G-Unit vs. The Game feud

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The feud between 50 Cent and The Game is a hip hop rivalry that began some time in 2004. It is one of the most prominent hip hop feuds to take place in recent times, perhaps being the biggest since the feud between Nas and Jay-Z.

[edit] Origins

When The Game signed onto Aftermath Entertainment in 2003, it was arranged that he would work with 50 Cent and G-Unit in order to create a growing buzz for him that would also fuel an interest in G-Unit. Before the release of The Game's debut album, there was already tension between the two rappers, including a physical altercation that took place in 2004.^[1] The sudden feud between the pair, who had been marketed as having a mentor/protégé relationship, also stemmed from alleged rumours that The Game had recorded with G-Unit nemesis Joe Budden on a track that was released in 2004. 50 Cent had advised The Game not to appear on a Jim Jones video, which was to come out before the "How We Do" video, however, The Game did so anyway. The two were able to put their differences aside for the release of The Game's debut album on January 18, 2005, The Documentary. The album was a big success for the rapper and had three singles that featured 50 Cent. The release date of 50 Cent's sophomore album, The Massacre, was pushed back in order to accommodate The Game's album, causing anger by 50 Cent towards Interscope Records. Tensions would rise during the filming of the music video for The Game's third single, "Hate It or Love It", when 50 Cent refused to shoot a scene in the front seat of a car, instead sitting in the back (The Game's brother, Big Fase 100, would replace him). With 50 Cent's album also enjoying major success, the feud would then take an unexpected rise.

[edit] Feud becomes public

While 50 Cent's album featured disses towards Ja Rule, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, and Nas, The Game chose not to be included in these beefs with G-Unit, even going so far to saying he was interested in working with some of the said artists. Taking offense at what he perceived as The Game's disloyalty, 50 Cent appeared on the radio soon after to announce that he kicked The Game off of G-Unit Records, claiming that The Game owed him more credit for songs that he had helped in writing and recording, and that The Game should have openly supported 50 Cent in his feuds. 50 Cent also claimed that he was not being acknowledged by The Game for helping his album sell so well. The Game rebutted this explanation, however, stating that 50 Cent's alleged jealousy over the success of The Documentary (which resulted in 50 Cent's album The Massacre being pushed back from February to March) caused them to feud while on tour.

Information about 50 Cent being shot at nine times, instead of actually surviving nine bullet wounds was brought to the forefront in a track by The Game, titled "We Are The Champions".^[2] This exacerbated the beef between the rappers for the simple reason that 50 Cent's street credibility of being "actually" shot three times was compared to the five bullet wounds The Game received that later sent him into a coma.

The feud would reach its climax when The Game and his entourage decided to confront 50 Cent while he was on the radio in New York City. During that dispute, a member of The Game's entourage was shot after a confrontation at the Hot 97 studio.^[3] Many people were comparing this feud to the East Coast/West Coast feud, since 50 Cent is from New York City, and The Game is from California. After the situation between them escalated, Interscope Records owner Jimmy Iovine arranged for 50 Cent and The Game to hold a press conference to announce their reconciliation, which included giving over $200,000 each to charity.^[4] Nevertheless, even after the situation had apparently deflated,^[5] 50 Cent and G-Unit continued to feud with The Game, denouncing his credibility in the media, and claiming that without their support, he will not score a hit from his second album. 50 Cent also sued The Game's manager, Jimmy Henchmen, over unauthorized filming for a documentary about Kelvin Martin, who is also known as the "original 50 Cent". The Game responded during a performance at Summer Jam, and launched a boycott called "G-Unot".^[6] G-Unot is a boycott against 50 Cent and the other members of G-Unit Records. The phrase G-Unot is a pun on the group's name, and a pejorative term to refer to the group. It is short for "G (Gangster) You Not".

After the performance at Summer Jam, The Game responded with "300 Bars and Runnin'", a hard-hitting freestyle diss going at G-Unit as well as members of Roc-A-Fella Records, on the mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 3. Many of The Game's fans felt that the diss song was the pivotal rebuttal that gave The Game the upper hand in his beef with 50 Cent and G-Unit. You Know What It Is Vol. 3 contained many diss songs towards G-Unit by The Game and his Black Wall Street label-mates. G-Unit continued to denounce The Game in interviews, and 50 Cent responded through his "Piggy Bank" music video, which features The Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll, and parodies many other rivals of his.

The Game threatened to sabotage the sales of Tony Yayo's debut album, Thoughts of a Predicate Felon, by asking his fans to repurchase The Documentary on the same week Tony Yayo's debut album was released, then mailing the copy to The Black Wall Street Records offices, where he would personally autograph each copy, and include his next mixtape titled Ghost Unit. However, Tony Yayo sold more records than The Game that week. Ghost Unit continued the attacks on G-Unit by The Game and The Black Wall Street.

In January 2006, The Game took the beef to new level by releasing an entire DVD devoted to the fall-out, entitled Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin, along with a mixtape, with a lot of claims that this would be his final involvement with the beef. After this, many The Game fans started stating that The Game had won the beef, until 50 Cent came out with the track "Not Rich, Still Lyin'" which featured 50 Cent imitating The Game. In the song 50 Cent mocks The Game and speaks about The Game's fall-out with his half-brother Big Fase 100. Along with this, G-Unit started to respond on numerous underground mixtapes. G-Unit also went on to mock The Game's appearance on the dating show Change of Heart. In this episode, The Game didn't have the many tattoos he has now, and it was observed that his mannerism was different compared to his present persona. The Game defended his appearance on the show, saying he was young (18 years old), needed the money, and was on the show with two girls. New G-Unit member Spider Loc (a member of the Crips gang, while The Game was affiliated with the Pirus), who was previously friends with The Game, began dissing The Game on several tracks soon after. The Game responded with "240 Bars (Spider Joke)",^[7] a song mainly aimed at Spider Loc, but also addressing Tony Yayo and rap group M.O.P..

[edit] Beef loses momentum, but still continues

The Game had released images depicting the rap group in many parodies on some of his previous mixtapes (including Ghost Unit, which has them posed as parapsychologists, The Ghostbusters). In response, G-Unit published a mixtape cover of the rapper's head copied onto the body of an exotic dancer on the cover of G-Unit Radio 21,^[8] causing The Game to release "The Funeral (100 Bars)", a diss track aimed towards the G-Unit camp. He also tattooed "G-Unot" near his left elbow.^[9]

In an issue of XXL magazine, 50 Cent announced his doubt that The Game would succeed on his second album without his (50 Cent's) assistance, claiming the West Coast star to be a good rapper, but not songwriter. 50 Cent also claimed to have written six of The Documentary's 18 tracks, something that The Game would later on deny.

Although both rappers were once signed to Aftermath Entertainment, the feud between them has led to The Game leaving the record label in order to resolve the matter completely (although others claim 50 Cent to have pressured Dr. Dre to kick him off). In October 2006, The Game extended a peace treaty to 50 Cent,^[10] which wasn't immediately responded to. A couple of days later, on Power 106, he would state that the treaty was offered for one day only.^[11] The Game later on released "SoundScan", a diss track targeting G-Unit members in response to a Lloyd Banks freestyle on BET show Rap City that mocked him. "SoundScan" is mainly aimed at the disappointing sales of Lloyd Banks' sophomore effort, Rotten Apple.

The Game's second album was set out by the rapper to prove that he was able to make good music and be a successful artist without the help of Dr. Dre or 50 Cent. On the Doctor's Advocate album, on a few of the songs, he claims the beef was over. In the song "Why You Hate The Game", he states that he and 50 Cent are just "Eatin' off rap", and that they are "Not beefin' like that", ending the song with "One Love". After Doctor's Advocate dropped, Lloyd Banks released "Show Time (Killing Game)", in which he takes shots at The Game's previous butterfly tattoo, hiding in the closet, and suicidal thoughts The Game claimed to have had (in XXL Magazine) from the pressure of fame.

In February 2007, it was reported that The Game and Young Buck got into a non-physical altercation at a club, during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. However, it has been reported that The Game and Young Buck have made peace and put the incident behind them. The Game and Young Buck are going to make a song together, and rumors are around that The Game asked Young Buck to ask G-Unit member Lloyd Banks to also record vocals for the track, but Lloyd Banks respectfully declined because of the past history between him and The Game.

Tony Yayo was arrested on March 24, 2007, and was accused of smacking the son of Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond (The Game's manager) for wearing the shirt of his father's entertainment company, Czar Entertainment. Tony Yayo, 50 Cent, and their entourage allegedly approached James "Lil' Henchmen" Rosemond in a Black SUV. Four men jumped out of the car. Tony Yayo then showed the boy that he had a gun, and he then proceeded to antagonize and slap the boy. A source close to the case reported. [1]

[edit] Result

There is debate over who won/is winning the feud between the two rappers. While The Game's objective was to dismantle 50 Cent and G-Unit, 50 Cent's career is still bright. Others say that The Game had an effect on the lackluster sales by G-Unit recording artists Tony Yayo, Mobb Deep, and Lloyd Banks, while others will counter that their lackluster sales are attributed to the fact that rap music sales were very low as a whole in 2006. Nonetheless, The Game also continues to have success as a solo artist, with Doctor's Advocate being on pace for a platinum certification, but the album did not sell as much as his debut album, The Documentary.

[edit] Possible reconcile

It has also been reported that Busta Rhymes wants to get 50 Cent and The Game together on the same track on his new album, Before Hell Freezes Over. This way, he intends to end the feud between the two. Busta Rhymes said he wants to do this because he is "fed up" with the feud. The reconciliation may lead to The Game appearing on 50 Cent's new album, due in 2007, but this is all just speculation.^[12]

Also, Young Buck and The Game both talked and squashed their beef over the phone at an L.A. radio station. Young Buck then went to another radio station announcing that he and The Game made a record together. Young Buck also said 50 Cent had a conversation with The Game right after he (Young Buck) talked to 50 Cent about the track.

The reconciliation may not happen because of 50 Cent's and Tony Yayo's attack on Lil' Henchmen, who is the son of Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond. Jimmy Henchmen is the owner of Czar Entertainment, which manages many artists, including The Game. So far, Tony Yayo has been charged for assault and released on bail.^[13]

There is a diss track towards G-Unit which can be heard on The Game's MySpace page and on EminemLounge.com. This might mean the feud is still on. The diss track is called "Body Bags" that its on his maxtape called The Black Wall Street Journal Vol. 2. This diss track talks about most of the G-Unit members.

[edit] See also

• Aftermath Entertainment
• Czar Entertainment
• G-Unit Records
• Hip hop rivalries
• The Black Wall Street Records

[edit] Notes