Taco Bell has really pissed off 50 Cent. And insulted him. All due to their dumbass publicity stunt. Taco Bell offered to donate $10,000 to the charity of Fiddy’s choice if he’d change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent, or 99 Cent – to correspond with the prices on their value menu. Fiddy – being the shrewd dude that he is – instantly called Taco Bell out for being insincere and trying to use his celebrity for free publicity. And the dude is pissed.

Apparently, that was a little too much thinking outside the bun for the lawyered-up rapper, who not only took issue with the promo stunt, but threatened to sic his legal team on the chain. “When my legal team is finished with them, Taco Bell is going to have a new corporate slogan: ‘We messed with the bull and got the horns!’ ” Fiddy said.

The rapper’s rep went one further, calling out the company’s big cheese on his cheekiness. “This is a sleazy and ill-conceived publicity stunt by Taco Bell’s president, Greg Creed, whose disingenuous offer was leaked to the press before it was even presented to 50 Cent’s agent yesterday,” the rapper’s rep said.

As it is, the taco giant’s offer was sent to Fiddy—and, of course, the media—promising to donate $10,000 to a charity of the rapper’s choice if he agreed to the name change. Also requested from the franchise chief was for the newly monikered rapper to pay a visit to one of Taco Bell’s locations and rap his order at the drive-thru.

“We know that you adopted the name 50 Cent years ago as a metaphor for change,” the letter read. “We at Taco Bell are also huge advocates for change. We encourage you to ‘Think Outside the Bun’ and hope you accept our offer.”

[From E! News]

Companies do occasionally do this, but most celebs politely decline. 50 is the first I can think of to call them out. At first I kinda thought Fiddy was being a jerk for not just saying thanks but no thanks, but once I thought about it a little more, I realized it really is aggravating.

Taco Bell isn’t being generous – they know the famous rapper isn’t going to change his name – so they never intended to part with their $10,000. Instead, they’re being cheap, by trying to associate 50 Cent with their corporation to get free publicity. Which I guess I’ve just given them a little more of. Except that the Taco Bell near me is always getting closed down by the New York City Department of Health for a shockingly long list of health code violations. Like rodents and roaches. Which I’m pretty sure end up in the food. There, that should do it. I think I just negated any free publicity. Thanks, Taco Bell.

Header of 50 Cent at the Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on September 8th. Images thanks to WENN.