In 50 Cent’s world, lyrical warfare is justified simply through affiliation. The Queens-bred MC has aimed his callous lyrics at fellow New York rappers Jadakiss and Fat Joe, both of whom contribute verses to 50’s rival Ja Rule’s anthem “New York, New York.” Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Rule have promptly responded to the verbal assault.
“It ain’t like when him and Ja was in the nucleus of what they was going through, I hopped on a song with Ja and it looked like I was going against (50),” Jadakiss argued in an on-air interview with radio personality Funkmaster Flex. The Hot 97 DJ refused to play 50’s highly controversial dis record “Piggybank” due to disputes it might cause. The song reportedly targets Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Shyne, Nas and even Kelis.
Jadakiss says his contribution to “New York, New York” was pure business. The D-Block member also brings up the fact that he worked with his former Bad Boy mentor Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, even though the two have conflicted in the past.
Still, ‘Kiss says he contemplated whether or not to appear on Rule’s single. Lox companion Styles P. ultimately convinced him it would be a good career move. “Bottom line, business is business. Ja is a big record seller,” Styles P told Flex. “For him (Jadakiss), when Ja called him [to do the song], to sit there and think [Ja] got beef with 50 is totally ridiculous.”
50 further bashes his Interscope label mate Jadakiss in the March issue of XXL, stating, "You can’t break a million records, and you call yourself going platinum…I know your numbers is 800 [thousand] and change, and you can’t get over that hump? He’s a great rapper, but he’s not a great songwriter. I got artists under me that are better than him."
If any serious beef were to erupt though, Styles P pointed out that the label would immediately favor 50 Cent because of his platinum-selling status. “We over here struggling, striving and happy to go one mil and get a mil in ’cause that’s deep for us…He’s selling 10 million records," P said. "If we in the same house with [him], who you think at the end of the day, if it gets out of control, they gon’ lean toward? We ain’t stupid. Automatically, he wins.”
In 50’s perception, he’s not the one initiating the beefs. "When they are in their articles, they say ‘F**k 50’ off the record. But they won’t say it to my face,” 50 told XXL. “The difference between them and me is I don’t have a problem saying f**k them in front of them."
50 thinks Fat Joe has been taking subliminal jabs at him for awhile, for instance. But Joe says he knew Rule and Irv Gotti before any beef arose and saw no reason to turn down “New York, New York” simply because of beef between Rule and 50.
Rule, no stranger to 50’s battle cries, seems fed up with the constant bickering. The Queens rapper told AllHipHop.com in response to 50’s "Piggybank" record, “That’s good for [50]. I’m glad that he’s jealous of what I’m doing. Is he campaigning or something?”
Speaking to a New York Daily News reporter, however, Rule was a bit more vehement toward his cross-town nemesis. “Stop talking about me and come see me face to face," Ja told a reporter at the premiere for his new film, Assault on Precinct 13.
Rule also issued an angry retort to 50’s comment in XXL that he would sign Rule after all is said and done. "I own my own company already. I might sign him," Rule said. "He’s been on my [case] for a long time.”
And now, 50 is dishing the beef out to others. How they respond in song remains to be seen.
