50 Cent suffers cash crash

50 Cent has lost "a few million" in the current worldwide recession, and has curbed his buying and selling of diamonds.

The Candy Shop rapper said his financial endeavours - particularly buying and selling diamonds - have taken a hit in the present financial climate.

He said: "The credit crunch has hit rap. I buy diamonds on a very regular basis. But now I am selling my old stuff before I get something new. These are times when you learn about the value of money

"If you don't lose money in this recession it means you didn't have enough to start off with. Sure, I lost a few million but that's because I have so much.

"Any businessman who wants a piece of the future should learn from me."

Despite saying his finances have taken a turn for the worse, the rapper - real name Curtis Jackson - reportedly ran up a bar tab of 75,000 pounds last week, as he celebrated at the after-party for his latest film Dead Man Running at the Alto club in London.

An onlooker told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper: "When he arrived at the club it was mayhem. The area was cleared for him and security ushered him straight through. On his table were bottles of champagne but he wanted a magnum bottle of Ace Of Spades champagne.

"You could tell he was loving all the attention, as people were trying to take pictures on their phones and were shouting his name."

The 33-year-old hip-hop artist - who stars in the British gangster film as a loan shark named Thigo - also performed in the film for free after learning proceeds from it would help disadvantaged children.

- BANG! SHOWBIZ