Inside the 50 Cent–directed BMF episode: A de-aged Eminem, a big rivalry, and Snoop Dogg

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson knows how to make a powerful impression.

For his latest effort — directing the seventh episode of BMF's freshman season — he pulled out all the stops to up the ante on the drama, which tells the true story of the Black Mafia Family and how two Detroit brothers turned a small-time operation into one of the most powerful crime organizations in U.S. history.

The first order of business: landing a big guest star.

"When Eminem found out I was directing, he committed to do it, and working together was natural," Jackson tells EW about the rapper's cameo as Richard Wershe Jr. (better known as White Boy Rick), who became the youngest informant in FBI history during the 1980s. "It was an honor to have him on the show and it made this episode extra special."

Kevin Mazur/WireImage Eminem and 50 Cent

Jackson thinks Eminem's decision to play someone other than the real Slim Shady for the first time since 2002's 8 Mile was due to the comfort level between the close collaborators. With that easy "yes" in the bag, the bigger challenge was turning the 49-year-old rapper into a teenage informant. "The technology that they used to de-age him was the same thing they used in The Irishman," says Jackson, whose producing empire includes BMF and the Power universe. "Em actually has a beard, so they first took the hair out of his face using the technology and then they de-aged him all the way down."

Even before the casting of Jackson's music mentor, helming the episode "All in the Family" — which also features Eminem's fellow Detroit native Kash Doll and BMF recurring player Snoop Dogg — topped the Grammy winner's to-do list.

"I had the cheat code because I got to read and see all the episodes, and I picked episode 7 because it just had everything and I knew it would be an exciting one to direct," Jackson says, emphasizing a "critical scene" which takes the rivalry between brothers Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory (played by the real Flenory's son, Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory Jr.) and Terry "Southwest T" Flenory (Da'Vinchi) and their competition Lamar (Eric Kofi-Abrefa) to "a boiling point."

"The stakes get raised completely in this episode," Jackson teases.

Starz 50 Cent on the set of 'BMF'

In the run-up to its Sunday, Nov. 14, premiere on Starz, Jackson had some off-screen drama to contend with, after the episode was accidentally released early before being taken down. "They just ruined the anticipation of The episode i directed, I WORKED HARD ON THIS." Jackson said in a series of tweets about the incident. In a statement, the network called it a "technical glitch" and focused on the "undeniable" fan demand for BMF and the Jackson-directed episode.

For those fans, Jackson — who had to navigate COVID protocols while shooting on location in Detroit during the pandemic — aimed to create an hour to remember. "I wanted to make sure there were no dull moments in the episode, so I wanted the camera moving the whole time," says Jackson, who previously directed a final-season installment of Power. "I didn't want to do flat shots back and forth over the shoulder. I was conscious of how I utilized time-lapse in interesting ways and connected everything into one cohesive piece. The style for the whole episode was moving to make the audience feel all the action."

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