It's unfortunate, but it's a proven fact: When high-profile MCs square off in a war of words, the public, the media and the industry pay attention. You can hear the debate from the back of the school bus to message boards on the Internet. You'll even overhear 50-year-olds saying, as they fold up their newspapers, "That 50 Cent is crazy!"
And needless to say, it sells records. Riding headlines such as "RAP WAR" and "SHOT 97," 50 Cent has built a storm of publicity around the follow-up to his 11-million-selling debut LP by squaring off against one of the greatest MCs of all time (Nas), two of the most street-credible hip-hop figures (Shyne and Fat Joe) and even two of his own labelmates (Jadakiss and former G-Unit member Game).
The Massacre has sold nearly 2 million copies in its first two weeks of release, but that success hasn't come without consequences. 50 and Game were both linked to the now-infamous shooting in front of Hot 97's building late last month. The situation was growing so potentially lethal that the two publicly called a truce, proving that the two MCs could come together as grown men and set an example for the music.
But the dust hasn't settled yet for 50: The general of the G-Unit now has to contend with retaliation from both Jadakiss and Joe. While D-Block's lyrical champ and the don of the Terror Squad did not want to get into it with 50, they haven't backed down.
As you'll read here, when you're involved in a high-profile rap battle, you have to think about a lot more than a few bars to make a whole barbershop full of people crack their sides, or a line so disrespectful that your opponent will wince. Unfortunately, you have to think about your safety, and about permanently damaging the culture that you love so much. The last thing that Joe and Jada say they want is for the beef to get out of hand and spill off of vinyl. They are both cognizant of what can happen.
MTV: You've said that you heard about "Piggy Bank" three months before it came out. What did you think when you actually heard the song?
Jadakiss: I was laughing at it. When I heard the Beanie Sigel [dis freestyle toward Jada a couple of years ago], that hurt me way harder than when I heard "Piggy Bank." "Piggy Bank" was funny. It's on now — "shots fired"! "Shots Fired" is the name of [Jada's retaliation] song, actually. You got to cop the Styles P Time Is Money album to hear that. But there will be some warning shots fired before that.
MTV: You talk about shots being fired, and recently ...
Jadakiss: Shot were really fired. No doubt. At the end of the day, I got to charge it to you, whoever the radio personalities are. Y'all calling these artists everyday. Y'all sitting down with me to ask me how I feel; you'll be sitting down with him to ask him how he feels. That's stirring it up. Then, as soon as the shots is fired, nobody got nothing to do with it no more. It's like a double-edged sword. It comes to a point where everybody's a grown man, and how long are you just going to sit there and be degraded?
Me, I'm not mad. Everything I'm going to say is going to stay in the booth. There's nothing he can really say about me except he sold more records than me. People don't love me for selling millions of records; they love me because I'm a spitter. I got a good personality, I'm a good guy and that's just it. I'm in the 'hood, I'm hands-on. So he can't destroy me. When shots get fired, though, don't look at me like the bad guy. You shouldn't really look at nobody, 'cause if ya'll don't want the shots to get fired, keep sweepin' it under the rug.
MTV: 50 has put the blame on the media, too. But the fact of the matter is, we don't make the records. What are we supposed to do when we're interviewing somebody about their album and ...
Jadakiss: He ain't even promoting "Candy Stick" ["Candy Shop"], or whatever that song is, as much as the "Piggy Bank" song. The people want to hear it, you guys start interviewing him about it, then it becomes bigger than what it really is. 'Cause really, it's only one line [he says about Jada], you know. But on the other hand, it's your job to ask me questions. It's Funkmaster Flex's job to ask questions, but when some people get stuff caught in their feelings and stuff happens ... I just don't like when they take it to Pac and Big, everybody keeps making it out to be "East Coast/ West Coast," "Violence in rap," "Rap wars." Where did it come from? It takes me to get in beef with 50 for MTV to come to D-Block Studios. I just had a great year, Grammy nominations and all of that. This whole beef is about to overpower all of that. That just tells you people want to hear drama. This is what it is, this is life. It's like boxing, but shots is fired.
MTV: You've been through a huge battle before, with Beanie Sigel.
Jadakiss: This is different, though. I knew Sigel more than I know 50. I don't know 50 at all. I only met him two times — briefly, two or three minutes, maybe less than that. I've met Sigel's moms. I met Sigel, I did songs with Sigel, I sat in the studio with him and talked with him for a decent amount of time. When I first met him, it was a different type of embracing so when I heard that song he made [dissing Jada], it kinda hurt me a little before I could come back.
MTV: Those feelings aren't the same about squaring off with 50?
Jadakiss: It's beautiful for me! More exposure, more everything. Plus, he's not lyrical. He makes good songs but he don't think he's better than me as a lyricist. Put all the money, all the units, put everything behind us — and [play] good old-fashioned lyrics with an instrumental, I'll wear him out. You know that. The whole world knows that.
MTV: One of the most bugged things about this whole situation is that you and 50 are actually on the same label. I've heard you say before that a lot of people at the label aren't so fond of 50.
Jadakiss: You'd be surprised. A lot of people want me to get this guy, big people inside the office that run the Interscope machine. They just can't be as verbal as they would like to be about it. That's how much of a secret society, and how political, it is. I think some of them is just plain scared of him. It's because he's selling records and he's definitely one of the top bread-earners over there.
MTV: Are you surprised that [Interscope chairman Jimmy] Iovine hasn't reached out to you about this whole saga with your labelmate?
Jadakiss: Nah, I ain't surprised at all. Jimmy's there to make the music go out, and some things he can't control. I could leak a song and Jimmy ain't got nothin' to do with it. Some things is out of his reach. This is not his element — drama is not what he's about. He's about money and business and he's makin' money off of it, so he has no reason to call nobody. Keep it going. He ain't sayin' nothing, I don't how he feel, but I know if everything goes right, he's gonna be the one eating at the end of the day. Cha-ching.
MTV: With that being said, do you feel that you're a pawn in this battle?
Jadakiss: We all pawns, to a certain extent. Till you get up there and get one of those Jay-Z positions — and he's even a pawn till he gets to the next position, until he's runnin' Universal like he wants to do. Then you still might be a pawn, 'cause there's somebody higher than that. You gotta do what you can do to get where you gotta get without getting outta your element. Plus, when you humble, you gonna benefit at the end anyway.
MTV: 50 recently fell out with another of his labelmates, the Game. One of the main reasons for that clash was because Game said he was good friends with you and refused to ride 50 in the "Piggy Bank" beef.
Jadakiss: I don't really think that had anything to do with me, though. I think they had some other personal issues long before this. This maybe was the icing on the cake when Game said he wasn't gonna ride. I don't think Game is a yes-man. He wanna have his own career, he wanna do his own thing. I don't think he's one of them people that wanna take orders like that, even though he's a humble person. But you know, he's got Dre — he's good. All he needs is Dre.
MTV: The "Animal" joint is out right now, there's more songs in the stash. How do approach making battle records for 50? I heard Jay-Z said that he did some research on Nas before [writing his battle track], "The Takeover." Do you do the same for 50?
Jadakiss: You'd be surprised how much he's not a well-liked person. It's people that just call me, sending me e-mails, faxes, all kinds of stuff. Even other rappers is sending me stuff to say about him. I take some of it. But for the most part, everything's up here [points to his head], when I'm working.
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MTV: The "Piggy Bank" record, when you first heard it what did you think?
Fat Joe: Dr. Dre called me, said "I respect you." I'm cool with Ja Rule— Ja Rule's my family, Irv [Gotti] and them are my family, they great people. But they never once included me with their beef with 50 Cent. Never once did they tell us, "Let's go get him." So I explained that to [Dre], "I don't have a problem with homeboy. It's not like we can rock with each other, because I'm cool with [Murder Inc.]. But I don't have a problem with [50]." I never used battle rap as a promotional tool. I like to make hits that everyone can enjoy and love. We seen what happened with Biggie and Tupac, where this can end up.
MTV: But what was your initial reaction once you actually heard "Piggy Bank"?
Fat Joe: I hear the record, and of course I'm pissed because no one's ever disrespected Fat Joe, ever! So I'm like, this is truly crazy. I'm not into battle rap, I'm not into WWF. To me that's WWF, when you rapping about a guy and you on the radio. If you got a problem with me, all you got to do is pick up the phone and say, "I got a problem with you." Either we can fix it or you can tell me where to meet you and we can fight. Very simple, Fat Joe is known to square off with guys one-on-one, no problem.
MTV: If you're not into battle rap, why even respond?
Fat Joe: He's disrespected about 50,000 artists. I never heard an artist talk back to this dude. I'm a man, you can't disrespect me as a man. Are you serious? I got to defend myself as a man. Basically "Piggy Bank" is just to create hype, to create sales for this guy's career — I'm not with that. This is a stunt, man. This is a promotional stunt that I don't appreciate being a part of. Me and [50] got into a shouting match on the Kay Slay show [on New York's Hot 97 late last month], exactly what he wanted to do to promote his album. Exactly what I said I wasn't going to feed into, but somehow I fed into.
MTV: How dangerous can it get?
Fat Joe: Joe Crack's a more responsible artist who knows better than that. But what about the ignorant friends and fans? There's nothing cool about that. I try to avoid it or divert that situation. Unfortunately it's here, but it's a ugly situation right now. It makes us look ignorant as rappers; it makes people look down at us. Don't get it wrong: I'm a gangsta rapper, I'm a real dude, don't get it wrong for one second. I'm just saying that even I get caught up in the moment. What I'm saying is all of this out-of-control stuff is not really cool. I just need people to know I try to avoid situations [like the one] we have now.
MTV: A major part of the falling-out between 50 and Game stemmed from Game saying he wouldn't get into the "Piggy Bank" beef, and that he had no problems with you and Jadakiss.
Fat Joe: I appreciate Game. You can tell his album's real hot and you can tell he loves hip-hop. What did Game do other than say, "These are artists that I like, I enjoy their music"? I don't know Game like that, we don't talk. He just said, "I don't want problems with them brothers, man." Lloyd Banks don't want problems, Young Buck don't want problems, they just don't want to say they don't want problems. I've seen Lloyd Banks a million times and he looks at me like he's dying to say, "Hi, Fat Joe. I love your music, peace." Young Buck [came up to] me like, "I don't got no problem with you, dog. I love your music, Joe Crack. Peace, brother."
MTV: 50 Cent justifies his attacks on you and Jada as street etiquette. He says that you guys are from the streets and know you're not supposed to jump into the middle of a beef like his and Ja's.
Fat Joe: He attacks everyone. He's attacked Nas and his wife, he's attacked Jay-Z, he attacked Shyne — a brother who's locked up, a good brother who ain't bothering nobody. Of course Ja Rule, of course Jadakiss, of course Lil' Kim, of course R. Kelly. He's attacked everyone but himself. I heard him the other day on [New York's] Power 105 where he attacked Dre — how do you dis Dr. Dre, the greatest producer of all time? Now he's arguing with the Game. Who else is there to dis? There will be an Eminem dis sooner or later, guys. This dude's miserable. He's attacking the world. There's no justification.
MTV: You accused 50 of starting drama to boost his sales, but even 50 says drama doesn't boost record sales — great songs do. How do you feel about that?
Fat Joe: Very true. It gets very real. I just don't appreciate my name being thrown up in the mix.
And needless to say, it sells records. Riding headlines such as "RAP WAR" and "SHOT 97," 50 Cent has built a storm of publicity around the follow-up to his 11-million-selling debut LP by squaring off against one of the greatest MCs of all time (Nas), two of the most street-credible hip-hop figures (Shyne and Fat Joe) and even two of his own labelmates (Jadakiss and former G-Unit member Game).
The Massacre has sold nearly 2 million copies in its first two weeks of release, but that success hasn't come without consequences. 50 and Game were both linked to the now-infamous shooting in front of Hot 97's building late last month. The situation was growing so potentially lethal that the two publicly called a truce, proving that the two MCs could come together as grown men and set an example for the music.
But the dust hasn't settled yet for 50: The general of the G-Unit now has to contend with retaliation from both Jadakiss and Joe. While D-Block's lyrical champ and the don of the Terror Squad did not want to get into it with 50, they haven't backed down.
As you'll read here, when you're involved in a high-profile rap battle, you have to think about a lot more than a few bars to make a whole barbershop full of people crack their sides, or a line so disrespectful that your opponent will wince. Unfortunately, you have to think about your safety, and about permanently damaging the culture that you love so much. The last thing that Joe and Jada say they want is for the beef to get out of hand and spill off of vinyl. They are both cognizant of what can happen.
MTV: You've said that you heard about "Piggy Bank" three months before it came out. What did you think when you actually heard the song?
Jadakiss: I was laughing at it. When I heard the Beanie Sigel [dis freestyle toward Jada a couple of years ago], that hurt me way harder than when I heard "Piggy Bank." "Piggy Bank" was funny. It's on now — "shots fired"! "Shots Fired" is the name of [Jada's retaliation] song, actually. You got to cop the Styles P Time Is Money album to hear that. But there will be some warning shots fired before that.
MTV: You talk about shots being fired, and recently ...
Jadakiss: Shot were really fired. No doubt. At the end of the day, I got to charge it to you, whoever the radio personalities are. Y'all calling these artists everyday. Y'all sitting down with me to ask me how I feel; you'll be sitting down with him to ask him how he feels. That's stirring it up. Then, as soon as the shots is fired, nobody got nothing to do with it no more. It's like a double-edged sword. It comes to a point where everybody's a grown man, and how long are you just going to sit there and be degraded?
Me, I'm not mad. Everything I'm going to say is going to stay in the booth. There's nothing he can really say about me except he sold more records than me. People don't love me for selling millions of records; they love me because I'm a spitter. I got a good personality, I'm a good guy and that's just it. I'm in the 'hood, I'm hands-on. So he can't destroy me. When shots get fired, though, don't look at me like the bad guy. You shouldn't really look at nobody, 'cause if ya'll don't want the shots to get fired, keep sweepin' it under the rug.
MTV: 50 has put the blame on the media, too. But the fact of the matter is, we don't make the records. What are we supposed to do when we're interviewing somebody about their album and ...
Jadakiss: He ain't even promoting "Candy Stick" ["Candy Shop"], or whatever that song is, as much as the "Piggy Bank" song. The people want to hear it, you guys start interviewing him about it, then it becomes bigger than what it really is. 'Cause really, it's only one line [he says about Jada], you know. But on the other hand, it's your job to ask me questions. It's Funkmaster Flex's job to ask questions, but when some people get stuff caught in their feelings and stuff happens ... I just don't like when they take it to Pac and Big, everybody keeps making it out to be "East Coast/ West Coast," "Violence in rap," "Rap wars." Where did it come from? It takes me to get in beef with 50 for MTV to come to D-Block Studios. I just had a great year, Grammy nominations and all of that. This whole beef is about to overpower all of that. That just tells you people want to hear drama. This is what it is, this is life. It's like boxing, but shots is fired.
MTV: You've been through a huge battle before, with Beanie Sigel.
Jadakiss: This is different, though. I knew Sigel more than I know 50. I don't know 50 at all. I only met him two times — briefly, two or three minutes, maybe less than that. I've met Sigel's moms. I met Sigel, I did songs with Sigel, I sat in the studio with him and talked with him for a decent amount of time. When I first met him, it was a different type of embracing so when I heard that song he made [dissing Jada], it kinda hurt me a little before I could come back.
MTV: Those feelings aren't the same about squaring off with 50?
Jadakiss: It's beautiful for me! More exposure, more everything. Plus, he's not lyrical. He makes good songs but he don't think he's better than me as a lyricist. Put all the money, all the units, put everything behind us — and [play] good old-fashioned lyrics with an instrumental, I'll wear him out. You know that. The whole world knows that.
MTV: One of the most bugged things about this whole situation is that you and 50 are actually on the same label. I've heard you say before that a lot of people at the label aren't so fond of 50.
Jadakiss: You'd be surprised. A lot of people want me to get this guy, big people inside the office that run the Interscope machine. They just can't be as verbal as they would like to be about it. That's how much of a secret society, and how political, it is. I think some of them is just plain scared of him. It's because he's selling records and he's definitely one of the top bread-earners over there.
MTV: Are you surprised that [Interscope chairman Jimmy] Iovine hasn't reached out to you about this whole saga with your labelmate?
Jadakiss: Nah, I ain't surprised at all. Jimmy's there to make the music go out, and some things he can't control. I could leak a song and Jimmy ain't got nothin' to do with it. Some things is out of his reach. This is not his element — drama is not what he's about. He's about money and business and he's makin' money off of it, so he has no reason to call nobody. Keep it going. He ain't sayin' nothing, I don't how he feel, but I know if everything goes right, he's gonna be the one eating at the end of the day. Cha-ching.
MTV: With that being said, do you feel that you're a pawn in this battle?
Jadakiss: We all pawns, to a certain extent. Till you get up there and get one of those Jay-Z positions — and he's even a pawn till he gets to the next position, until he's runnin' Universal like he wants to do. Then you still might be a pawn, 'cause there's somebody higher than that. You gotta do what you can do to get where you gotta get without getting outta your element. Plus, when you humble, you gonna benefit at the end anyway.
MTV: 50 recently fell out with another of his labelmates, the Game. One of the main reasons for that clash was because Game said he was good friends with you and refused to ride 50 in the "Piggy Bank" beef.
Jadakiss: I don't really think that had anything to do with me, though. I think they had some other personal issues long before this. This maybe was the icing on the cake when Game said he wasn't gonna ride. I don't think Game is a yes-man. He wanna have his own career, he wanna do his own thing. I don't think he's one of them people that wanna take orders like that, even though he's a humble person. But you know, he's got Dre — he's good. All he needs is Dre.
MTV: The "Animal" joint is out right now, there's more songs in the stash. How do approach making battle records for 50? I heard Jay-Z said that he did some research on Nas before [writing his battle track], "The Takeover." Do you do the same for 50?
Jadakiss: You'd be surprised how much he's not a well-liked person. It's people that just call me, sending me e-mails, faxes, all kinds of stuff. Even other rappers is sending me stuff to say about him. I take some of it. But for the most part, everything's up here [points to his head], when I'm working.
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MTV: The "Piggy Bank" record, when you first heard it what did you think?
Fat Joe: Dr. Dre called me, said "I respect you." I'm cool with Ja Rule— Ja Rule's my family, Irv [Gotti] and them are my family, they great people. But they never once included me with their beef with 50 Cent. Never once did they tell us, "Let's go get him." So I explained that to [Dre], "I don't have a problem with homeboy. It's not like we can rock with each other, because I'm cool with [Murder Inc.]. But I don't have a problem with [50]." I never used battle rap as a promotional tool. I like to make hits that everyone can enjoy and love. We seen what happened with Biggie and Tupac, where this can end up.
MTV: But what was your initial reaction once you actually heard "Piggy Bank"?
Fat Joe: I hear the record, and of course I'm pissed because no one's ever disrespected Fat Joe, ever! So I'm like, this is truly crazy. I'm not into battle rap, I'm not into WWF. To me that's WWF, when you rapping about a guy and you on the radio. If you got a problem with me, all you got to do is pick up the phone and say, "I got a problem with you." Either we can fix it or you can tell me where to meet you and we can fight. Very simple, Fat Joe is known to square off with guys one-on-one, no problem.
MTV: If you're not into battle rap, why even respond?
Fat Joe: He's disrespected about 50,000 artists. I never heard an artist talk back to this dude. I'm a man, you can't disrespect me as a man. Are you serious? I got to defend myself as a man. Basically "Piggy Bank" is just to create hype, to create sales for this guy's career — I'm not with that. This is a stunt, man. This is a promotional stunt that I don't appreciate being a part of. Me and [50] got into a shouting match on the Kay Slay show [on New York's Hot 97 late last month], exactly what he wanted to do to promote his album. Exactly what I said I wasn't going to feed into, but somehow I fed into.
MTV: How dangerous can it get?
Fat Joe: Joe Crack's a more responsible artist who knows better than that. But what about the ignorant friends and fans? There's nothing cool about that. I try to avoid it or divert that situation. Unfortunately it's here, but it's a ugly situation right now. It makes us look ignorant as rappers; it makes people look down at us. Don't get it wrong: I'm a gangsta rapper, I'm a real dude, don't get it wrong for one second. I'm just saying that even I get caught up in the moment. What I'm saying is all of this out-of-control stuff is not really cool. I just need people to know I try to avoid situations [like the one] we have now.
MTV: A major part of the falling-out between 50 and Game stemmed from Game saying he wouldn't get into the "Piggy Bank" beef, and that he had no problems with you and Jadakiss.
Fat Joe: I appreciate Game. You can tell his album's real hot and you can tell he loves hip-hop. What did Game do other than say, "These are artists that I like, I enjoy their music"? I don't know Game like that, we don't talk. He just said, "I don't want problems with them brothers, man." Lloyd Banks don't want problems, Young Buck don't want problems, they just don't want to say they don't want problems. I've seen Lloyd Banks a million times and he looks at me like he's dying to say, "Hi, Fat Joe. I love your music, peace." Young Buck [came up to] me like, "I don't got no problem with you, dog. I love your music, Joe Crack. Peace, brother."
MTV: 50 Cent justifies his attacks on you and Jada as street etiquette. He says that you guys are from the streets and know you're not supposed to jump into the middle of a beef like his and Ja's.
Fat Joe: He attacks everyone. He's attacked Nas and his wife, he's attacked Jay-Z, he attacked Shyne — a brother who's locked up, a good brother who ain't bothering nobody. Of course Ja Rule, of course Jadakiss, of course Lil' Kim, of course R. Kelly. He's attacked everyone but himself. I heard him the other day on [New York's] Power 105 where he attacked Dre — how do you dis Dr. Dre, the greatest producer of all time? Now he's arguing with the Game. Who else is there to dis? There will be an Eminem dis sooner or later, guys. This dude's miserable. He's attacking the world. There's no justification.
MTV: You accused 50 of starting drama to boost his sales, but even 50 says drama doesn't boost record sales — great songs do. How do you feel about that?
Fat Joe: Very true. It gets very real. I just don't appreciate my name being thrown up in the mix.
