Queens rapper and multi-hyphenate 50 Cent patronized one of hip-hop’s most successful restaurateurs as he celebrated the close of a new deal and the recent success of his Branson Cognac brand.
After the night ended, an insider told Page Six that he dropped a $1,000 tip on the server at the end of the night.
The gathering was at the recently opened Brooklyn Chop House Times Square on Monday, June 5, and was reported to be intimate. Pictures show among his guests were rapper DaBaby and actor Woody McClain. Other high-profile influencers said to be in attendance were Power 105.1 DJ Self and DJ Camilo.
While the number of guests has not been made public (one picture seems to suggest about eight people), Page Six reported that an insider told them exclusively the “Power” producer ordered “every item on the menu.”
The meals ordered were an off-menu (order by special request) salt and pepper lobster and multiple steaks.
The Brooklyn Chop House
The Brooklyn Chop House is not a traditional steakhouse. It marries the upscale Chinese cuisine of popular restaurant Philippe Chow from owner Stratis Morfogen’s portfolio with the American deli/social food of owner Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins. Don Pooh is a hip-hop icon who worked with artists like the Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige before focusing on building restaurants.
The menu of the Brooklyn Chop House is said to be from “Chop Steak to Chop Sticks,” specializing in its unique reimagined deli/diner dumplings. It offers five different types of steaks on the menu, ranging from $189 for a 48oz Dry-Aged Grass-fed Porterhouse steak to a $54 Filet Mignon Beef and Broccoli, Asian plate.
The meals are also served, like at Phillipe Chow, family style with people sharing plates and passing them around, while some meals like the steaks are served alone.
50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, took to social media and showed some love to the eatery and his friends, writing, “Good times, Good living NY vibes Brooklyn Chop House.”
In the picture, a partially eaten steak, a bottle of his cognac, and two containers of fried rice can be seen.
Chart-topper DaBaby wrote on his social media that the night was more than just fun and friends, but that he walked away with new information: “Had dinner w/ my Role Model last night. I ain’t never been in the room w/ @50cent without learning something new.”
A Partnership for the Night
A master brander, 50 Cent made sure that his cognac brand was prominently featured on the night that he brought attention to BCH.
On DJ Fort Nox’s Instagram stories, the Branson Cognac ambassador showed that the cocktail menu for the evening was mixed with his boss’ liquor: including a pair of 50 Cent’s drinks — Branson Manhattan and Branson Sour.
Something to Celebrate
The 47-year-old boasts an estimated net worth of about $40 million, with a sizable amount of it being made within the last 10 years.
After making hundreds of millions of dollars from his investment in Vitaminwater and selling more than 30 million records, he filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
His major comeback as a businessperson was as a Hollywood showrunner. In 2018, he inked a lucrative multi-series, four-year deal, reportedly worth up to $150 million, with the Starz network for his “Power” universe, a complicated web of stories connected to James “Ghost” St. Patrick.
He has recently left his STARZ deal, secured a non-exclusive partnership with FOX, and is building his own studio to put out his urban-oriented content.
Recently it was announced that 50 Cent is in the running with the likes of Sean “Diddy” Combs, Byron Allen, Tyler Perry and more to purchase the BET network. He and serial entrepreneur and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal are part of a group wanting to purchase Paramount Media Group’s majority share in the entertainment brand.
His second rebirth was when he seriously attached himself to the adult beverage space with his two spirit brands: Le Chemin du Roi and Branson Cognac. He distributes the brands through his Sire Spirits distribution company.
In 2022, the “I Get Money” rapper announced an “official partnership” between him and the Houston Rockets. 50 Cent’s Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi Champagne will now be sold at the Toyota Center during Houston Rockets games and events.
While the sources say 50 Cent was celebrating one of his lucrative deals, someone else was celebrating — the server who walked away with a grand, thanks for the rapper’s hospitality.
Nobody is trying to work with his cheap @ss, now he’s gotta fake it to make it.
Big ups to “50” it is well known that he is a good tipper