50 Cent has confirmed one of the more surprising collaborations in recent hip-hop history: a new track featuring himself, Eminem, and previously unreleased vocals from the late Tupac Shakur, set to serve as the theme song for the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie. He made the announcement official during an appearance on NBC's Today Show, where he was on hand to promote his upcoming STARZ series Fight land.
"It's Not AI" — Where Tupac's Verse Actually Came From
The biggest question surrounding the announcement has been how Tupac, who died in 1996, could appear on a brand-new track nearly three decades later. 50 Cent addressed that directly, saying the vocals aren't AI-generated at all, but pulled from Tupac's unreleased catalog and secured through his estate. He described the process simply: "We worked on it, and got it right," adding that Tupac's family and estate "loved it" once they heard the final result. That distinction matters given how much controversy AI-recreated vocals of deceased artists have generated across the music industry recently, and 50 Cent appears to have gone out of his way to draw a clear line between this project and that trend.
Watch full Video
50 Cent Isn't Just Behind the Song, He's in the Movie
This isn't a case of an artist simply licensing a track to a film. 50 Cent has joined the Street Fighter reboot's cast directly, playing Balrog, the disgraced heavyweight boxer with ties to the Shadaloo crime syndicate in the source material. That casting, revealed publicly back in December 2025, gives him a direct creative stake in the project beyond the soundtrack, and helps explain why he's been personally driving the push to get Eminem and Tupac's material included.
A Collaboration Eminem and Tupac Never Actually Had
Part of what makes this pairing culturally significant is that it's genuinely new ground. Despite Eminem's deep personal and professional history with 50 Cent, dating back to Eminem helping launch 50 Cent's career through Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment in the early 2000s, Eminem has never had an official, commercially released track with Tupac. A three-way combination of 50 Cent, Eminem, and Tupac would be a first for all of them together, not just a nostalgic reunion.
This Was Teased Months in Advance
The announcement wasn't a spontaneous reveal. 50 Cent first floated the idea back in December, posting on Instagram that he planned to get Eminem "on deck" to make music for the movie and promising new music was on the way. Friday's Today Show appearance turned that tease into a confirmed reality, with Tupac's estate-approved vocals added to the mix as the biggest surprise.
Not Everyone Was Convinced at First
The announcement hasn't been universally welcomed without skepticism. Rapper J-Hood publicly cast doubt on the project, and 50 Cent responded quickly, pointing to his own strong tour ticket sales as a rebuttal rather than directly engaging with the substance of the doubt. It's a reminder that even a project with estate approval and two of hip-hop's biggest names attached hasn't escaped the usual social media back-and-forth that follows most major 50 Cent announcements.
The Street Fighter Movie Itself
The film adaptation is set in a throwback 1993 timeframe and carries a large ensemble cast beyond 50 Cent, including Jason Momoa, Noah Centineo, Orville Peck, and Roman Reigns. Produced by Legendary Pictures, the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on October 16, 2026, giving fans a concrete date to watch for, and putting 50 Cent's "coming out shortly" timeline for the song into context, since a theme song like this would typically arrive ahead of the theatrical release rather than alongside it.
Why a Soundtrack Moment Like This Matters
Video game movie adaptations have historically leaned on their soundtracks as much as their box office numbers to build cultural buzz, and Street Fighter's built-in gaming fanbase gives a track like this a wider potential audience than a typical movie theme song. Pairing that built-in audience with three of rap's most recognizable names, one of them posthumous, gives the soundtrack a shot at becoming a cultural moment independent of how the film itself performs.
What's Still Unknown
Despite the confirmation, several details remain unreleased. No official song title, exact release date, or full production credits have been shared publicly yet. Fans are also still waiting on any direct public comment from Eminem's camp, since 50 Cent has been the primary source of information on the collaboration so far, along with formal confirmation from the Street Fighter production team on how the track fits into the film's broader marketing rollout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did 50 Cent confirm a song with Eminem and Tupac?
Yes. He confirmed it directly during an appearance on NBC's Today Show, describing it as the theme song for the upcoming Street Fighter movie.
Is Tupac's part on the song AI-generated?
No. 50 Cent said the vocals come from Tupac's unreleased catalog, secured with approval from his estate, not from AI recreation.
Is 50 Cent involved in the Street Fighter movie beyond the song?
Yes. He plays Balrog, a villain character from the Street Fighter game franchise, in the film's cast.
When does the Street Fighter movie come out?
The film is scheduled for release in theaters on October 16, 2026.
Have Eminem and Tupac ever released music together before?
No. Despite Eminem's long history with 50 Cent, he has never had an official commercial release featuring Tupac, making this collaboration a first.
When will the song be released?
No official release date has been announced, though 50 Cent has said it's "coming out shortly," likely ahead of the film's October premiere.
Conclusion
50 Cent's confirmation of a Street Fighter theme song featuring Eminem and previously unreleased Tupac Shakur vocals has turned a December teaser into one of the more talked-about music announcements of the summer. With Tupac's estate directly involved and 50 Cent himself starring in the film as Balrog, the project carries more weight than a typical movie tie-in single. Fans now have a release window to watch for, October's theatrical debut, but with the song's title, exact drop date, and full credits still unconfirmed, the biggest details are still ahead.
Sparrow World News will continue following the latest developments in music, movies, and entertainment.