‘You Wanna Play’: T.I. and 50 Cent Finally Take the Gloves Off. Here’s the Moment Everything Started to Go Left Before Tiny Became a Casualty of War

The feud brewing between T.I. and 50 Cent has become a family affair with no end in sight. The two rappers have spent the better part of the last decade antagonizing each other on social media, in interviews, and in their music.

T.I. is currently rolling out his final album, “Kill the King,” and part of the excitement for his return to rap has been the volley of diss tracks that he and sons, King and Domani Harris, have aimed at Curtis Jackson, the “Magic Stick” man himself.

One conversation about doing a Verzuz has the internet in an uproar, reviving a decades-old beef.

T.I. stood up for his wife and family in a beef with 50 Cent that’s now reached a new level, and some say it’s gone too far. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage; Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for E11EVEN)

T.I. Says He Never Wanted to Expose His Kids to the ‘Treachery’ and ‘Betrayal’ of the Entertainment Industry

In a move that surprised fans, 50 Cent responded to T.I. and crew by unleashing a lyrically charged attack in the “Power: Origins” theme song.

He raps, “I’m back on my dope boy grammar/ Your daddy made your mama eat every box in Atlanta/ Freak sh-t, peep sh-t, keep sh-t on the low/ But everybody know,” alluding to T.I. and his wife, Tiny’s, alleged bedroom activities that have included other people.

The “Power” franchise producer warned, “They are gonna learn to leave me alone.” A listener on Instagram commented, “That was clever to put it on the theme song for the show … but he still lost this battle lol.”

A second individual remarked, “Didn’t puff make his bm do the same exact…. U know what let me mind my business these ppl rich already,” carefully backing out a comment about Sean Combs’ romantic partnership with Daphne Joy, 50 Cent’s ex and the mother of his younger son, Sire Jackson.

A third commenter wrote, “Sir you started it with them you still lost this song is ahhhhhh lol.” 50 Cent’s witty wordplay served as a direct answer to King and Domani baiting him to get in the booth with songs mentioning his deceased mother.

It is worth noting that the young men joined in on the rap feud after the “Get Rich or Die Tryin” artist trolled T.I. with unflattering photos of Tiny.

The personal attacks were a plane below the playing field that T.I. deemed appropriate. When asked on the “Ebro, Laura & Rosenberg Show” about his reaction to King and Domani tapping into the battle, Tip explained, “I do not like this. No, I do not enjoy it.”

He added, “It’s almost like I hate to see some s–t going down or going to a direction where it’s headed, but what the f–k can I do to stop it? ‘Cause I didn’t send it there. I’m not the motherf–ker that’s directing; I ain’t set the GPS, bro. The destination is the destination.”

The proud dad of seven recognized that King, in particular, was too far gone to stop. “When I saw that d–n T-shirt,” said T.I., referring to his son’s shirt featuring a photo of 50 Cent’s mother.

He said the matter is much bigger than the Verzus they both discussed and agreed to separately. “Now you wanna play,” says T.I., who no longer seems interested in a Verzuz with 50.

But the feud between the two hip-hop legends has always been petty and personal.

Circa 2007, 50 Cent challenged T.I., anointing himself the King of the South, and from there, he mocked the Atlanta native’s criminal rap sheet and the leniency he received from the justice system. They traded barbs regarding the matter between 2008 and 2011.

For a short while, their tensions seemed a thing of the past. However, T.I.’s public comments about 50 Cent ducking a “Verzuz” battle ended any public civility between them. That very topic is what landed the two men in this chapter of their beef this year, following the end of Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

Tiny, once again though, is a casualty of their ego-driven sparring match. But fans suspect she may come out as the winner by dropping bombshells of her own in an upcoming series about her life. It seems the 50 isn’t the only one that knows how to capitalize off their own story.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top