CELEBRITIES
50 Cent speaks Friday at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Beverly Hills, California.
50 Cent said he thinks “Power” being overlooked by the Emmys over the years was racial despite the success of popular Starz series that has a prominently black cast.
“I like to say it’s racial. That’s the easy way to get out of things,” the rapper and executive producer of the series said during a panel discussion Friday at the Television Critics Association Press Tour. “People who are running and connected to these ceremonies are not necessarily cool people.”
After 50 Cent’s comments, “Power” creator Courtney Kemp — who accompanied him onstage — sarcastically said, “So now, we’ll never get one.”
“Power” stars Omari Hardwick as a man who’s trying to leave behind his life as a drug kingpin and go legit. The series has become one of Starz’s most popular shows, but the popularity of the series hasn’t translated into Emmy nominations.
“Power” will air its sixth and final season in two parts, Starz said. The first half, with 10 episodes, will begin as previously announced on Aug. 25. The concluding five episodes will start airing in January.
Kemp said the Emmy snubs were “disappointing.” But she was happy that the show has gotten recognition from a “core audience,” including the NAACP Image Awards.
“I thought we were doing something new and fresh,” Kemp said. “I was hoping that the Emmy voters would take notice, and they didn’t. You just accept it and move on.”