In an interview with New York City's Power 105.1 on Monday, multiplatinum selling rapper 50 Cent announced that rising star The Game is no longer a member of his popular label, G-Unit. He said The Game showed disloyalty by not backing him in his conflicts with certain rappers, including Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Nas, and others.
50 Cent's comments came after a Hot 97 interview in which The Game said he did not want to be involved in 50's battles.
"I ain't gonna turn on my friends and Nas is one of my friends, and Jada's really a hommie...50's beef is 50's beef and I really don't know where all this stems from," Game said.
Game even went as far as saying that he planned to collaborate with Nas.
The Game, whose album "The Documentary" is currently no. 3 after five weeks on the Billboard Chart, has two singles in the top 50 that feature 50 Cent.
The dispute between the two top-selling artists erupted in violence during 50 Cent's interview Monday night when associates of The Game confronted members of 50 Cent's entourage outside the radio station.
Soon after, shots were fired and one man was hospitalized. Police are investigating the situation but no arrests have been made as of yet.So what's to make of all this?
Reginald Martin, professor of English composition at The University of Memphis, believes it is a product of their upbringing.
"These are young boys with no male role models," Martin said. "The things that you say to them, which may be no big deal to you and me, are a big deal to them. They have a hard time walking away from words because they are running on nothing but emotion."
Still others believe it is just another ploy to sell records. Some think 50 Cent, whose sophomore album "Massacre" arrives in stores today, is simply creating hype.
"I'm not going to buy his album now because of this," said Sergio Lane, sophomore computer engineering major. "Don't you think it's a coincidence that all of this is happening one week before his album is released? It's nothing but a gimmick."
Conflicts between high-profile rappers date back to the days of Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur. However, many listeners believe the feud of all feuds did not begin as a tactic to sell records.
"It was a misunderstanding with Biggie and 'Pac,'" said James Robertson, a senior in physical therapy.
The two most popular rappers of all time began as friends. Both natives of New York City, the friendship turned ugly after a shooting in a New York studio. Tupac, who had just finished recording tracks, was shot at and blamed Bad Boy Entertainment and Biggie with the attack. This sparked a lyrical war that ended in the death of both.
One thing is certain: the battle between the two did nothing to hurt record sales. Tupac's "All Eyez on Me", released in 1996, sold more than nine million copies. It was the second best-selling album of all time in its genre. Biggie's last release, "Life After Death", went 10 times platinum two years after it's release.
So are artists today like 50 Cent attempting to capitalize on conflict?
"He (50 Cent) bases his career on beef," Robertson said. "Artists use beefs to promote their product."
On his debut album, "Get Rich or Die Tryin," 50 Cent took his first jabs at Ja Rule and devoted an entire track (Back Down) to his adversary. 50 accused Ja Rule of being nothing more than a suburban pop artist with soft lyrics. Ja Rule's career suffered after the lyrical onslaught causing his album, "Blood in My Eye," to sell less than 500,000 copies.
Engaging in rap battles in attempts at ruining careers doesn't necessarily translate into respect.
"What 50 Cent doesn't realize is that all these rappers that he is criticizing, like Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Ja Rule, are better than him and more respected," Lane said. "The only reason he is what he is today is because of Eminem."
