50 Cent performs in Parramatta Park to a crowd that’s been waiting years for his return

THE rapper promised to “shake things up” when he took on Sydney’s wild weather and a Parramatta crowd — and he didn’t go back on his word.

50 Cent performed at Parramatta Park. Picture: MJR Presents

IT’S been seven years since 50 Cent made the trek down to Australia and more than double that since he debuted with his best-loved album Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

But despite all those years, there’s clearly no love lost between 50 Cent and his devoted Sydney fans.

The 42-year-old rapper was supported by indigenous rappers Baker Boy and A.B. Original.

Baker Boy, whose hit song Marryuna made it into the top 20 of Triple J’s Hottest 100 this year, managed to pull the crowds out after his set was briefly interrupted by a wild Sydney thunderstorm.

A.B. Original, as always, pulled off a polished and high-energy set but hadn’t even left the stage when the crowd started chanting “Fifty”.

And right as the clock hit 9pm, 50 took to the stage — perfectly on time and the crowd went wild for it.

“Australia, it’s been a while, let’s have some fun,” he yelled, with a huge grin on his face.

While it was billed as a Get Rich or Die Tryin’ anniversary tour, 50 only touched upon his greatest hit, performing three full songs from the iconic album.

Some of his newer hits fell a little flat but it was when he performed parts of Candy Shop and P.I.M.P that the crowd really got going.

The pouring rain did little to ruin the mood with much of the crowd ditching their 50 appropriate hoodies to embrace the wild weather.

50 Cent performs in Parramatta.

Even the heavy police presence did little to quash the vibe, plenty of the crowd even chose to enjoy the music with a joint in their mouth.

There was a point in the night where a huge section of the crowd appeared to get thrown into an all-out brawl but it quickly broke up.

Chief Inspector Vince Hole told news.com.au it was the only punch-up of the night and all of the boys involved left of their accord.

50 Cent, who celebrated his 42nd birthday last year, is clearly weathered after more than two decades of touring.

By the second half of his set, the rapper’s energy levels and voice started to dwindle but his passion and clear excitement to be performing to such a devoted crowd didn’t.

One costume change later, 50 performed his final few songs with his hype men keeping the crowd chanting while he spent some time backstage.

And while his set was short — just a little over an hour — the crowd didn’t seem to mind.

The rapper ticked off all of his greatest hits, performing everything from In Da Club to Ayo Technology and ended with a huge thank you for his devoted fans who made it all the way out to Parramatta.

He previously promised to “shake things up” when he announced his tour Down Under — and that’s exactly what 50 Cent did.

Originally published as 50 Cent performs in Parramatta Park to a crowd that’s been waiting years for his return