(AllHipHop News) 50 Cent is possibly looking to turn a former boy band member into one of the biggest stars on the planet. 50 has expressed interest in signing ex-One Direction member Zayn Malik and teaming him with high-profile rappers. The G-Unit leader sees Malik as the next coming of a former NSYNC singer turned megastar.

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“His vision on his own is always different from what it is in the group,” the Star quotes 50 saying about Malik. “Like Justin Timberlake, as Justin Timberlake, away from the group – it’s a lot of potential.”

Timberlake left his five-man group and went on to release multi-platinum selling solo albums such as Justified, FutureSex/LoveSounds, and The 20/20 Experience. His discography includes collaborations with the Clipse, T.I., Jay Z, J. Cole, and A$AP Rocky.

Malik left One Direction in March, and he is now working on his own material with producer Naugthy Boy. The 22-year-old Brit is expected to release a solo album in 2016.