Rapper and entrepreneur Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is celebrating a major victory after the Shreveport City Council unanimously approved a lease agreement for his G-Unit Film and Television Studios. The 30-year lease, with an option to renew for an additional 15 years, will see G-Unit take over the historic Millennium Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana.
50 Cent took to social media to express his excitement about the project, “I would like to thank Mayor Tom Arceneaux, Head of City Council James Green and Tabitha Taylor along with everyone else who voted for us,” he wrote on a note shared on Instagram. “Thank you for welcoming myself and G-Unit Studios along with G-Unit Film and Television to Shreveport, Louisiana. I am excited to get started on building a state-of-the-art production facility.”
He continued, “Founding my own studio is the next step in my plan to expand G-Unit Film and Television’s output of premium, diverse content across all media and to provide more opportunities for artists, crew members and more jobs within the community.”
In the caption he added, “The significance of this picture is great. A Republican mayor’s office and a democratic majority City Council have never voted unanimously together on anything. This picture is historic this day actually represents the future of Shreveport, betting on me is not a gamble it’s a sure thing.”
While the annual rent is a mere $2,400, 50 Cent shoulders the $180,000 yearly maintenance. The lease agreement also stipulates that G-Unit Film and Television must stay active with film, television and music productions at the studio in Shreveport, with a maximum of 180-day production gaps. The studio doors swing open on January 1, 2024.
The G-Unit studio is expected to bring significant economic benefits to Shreveport. It’s projected to create new jobs, attract film and television productions, and boost tourism in the city. Councilwoman Tabitha Taylor, speaking to KSLA News 12, echoed this statement, “We have rebranded Shreveport in the entertainment industry, and now we are considering ourselves back again as an entertainment mecca.”
This landmark deal adds another feather to 50 Cent’s thriving cap, joining the ranks of his successful Starz series “Power” and Branson cognac venture.
