak Location: The Bowery Custom Suit: Tom Marchitelli @gentsplaybook Stylist: Melissa Polo Landau Grooming: Amy Farid Custom Jewelry: Yanina & Co. SOMETIMES 'NO' JUST MEANS THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE IDEA." VUE: You built an empire that spans beyond music, beyond film, fashion, and spirits. What does luxury truly mean to you now, compared to what it meant at the start of your career? 50 Cent: What does luxury mean? I've had so many different cool experiences. It's hard to put my finger on. When I see things I saw one place somewhere else, it makes me feel like it's really cool, like, I've been in hotel rooms that were yacht inspired. ey had the wood that would be inside the yacht, inside the actual room. And I walked through the room and felt like maybe I should have brought someone… so they could attach me to the experience of it. It felt so fly because I wanted someone…that I said, 'man, I should have brought somebody, and they could experience it,' felt luxurious to me. It felt like it was upscale. It felt like it was a part, maybe a pinch of the highest level of living. VUE: Love that. So, you've been known to turn adversity into opportunity. What's the best lesson that you've learned from failure? 50 Cent: Whenever I have situations that feel like a failing situation, I look at it like, my plans and God's plans aren't exactly the same. And it's a learning experience for me at that point. So I don't really accept, I have a hard time with no; when I'm trying to do something, if the answer is no, sometimes I hear you say, they don't understand. It doesn't mean it's not the right idea. ey just don't understand the idea. VUE: Coming from South Jamaica, Queens, a world away from private jets and penthouses, what's a key moment you've experienced that makes you just stop and reflect on all of that? 50 Cent: I was sitting with my accountant and he told me how much money I have now. I stopped him, I thought and I said, 'Shit, this is good. is is the American dream, baby.' You look at South Jamaica specifically, in that period, the biggest restraint was financial. So it makes you feel like the finances are the answer…because it's like the biggest restraint financially, at that point, it makes you feel like it's the answer to all your problems. en later, when you get the finances, you find a new obstacle. VUE: You find new problems. Tell us about 505 Society and Branson Partnership with Lalique. 50 Cent: It's exciting. I started Branson in 2018. And, like, as far as Branson and Le Chemin du Roi is concerned, I'm the sole owner in the company. It's not VUENJ.COM 49

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