Music: Rap's Newest Target

• Share

(2 of 2)

When Columbia dropped 50 Cent, Eminem picked him up. Eminem also produced and rapped on Get Rich or Die Trying's best track, Patiently Waiting, in which 50 talks about how long he's been itching to show off his talent. 50 has some talent to show, and when he's rapping about his desire to be somebody he can even be poignant. But he's also capable of disturbingly thuggish behavior. The track Wanksta is the latest salvo in an increasingly absurd feud 50 is conducting with rapper Ja Rule. Two years ago, Ja Rule was robbed of several thousand dollars' worth of jewelry; later he saw 50 hanging out with the robber. 50 insists he had no connection with the crime and that, because of his background, he just happens to know people who do such things. But rather than let things cool down, 50 has gone after Ja Rule (and his record company, manager and friends) for their soft style of music. "He claims he's a rapper," rants 50. "He isn't even rapping. He's doing R. and B. He can't do a song by himself. He's got to be with Mary J. Blige and Ashanti. It's like they're a group at this point."

When it's suggested that maybe he should stop the musical aggression before he alienates people, or, even worse, things gets deadly, 50 laughs and says, "Why should I? I love being the bad guy. When I watch a movie, I always root for the bad guy. Usually I just turn 'em off before they end," he says, "because the bad guy always seems to die."