50 Cent Talks New Film Role, Weight Loss on ‘The View’

50 Cent took time away from touring overseas to promote his new film, 'Twelve,' on 'The View' yesterday. The Queens rapper, dressed dapperly in a grey suit, discussed his role playing Lionel, a drug dealer supplying wealthy Upper West Side teenagers with their drugs of choice.

During his interview, host Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked the rapper-turned-actor how he was able to get back into the mindset of running the streets, since he left them behind to focus on a music career.

"It's a totally different experience for me because I've been away from that for a very long time," 50 Cent said. "In this actual project, the character's actually darker. I've never done anything with those motivations. There's a scene in the actual film where he's excited to trade the drugs for a woman's virginity. That's darker than anything I've experienced."

On the come-up, the 'Before I Self Destruct' creator took to illegal means as a way to support himself. 'The View' guest host E.D. Hill questioned Fif's ability to steer clear of getting hooked on drugs himself. He assured her his intentions were focused on making money back then, and nothing more than that. "Well, I mean just my motivation," 50 replied. "I didn't come there to actually hurt anyone. It was just what the environment provided for me without any requirements." He joked, "Like they don't say, 'You need a master's [degree] to be a drug dealer.' Everyone's eligible. You have two hands [and] two feet... Run, the cops are coming."

Besides turning the conversation to his past, 50 went on to discuss the drastic weight loss he experienced for the straight-to-DVD movie 'Things Fall Apart.' Food intake was minimal during the production and preparation for the role included some heavy reading. "I was on liquids," he revealed. "I started on the lemons and cayenne pepper [diet]. I read [Robert DeNiro's] interviews during 'Raging Bull.' I read Christian Bale during 'The Machinist.' And there was another project, Tom Hanks in 'Philadelphia.'"

For more on his interview, check out the video below: