Key Takeaways
- 50 Cent’s G-Unit G6 Reebok sneaker, a 1:1 retro of the 2003 red, white, and blue original that helped prove rapper-led lines could rival traditional athletic brands, has been re-released for $130 with a special "time capsule" package.
- Fif credits the G6 collab with kickstarting his evolution from rap star to diversified mogul — fueling ventures in apparel, gaming, headphones, film, and ultimately his G-Unit Film & Television empire and studio complex.
- Delivered with a note from 2003 to the future, the re-release is meant to "restore" authenticity to the culture, with 50 telling Complex the G6 has always represented an unapologetic, authentic voice and he wants it to inspire the next generation of creators.
50 Cent's G-Unit G6 sneaker has finally been re-released after months of whispers and online discussion — and Fif took some time to speak to Complex about the release.
On Thursday (August 20), more than two decades after their original 2003 release, the rap titan's game-changing Reebok kicks returned to stores. A 1:1 retro of the original '03 silhouette, reviving the archival red, white and blue colorway, fans can get their hands on a pair at Reebok.com and at select retailers, priced at $130. Find out more info here.
First arriving at the height of 50 Cent mania, months after the release of the rapper's classic debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', the G-Unit G6 proved that non-athlete, rap-mogul-led sneaker lines could rival traditional athletic giants, selling millions of pairs and cementing streetwear as a dominant commercial force.
"Reebok took a chance on me early, and it paid off in a big way for us both," 50 Cent told Complex, revealing that although he was the hottest rapper in the world at the time, there was no bidding war, Reebok was "always" the intended collab partner.
"We were both doing things differently, so the partnership made sense," he explained. "We wanted to make noise, but I never imagined the impact the G6 would have on culture."
Reflecting on the G6’s legacy, Fif views the sneaker as the blueprint for modern hip-hop brand partnerships. Before his Reebok deal, rapper-backed kicks were a rarity; today, they are an industry baseline.
"The G6 created a whole new category in sneaker culture and opened up new opportunities in the music space," he noted. "It gave hip-hop artists a platform to go beyond being just artists. It wasn’t the norm back then." In his eyes, the current era of artist-led footwear isn't just a trend — it’s the direct evolution of the ground he and Reebok broke.
The collab served as the launchpad for one of the most ruthless, diversified business playbooks in modern entertainment. As 50 mania took hold in the mid-2000s, the bulletproof MC rapidly expanded his empire, leveraging his image into video games, a joint-venture apparel line with Marc Ecko, his own headphone brand, a record label roster, and box-office hit films.
He proved early on that his brand wasn't tied solely to his music — it was a scalable business model. "For me, it kick started my career beyond music, where I could focus on being an entrepreneur, a creative, and doing so much more," he explained.
Fast-forward to today, and that entrepreneurial pivot has evolved into a full-blown media powerhouse. Through G-Unit Film & Television — and his massive G-Unit Studios complex — 50 transformed himself into a TV juggernaut, spearheading the multi-billion-dollar Power franchise alongside a growing roster of critically acclaimed dramas and hard-hitting documentaries.
From dominant executive producer to multi-hyphenate mogul, his current reign across Hollywood and business is living proof of the vision that began with a single pair of sneakers.
The G-Unit G6 re-release is presented in a custom time-capsule package. Embossed with period-accurate logos and badges, the box includes a mini newspaper celebrating the shoe's original launch alongside the sneakers themselves.
Also inside — in addition to the sneakers themselves — is "A NOTE TO THE FUTURE," written by 50 Cent and dated 2003. Positioned as if Fif wrote it at the peak of his breakout success, the letter predicts his mammoth takeover and lasting superstardom.
"Get Rich or Die Tryin' is out, the music is everywhere, and I just signed a deal with Reebok," he writes. "I came a long way to get here, and I'm just getting started, stay with me — wait till you see what I do."
Sharing his original vision, 50 explains that he intended for the capsule to remain sealed until the mid-21st century. "If this made it to 2050, I hope the culture is bigger than anybody imagined. I hope people are still hungry, still competing, still creating something nobody saw coming," he writes. "The world is gonna change. It always does. I just hope people remember where this came from."
Instead, the G-Unit G6s have been unearthed 24 years ahead of schedule, a possibility 50 anticipated in the note: "If you're opening it early, then I guess we needed what's in here sooner than I thought."
While 2003 Fif couldn't have predicted why the culture would need the capsule opened early, he told Complex the 2026 arrival of the G-Unit G6 has everything to do with inspiring the next generation of authentic creators.
"Authenticity," 50 said when asked what the culture needs right now. "The G6 has always represented an unapologetic, authentic voice. So I want to inspire others to do the same."
Available now, you can find out more about how to pick up a pair of G-Unit G6 Reebok's here. You can also check out Joe La Puma's unboxing of the new G-Unit G6 Reebok below.
Shop 50 Cent on Complex.
