The Black Mafia Family (BMF), which was a dr*g traff****ng and money laundering organization founded by brothers Big Meech Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory in Detroit, Michigan, in the early 1980s, became one of the biggest dr*g cartels in the U.S., distributing a large amount of dr*gs across states in the country.
They had very strong ties to the music industry, supporting many artists like Gucci Mane, T.I., Fabolous, Bleu DaVinci, and notably Young Jeezy by either financing their careers or providing street promotion, which helped them gain street credibility under BMF Entertainment, created by Big Meech.
50 Cent revealed that he deliberately stayed away from BMF on the Heart of the Streetz podcast because he knew the kind of person he was.
This was at a time when 50 Cent was still trying to build his brand, G-Unit, and because he had just survived being shot 9 times—and not only that but had also had multiple instances where he fell afoul of the law—this made him steer clear of anything that could potentially tarnish his brand and his music career, which he was struggling to build.
He stated that BMF targeted the music business because, that way, they could use their influence and throw lavish parties to attract artists. They were often seen flaunting a luxurious lifestyle and throwing extravagant parties now and then.
“When I first heard about it, it was in 2003. They would come around like it was guys that had a relationship. They were so embedded into the music business because when you can fund your pockets, people will like you around…”
50 Cent recalled that in 2003, when their influence was growing, they would use their pockets to make themselves indispensable in the nightlife scene.
“When you make it to the nightclub and Puffy needs champagne… can’t buy champagne because you bought all of it, they start to have to speak to you. It’s not fun here tonight without anything… So it’s like all the relationships that actually develop. I stayed away from it because I know who I am, and it’s not easy for you to… You know what I mean? I might have bought some.”
And given his history of dr*g trade, violent crimes, and many industry conflicts, it was wise to avoid mixing with an organization that was seriously under law enforcement scrutiny, especially considering that once you get involved with them, it often becomes difficult to remove yourself.
In 2005, the DEA launched an investigation known as Operation Motor City Mafia, leading to the arrest of 150 members, including the Flenory brothers. They were all sentenced to 30 years in prison for dr*g tra***cking and m**ey la***ering.
