Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's latest video, Part Of The Game features some of the most iconic classic Bimmers from the 1980-90s. The single doubles as the theme song for his latest expansion of the Power TV show universe. Starz’ prequel Power Book III: Raising Kanan is the third series of the growing brand of Power following the success of the sequel series Power Book II: Ghost. The prequel series is set to take place in the 1990s as it centers around Kanan Stark, the character that 50 Cent himself played in the original series. Not too far off from his own life, the series is based on a young kid from Jamaica, Queens, New York trying to make ends meet.
50 cent's new single featuring rapper NLE Choppa and Rileyy Lanez also featured some iconic Bimmers. Since the series takes place sometime in the nineties, 50 cent paid homage to the decade with Bimmers like a yellow 8 series, silver E36 body styled M3, and a burgundy E30 body M3.
Let's take a closer look at the classic blasts from the past.
E30 BMW M3 Convertible
The E30 is what started it all for the iconic M3. Ironically, It was the first car in the video that had 50 Cent behind the wheel. Cruising down the streets of Queens with the top down sitting in its peanut butter interior, 50 looked like a blast from the past. NLE Choppa had a segment in the video where he was secluded and rapping in front of a silver version of the E30 M3.
First presented at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, the M3 went into production in 1986 and ran until 1991. The coupe body style was the most popular, but convertibles were produced as well.
The E30 is powered by BMW’s S14 engine, an inline 4 cylinder capable of 192hp. In Motorsports, the naturally aspirated M3 pumped out 296hp and won the 24 hour Nurburgring in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1994. The M3 also competed as a rally car in competitions like the World Rally Championship, but with its rear-wheel drive setup it didn't fair as well against all-wheel drive competitors. A classic today, the hard to find E30 bodied M3 in good condition and with low mileage easily goes for upward of $70,000. In 2007, Automobile Magazine awarded the E30 M3 with a top 5 spot on their list of “25 Greatest Cars of All Time”
E31 BMW 850 Coupe
50 Cent is also seen in the video riding around and rapping in front of a NYC bodega with the iconic E31 BMW 850, painted in bright yellow with a blacked-out V12 emblem on the side. The 8 series was a grand tourer BMW only made from 1990-99. There is no B pillar, so with the front windows and the rear quarters down, there is an open-air feel. The setup is about the closest you can get to a convertible without being one.
Even Doug Demiro called this the best BMW of the 90s. This two-door V12 powered cruiser was the ultimate BMW offering at the time. In the same league as the range tipping epitome of the luxury 7 series, the 850 was the top to the top Bimmer you can buy at the time. The 1990 initial 5.0 Liter naturally aspirated 12 cylinder engine produced 296hp. Then BMW upgraded the V12 to a 5.4 Liter with 322hp. In 1999, they pumped up it’s displacement to a 5.6 Liter with 375hp in its last year. The 5.6 liter and most powerful power plant launched the grand tourer to 60 from a standstill in just under 6 seconds at 5.9, as tested by Road & Track.
After a nearly 20 year hiatus, the G15 8 Series succeeded the classic 850 in the 2019 model year and looks as every bit cutting edge. No longer is there a V12 option the new 840 and 850s offer a V6, V8, or a top of the line twin-turbocharged V8 cutting the 0-60 print to a blistering 3.2 seconds. Sure it's new and faster, but can you really forget the sleek simple classic wedge design of BMW’s first V12 vehicle, with its pop-up headlights?
E36 BMW M3
The second-generation M3 can be seen in the video just behind the bright yellow 850 when 50 Cent is rapping in front of the bodega. The boxy design of the E36 pays homage to its predecessor, the E30. The E36 brings the previously separate headlights into one housing. The signature BMW kidney grille grows more horizontal, less narrow like its predecessor, and inline with the overall shape, boxy.
Introduced to the world in 1992, the E36 BMW M3 didn't make its US debut until '95. It came to America equipped with BMW’s straight six S5O engine pumping out 240hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. In 1996 BMW upgraded the powerplant to the S52 inline six upping the displacement to 3.2L but not boosting the hp for the US. Both S50/S52 engines were mated to a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. It was discontinued just before Y2k in 1999 but not before they produced 18,961 coupes, 7,760 sedans, and 6,211 for the US market.