“He loves hip-hop first and foremost, and he wants to do this for the culture,” Joe petitioned on Ja’s behalf, adding that it could be a moment that would “break the internet.” Swizz was wary but told Ja him and Timbaland would consider the match.

Not long after, Fifty made his stance on the matter loud and clear: “Who want[s] to battle,” the G-Unit derisively issued as a response along with two memes ridiculing Ja. On Tuesday (April 14), Ja reiterated that he wasn’t trying to use the battle as camouflage and simply wants to do it for the culture.

“I just wanna say that it’s all love from my side,” he wrote on Twitter. “[I’m] never scared to compete. I was asked would I do a Verzuz with 50 and I said of course. I don’t back down lol...I stand by my catalog and the records I’ve written for others. I LOVE HIP HOP #fortheculture.”

Later that night, Ja took to his Instagram Stories and taunted Fifty by suggesting the reason he turned down the challenge because he’s afraid to go hit-for-hit with Ja. As noted by HipHopDX, the “I’m Real” rapper posted a meme of Fifty along with somce choice lyrics from Mobb Deep’s 1994 classic “Shook Ones Pt. 11.” 

“Cowards like you just get they [sic] whole body laced up / With bullet holes and such/ Speak the wrong words man and you will get touched,” the late Prodigy raps. “You can put your whole army against my team and / I guarantee you it’ll be your very last time breathing / Your simple words just don’t move me, you’re minor, we’re major / You’re all up in the game and don’t deserve to be a player.”

It seems Swizz’s reservations might’ve been justified after all.