50 Cent's Legacy Tour and Bail Request
50 Cent's Legacy Tour performed at venues across Europe in July 2025.
Detectives investigating cocaine trafficking in Derby expressed being "shocked" by an intervention from the US rapper 50 Cent. The musician wrote to a judge requesting the release on bail of an arrested suspect so the individual could participate in the rapper's Legacy Tour.
The details came to light after Abdirahiim Hassan was sentenced to 18-and-a-half years at Derby Crown Court on Friday, following his conviction for conspiracy to supply Class A cocaine and possession of criminal property in the form of cash in March 2026.
There is no indication that 50 Cent had any knowledge of the suspect's criminal activities.
In a letter supporting Hassan's bail application, the rapper offered to personally pay £50,000 for the defendant's bail.
Hassan, 37, from Benworth Road in Hammersmith and Fulham, London, was among 10 men sentenced as part of Operation Daybreak.
The prosecution described him in court as "substantially involved in national-level cocaine trafficking".
The court heard that evidence given by Hassan, also known as Samir, during his trial revealed "staggering arrogance and comfortable dishonesty" as he described a "jet-setting, entourage-type lifestyle, working for an A-list musician".
Abdirahiim Hassan was described in court as substantially involved in "large-scale national cocaine trafficking"
The jury learned Hassan was arrested during his fourth train trip to Derby to collect "substantial amounts of cash" from Harminder Purewal.
Purewal, 47, of Bridge Gate Lane, Derby, was sourcing large consignments of drugs for organised crime groups in Sinfin and Chaddesden, which supplied wholesale quantities of cocaine to dealers.
He received a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A cocaine.
Between 2022 and 2025, Hassan deposited £150,000 in cash into his bank account, and a search of his home uncovered £22,500 in heat-sealed bags.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Green, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, stated that Hassan acted as "a money-launderer".
50 Cent, right, said he had "known and worked closely" with Hassan for many years
The letter addressed to the judge began with: "My name is Curtis Jackson, known professionally as 50 Cent." It requested that Hassan's bail conditions be modified to allow him to fulfill a "critical operational role" during the European leg of the Legacy Tour the previous summer.
The letter stated Hassan was responsible for the tour's food and beverage operations, including representing 50 Cent's Sire Spirit brand in multiple countries.
"Mr Hassan is an essential part of my international team," the letter added.
"We will be flying private to all destinations."
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Green remarked that detectives were "shocked" by the letter from 50 Cent.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Green said detectives were "shocked" by the letter from 50 Cent
Green told the BBC that detectives were initially skeptical about 50 Cent's support for Hassan's bail application, which the judge ultimately denied.
"When you get something like that come in, it's quite a unique moment and I think the team were a little bit shocked," he said. "You obviously think it's fake to start with... it's obviously one of those things you'll never forget as part of an investigation."
Detectives noted that Hassan's defense team later submitted photos and videos showing him on private jets and at US tour dates.
50 Cent also provided another letter for the sentencing hearing as part of Hassan's mitigation.
In this letter, the rapper stated he had "known and worked closely with him for many years, both professionally and personally."
He wrote:
"I write as someone who has relied on him [Hassan] directly in my own business and who knows his character through years of firsthand experience. I am aware of the matter that brings Mr Hassan before the court, and I do not write to minimize its seriousness. I write only to give the court an honest account of the man I have come to know through working alongside him over the years."
Later in the letter, 50 Cent said that "employment will be available" to Hassan upon his release, adding:
"His experience, reliability and understanding of the work make him someone I would welcome back without hesitation."
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