50 Cent Dead? No, The Rapper And Eddie Murphy Are The Latest Victims Of Celebrity Death Hoaxes

By Jeff Stone | September 01 2012 4:43 PM

The rapper 50 Cent is alive after rumors of his death quickly circulated around the Internet Saturday. Just one day after actor and comedian Eddie Murphy was thought to have been killed in a snowboarding accident, the rumors around 50 Cent's death said he'd been killed in a car accident on Interstate 80, a transcontinental roadway.

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Made when 50 Cent was still very much in the underground of the New York rap scene, "How To Rob" first gained the rapper the notoriety that continues to chase him throughout his career. The song is basically a long rant about robbing rappers that were, at the time, all much more famous than 50 himself. Key lines: "I'ma keep stickin n-=i--as until I'm livin'. / I'll rob Boys II Men like I'm Michael Bivins / Catch Tyson for half that cash like Robyn Givens. / I'm hungry for real im bout to stick Mister C / That ni---a still eatin off Big's first LP. / I had Busta and the whole Flipmode on the floor, / He asked me if I had enuff I told him "Gimme Some More."

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50 Cent has been in the news lately because of a friend's recent suicide. Chris Lighty, 50 Cent's former manager, was found earlier this week after suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The full report from Global Associated News is complete fiction, according to a disclaimer at the bottom of the webpage.

"Fake ...This story is 100% fake! This is an entertainment website, and this is a totally fake article based on zero truth and is a complete work of fiction for entertainment purposes," a disclaimer reads.

"He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics responding to the vehicle accident and was identified by photo ID found on his body. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been a factor in this accident," the site wrote.

"Highway Safety Investigators have told reporters that 50 Cent lost control while driving a friend's vehicle on Interstate 80 and rolled the vehicle several times killing him instantly."

The fabricated story is hardly the first of its kind. Before the not-quite-news of Murphy's death hit the Internet and blogosphere plenty of other actors had supposedly been killed as well. Comedian Bill Cosby and pop singer Rihanna were thought to be dead just this week. Both reports were false.

The death hoax phenomenon has also claimed Bill Nye in recent weeks as well as Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Margret Thatcher, Phil Collins, among others. Denzel Washington was also rumored to be killed just over a week ago -- not true.

Before 50 Cent "died," the rapper rose to fame with "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'," a hit album that featured popular songs "In Da Club" and "Wanksta." His star has faded since then but Hip Hop DX reported that he's been working on a new album that's expected to be released by Thanksgiving of this year.

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