The Many Battles of 50 Cent
Fif's been cooking up beef since 1999's "How to Rob."
1 / 17
Beef With a Side of Coin - Since his debut song, "How to Rob," released in 1999, 50 Cent has been at the center of musical controversy. Whether it's a subliminal rap line, a tweet or an all-out lyrical war, the Queens MC has never been one to hold his tongue. Lately, it’s not just his tongue that he’s had issues holding, it’s that finger of his on Instagram. It got him in trouble again this week. The list of 50 Beefs is long. But does he always win? — Jon Reyes and BET Staff (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
2 / 17
50 Cent vs. Bankruptcy Court - When 50 posted a photo of himself surrounded by stacks of money all while filing for bankruptcy, the judge presiding over his case was like, “No, no, no, come in and explain this, sir.” Winner: Still in progress. (Photos from left: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)
3 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond and His Son - 50 and Jimmy have a lengthy history, and their issues were reignited when Fif clowned him on Instagram last month and then released a song with a mention of him and his son titled "Hold On." James Jr. then released a statement accusing the Queens-bred rapper of glorifying a violent situation and picking on a man — his father — who can't respond (James Sr. is currently serving life in prison).The Winner: Junior(Photos from Left: James Rosemond Jr via Instagram, Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
4 / 17
50 Cent Vs. French Montana - Fif and French Montana got into it when the Bronx rapper called 50 an "old man" in a tweet and challenged him to drop their albums on the same day in 2013. It didn't end up happening. In fact, not much has happened between the two beyond some vitriolic tweets. The Winner: Draw(Photos from left: DLM Press, PacificCoastNews.com, John Ricard / BET)
Photo By Photos from left: DLM Press
5 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Lil Wayne - Fif's dropped plenty of subliminal shots at Weezy, including on 2011's "Love, Hate, Love": "Acting like you White boy bored/Now you wanna jump a flight of stairs on a skateboard/N---a, why the fuck your pants so tight/You trying to show n----s your a--, your alternative life." But while 50 stays focused on baiting MCs, Weezy's been focused on being the best. And right now, even with plans to retire, Wayne is still one the hottest MCs in the game. The Winner: Lil Wayne (Photos: Vince Bucci/PictureGroup; Frank Micelotta/Fox/PictureGroup)
ADVERTISEMENT
6 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Game - On the outside, it may appear that 50 Cent got the best of Game by signing him to his G-Unit label and later dropping him. But Game's survival and improvement as an MC has proven otherwise: 50 could have made more money with him. The Winner: Tie (Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
Photo By Peter Kramer/Getty Images
7 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Jay Z - 50 called out Jay Z on "How to Rob," a song that appeared on not only Fif's debut album, the unofficailly released Power of the Dollar, but also on the In Too Deep soundtrack. There was no denying this new kid on the block. In addition to Jigga, he called out DMX, Diddy, Big Pun, and more. Nas is the only one who really appreciated the comedy, taking 50 on his Nastradamus tour as proof. But Jay did return the mention with a one bar response on "I'm Hot," also released back then. The Winner: Tie (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
8 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Dr. Dre - 50 started a brief spat with Dr. Dre after tweeting that Dre had a feeling about his headphones. "Jimmy Iovine and Dre [are] mad at me cause I'm doing Sleek by 50," he tweeted. When TMZ caught up with Dre and asked him about it, he said, "I have no idea what you're talking about ... I've never heard of his headphones." Dismissed. The Winner: Dr. Dre (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
9 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Ja Rule - The biggest bout in his history — and one of the most legendary rap battles of all time — also served as the launching pad for 50 Cent's career. 50's lyrical attack on Ja Rule was an extension of a real-life beef between the two Queens MCs, and once it got on record, Fif in many ways annihilated Ja's career using Ja's own method of singing on the hook. The Winner: 50 Cent (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
10 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Ciara - The once rumored couple had a lover's quarrel via Twitter back in February 2011. Ciara didn't take too kindly to 50 calling her a "b---h" and saying that she was "3 million followers behind" him, so she hit him with a link to a video for Queen Latifah's "U.N.I.T.Y." The Winner: Ci Ci (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
11 / 17
50 Cent Vs. T.I. - Though they've shared the same stage, 50 Cent and T.I. haven't always been cool. Fif made an underhanded comment about T.I.'s gun charge, and though it can be argued that there have been some subliminals, T.I. never truly responded. As the king of the South, he's confident in how he wears his crown. The Winner: Tip (Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)
12 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Kanye West - Once upon a time, 50 Cent challenged Kanye West to a "who can sell more" contest, promising to quit the rap game if he did not out pace 'Ye when they dropped their albums on the same day in 2007. It was a battle for the ages, even landing the cover of Rolling Stone. Both rappers were at significant heights in their careers. Ultimately, however, numbers don't lie. First week of sales had 'Ye nearly platinum with some 957,000 copies of his Graduation pushed. 50 had about 300,000 less with Curtis. The Winner: Kanye West(Photo: Rolling Stone Magazine)
13 / 17
50 Cent the MC Vs. 50 Cent the Actor - 50 Cent may have graced the cover of Vibe magazine along with his Righteous Kill co-star, Robert DeNiro in March 2008, but as an actor, the jury was still out on 50 Cent. The MC first made his acting debut in the 2005 autobiographical Get Rich or Die Tryin', but he was really just playing himself. It wouldn't be until the 2011 flick All Things Fall Apart that Curtis Jackson would make Hollywood take notice of his commitment to the craft. He lost a significant amount of weight for a role atypical of a rapper-turned-actor. But in true 50 fashion, he even got into a bit of a beef with author Chinua Achebe over the title, orginally the same as Achebe's famed book, Things Fall Apart. The Winner: 50 Cent the MC (Photo: Vibe Magazine)
14 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Young Buck - Crying on the phone is a big no-no in rap music. 50 Cent taught G-Unit member Young Buck a huge lesson about paying your debts as this drama played out on record and on the airwaves. The result? Young Buck removed from G-Unit. Word is, though, a G-Unit reunion is in the works. The Winner: 50 Cent (Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)
15 / 17
50 Cent Vs. MTV - In 2009, 50 Cent ranked No. 9 on MTV's Top Ten Hottest MCs list. Needless to say, 50 was not happy. The list, however, took a particular beating from critics for not including Eminem at all and even for listing Jay Z higher than Lil Wayne. Let the fans tell it, 50 may have not been out of line for disagreeing. The Winner: 50 Cent (Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
16 / 17
50 Cent Vs. Rick Ross - This one got physical. Rick Ross was "exposed" as a corrections officer and clowned in song ("Officer Ricky [Go 'Head, Try Me]") and various Internet videos starring 50 Cent. Ross responded in kind with a mock video of a 50 Cent funeral and some lyrical jabs. Things eventually escalated between their respective music groups, and in 2012, at the BET Hip Hop Awards, 50 Cent and friends jumped on MMG's Gunplay and took his chain. The Winner: Rick Ross (violence is not the answer) (Photos from Left: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup, Mike Yarish/PictureGroup)