50 Cent insists Justin Bieber isn't racist, he's "still a baby".
Justin has been embroiled in scandal this week after two videos of him repeatedly using the N-word were released. He was around 14 when they were taken and in one he joked about joining racist organisation the Ku Klux Klan.
The 20-year-old singer has apologised, saying he is ready to own his actions and would never use the language now.
His mentor Usher has stuck by him and now 50 has spoken out in his defence.
"I don’t think he’s racist. I don’t think even he knows who he is at this point - he’s so young," the rapper told British newspaper The Sun.
"When you see people become huge stars real early, it’s tough for them. You have to grow up with all these expectations. I think Justin’s still a baby and he’s lost."
In the first video Justin told a racist joke, while in the second he changed the words to his hit One Less Lonely Girl to include the N-word.
The young star knows 50 as they are both boxing fans and have seen Floyd Mayweather fight together in the past, with the hip-hop star insisting Justin is more normal that everyone thinks.
"Every time I saw him, I saw a young guy who wanted to be around the excitement," he said.
“I brought him to come walk out at the fight [in 2012]. All I saw was a young guy who wanted to hang out. He was a huge star at the same time and he just wanted to chill.”
50 has also warned against judging Justin too harshly. He worries that if people continue to brand him a racist it could adversely affect his state of mind.
"That people are saying he is [racist] may actually affect him and turn him into one," he said.
“I’ve been so many things I’m not because of things that people said I am."
Russell Brand also spoke out about the incident yesterday, claiming it's wrong to slam Justin as he was so young when the videos were made. The comedian insisted that while it was obviously wrong to use the language the young star had, he clearly didn't understand what he was saying properly.
"Unless we’re going to explicitly say the role of celebrities is we're going to make them really, really famous and then we’re going to destroy them and rip them up in a public square with fish hooks, which, you know as long as you don't get round to me, I’m not against," he said in an online video.
"But we might as well own up to it if that is what we’re up to, otherwise just let him off. Of course it’s wrong to say the N-word, but he’s a child."
