YouTube
It finally happened for you and your friends. You’re now a famous rap group, your songs are being played on the radio and everyone is finally making some real money.
That’s how things happen for a lot of groups who’ve built something wonderful as childhood buddies, only to break up years later and no longer speak.
Whenever this occurs, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why can’t you guys stay together for the sake of your fans? Or, if you can’t get along, why not just record separately, show up for concerts and make your money? Furthermore, why can’t you, at the very least, salvage the friendship, since more than likely it came before the music?”
50 Cent could probably answer those questions because he no longer talks to his childhood friend Lloyd Banks, which he admitted in his new song “Crazy,” featuring PnB Rock.
“Called my son twice, he ain’t picking up the phone/ And Banks, we don’t even talk no more,” he rhymes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bep-mcJFVyt/?hl=en&taken-by=50cent
If you’ve been following the rapper’s relationship, then you might not be surprised they’re no longer communicating. Because in a 2014 interview, Fif admitted that he treated the passing of Banks’ father the wrong way and their friendship suffered for it.
In fact, for many fans, it was the first sign that everything wasn’t hunky dory in the land of G-Unit.
“There was one point where you can even say I was a bit insensitive,” said 50. “[When Banks’] father passed away and I was like, ‘All right, he passed away, but you can’t just go home and stay home.’ He went home and just stayed at the house. Ask Kanye, his mother passed away while his record was at a peak point. If he didn’t go on tour, he wouldn’t be the Kanye you know right now. He worked his way through that situation; the world doesn’t stop.”
Then in 2016, the two Queens natives seemed to grow even further apart after Banks posed for a photo with The Game, 50’s longtime enemy.
“What do you see when you look at this picture? I see confusion,” wrote the “Power” actor.
At this time, it’s unclear whether 50 cut off Banks entirely, or if G-Unit is done for good but either way, whatever bond they’ve established prior to fame has dramatically shifted.
Plus, based on what both rapper’s said in the past, Fif’s intense go-hard nature seems to be the key reason they’re no longer on speaking terms.
But sometimes it’s not just one’s personality that causes a group to split — surprise, surprise — it’s often about money.
The legendary rap duo EPMD is a prime example of two childhood friends that broke up over finances, plus, some serious accusations.
In 1993 the group parted ways after member Parrish Smith accused partner Erick Sermon of having his house robbed. Parrish believed his longtime friend was involved after a suspect was arrested and said he was paid by Sermon to burglarize the home.
Additionally, Parrish was the one who looked after the group’s finances, and there were rumors that Sermon wanted more money. But in the end, nothing was proven and Sermon was never charged.
Besides EPMD, other childhood buddies that split over money include the Hot Boys, Eric B & Rakim, Arrested Development, Ice Cube and N.W.A., the list goes on.
Creative differences have also been the catalyst for many a breakup, like in the case of the North Carolina group Little Brother.
After putting out three critically acclaimed albums in “The Listening,” “The Minstrel Show” and “Get Back,” the group parted ways because they couldn’t see eye to eye on music or business. Even before that, the group’s producer 9th Wonder stepped way.
“Ultimately, me and ‘Te were moving in one direction musically and professionally, and 9th was moving in another direction musically and professionally,” said Big Pooh. “Sometimes sh– just happens. I never understood when EPMD, Pete Rock and CL Smooth and A Tribe Called Quest broke up.”
“[When] you’re on the outside looking in, it’s like, ‘Yo, what the f–k. They make great music, man. What are they doing?'” he continued. “But now I understand it. You got three grown ass men and all three of us are at different places in our lives and want different things. It just comes to a point where, in order for you to keep going, you have to separate.”
Another type of break up in music happens when one rapper gets huge, signs another, only for their relationship to fall apart —like in the case of JAY-Z and Kanye West.
By now, most people are probably familiar with the story of how the Brooklyn rapper help discover Ye, and how the GOOD Music founder dissed him.
One would think that Kanye would’ve done whatever it took to stay friends with the “4:44” creator, considering he made him a multimillionaire and all.
The same could be said about Beanie Sigel, who released a slew of diss songs after Jay signed him and made him famous.
The Roc Nation boss even talked about giving people chances and being betrayed on Kanye’s song “Monster,” which some may find ironic since he and Ye still aren’t speaking.
“Love, I don’t get enough of it / All I get is these vampires and bloodsuckers / All I see is these n—– I made millionaires / Milling about, spilling they feeling in the air,” Jay rhymes.
The same kind of beef happened between the rappers Remy Ma and Fat Joe as well.
After Big Pun discovered Remy and he passed away, Joe signed the talented MC to his label and gave her a chance to make some noise in the industry. But after Remy’s debut sold poorly, and she blamed the Terror Squad leader, the two didn’t speak for years.
Of course, they both reconciled, dropped their Grammy-nominated hit “All The Way Up” and proved that groups can put their past behind them and focus on what’s important the music.
Who knows if 50 and Lloyd Banks will see things that way too.
