50 Cent Sued For $5 Million After Backing Out Of Show

There's no question that the hit "In Da Club" is helping 50 Cent remain in the public eye. The mystery is which club the star rapper will appear in on any given date.

Canceled shows and radio appearances and a gig that turned out to be a scam have disappointed fans in recent weeks and prompted a lawsuit. Hip-hop promoter Solomon Hatcher is seeking $5 million because 50 Cent backed out of a May 11 concert in Boise, Idaho. 50 is playing Miami on May 10 and Seattle on May 12, and he found it too difficult to sandwich Boise in between.

The rapper returned the $50,000 contract payment to promoters, but Hatcher's lawyer said the promoter's costs far exceed that amount. "My client began lining up vendors and advertisers and selling tickets months ago," said attorney Norman St. George. "That's all lost now."

But the big bucks sought in the suit come from George's claim that the cancellation irreparably harmed his client's business. "His name is associated with this event. And when the event is shut down because the artist doesn't want to perform, it damages my client's name indefinitely. I don't know that someone would take him seriously next time he wants to promote a big concert."

50 Cent was also booked for a May 9 show at the Sound Factory in New York. That concert's not gonna happen either, but it's not 50's fault. Show promoters who booked the venue were fooled by a man pretending to be the rapper's booking agent, who ran off with a $12,000 deposit. Not realizing they had been duped, the promoters printed up thousands of fliers for the show and were surprised to be hit with a cease-and-desist order from 50 Cent's label and booking agency.

A spokesperson for the club said it was completely uninvolved, adding that it neither advertised nor promoted the concert.

50 Cent's legal frustrations aren't limited to unplayed shows. The rapper is also being sued by a New York doctor who operated on him after he was shot in May 2000. In a suit filed Monday in the Supreme Court of New York, an attorney for Dr. Nader Paksima alleges that the doctor treated 50 for gunshot wounds and provided X-rays and post-surgical follow-up for months but hasn't even received 50 cents for his efforts.

After sending numerous bills to the rapper, Paksima decided to take legal action for the $32,511.87 owed to him.

For a feature interview with 50 Cent, check out "50 Cent: Money To Burn."

Jon Wiederhorn