'He's lost... but he's no racist'

Rapper 50 Cent has weighed into the contentious Justin Bieber racism storm by insisting the Canadian singer is ‘still a baby’ - but not a racist.

Bieber, 20, faces a career threatening backlash following the emergence of two damning videos in which he uses the N-word, first while cracking a racist joke and, in a second piece of footage, while modifying the lyrics to his hit single, One Less Lonely Girl. 

Speaking exclusively to Jennifer O’Brien of The Sun, 50 Cent – real name Curtis Jackson – dismisses racism claims outright.

The rapper speaks from experience, having spent time with Bieber during Floyd Mayweather, Jr’s super welterweight boxing triumph against Miguel Cotto at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas two years ago. 

Referring to their meeting, he described the Beauty and the Beat singer as a ‘young kid who just wanted to chill.’ 

I don’t think he’s racist,’ he said. ‘I don’t think he even knows who he is at this point – he’s so young. When you see people become huge stars real early, it’s tough for them.’ 

 

He added: ‘You have to grow up with all these expectations. I think Justin’s still a baby and he’s lost.'

 The hit-maker was caught on camera in a video released by TMZ, changing the words of his song One Less Lonely Girl to sing 'one less lonely n*****' - and joking about joining white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.

He has since apologised, telling The Sun: 'Facing my mistakes from years ago has been one of the hardest things I've ever dealt with. 

'But I feel now that I need to take responsibility for those mistakes and not let them linger. At the end of the day, I just need to step up and own what I did.'