50 Cent caused a stir on social media after he posted a viral video criticizing Campbell Soup Company in the wake of a major controversy involving leaked audio recordings of a fired executive that sparked national outrage.
The rapper posted a video of two soup cans in a trash can, saying: “I’m done with Campbell’s soup and they said it wasn’t chicken at all, the meat came from a 3D printer.”
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50 refers to the scandal involving former Campbell Soup executive Martin Bally, who made offensive comments about the company’s products and customers during a November 2024 meeting.
The controversy began when Robert Garza, who was hired as a cybersecurity analyst in September 2024, secretly recorded a meeting with Bally that was supposed to discuss his salary. Garza reported the offensive comments to his manager, J.D. Aupperle, on Jan. 10, but claims Aupperle discouraged him from reporting the incident to human resources.
Garza was fired weeks later, prompting him to file a racial discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional, reputational and financial damages.
In the leaked recording, Bally allegedly called Campbell’s products “a ### for the f###### poor people” and claimed the company used “bioengineered meat” and “3D printed chicken” in its soups, according to the lawsuit.
Campbell’s quickly fired Bally’s after the recording emerged and issued multiple statements defending its products, but 50 Cent’s viral reaction brought more attention to the scandal.
The company took the unusual step of responding directly to the rapper on social media, writing: “Hey 50 – To set the record straight, we use real, high-quality ingredients (real chicken!) and put a lot of care into every batch. Come see for yourself, we’d love to show you how we make our food!”
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Campbell acknowledged the authenticity of the recording in a Nov. 26 statement, calling Barrie’s comments “vulgar, offensive and false” and apologizing for “the harm they caused.”
The food manufacturer vigorously defends the quality of its products, saying their chicken “comes from long-time trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high quality standards.”
They released a fact sheet confirming that they do not use “3D-printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or any form of artificial or bioengineered meat” in their soups.
50 vows to inspect the factory, but he may have some company.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that his consumer protection division is investigating the quality of Campbell’s Soup products following the controversy.
