For a while, it was peaceful. Jay-Z retired, Nas got married and neither seemed to care about the other anymore. Ja Rule formally ended his own rap battle with 50 Cent, T.I. and Ludacris downplayed their brief battle and Lil' Flip was forced silent by the self-proclaimed King of the South. All was calm in the world of hip-hop.
Then came 50 Cent's "Piggy Bank."
In the song, 50 Cent calls Jadakiss a "local" artist only liked by New Yorkers and calls Fat Joe's album a "dud" despite the club success of his song, "Lean Back."
He also calls both rappers out at the end of the song saying, "everybody's listening...I know you ain't gon' just let 50 do you like that...you hard right?"
50 Cent explained his reasons for making these comments on New York's Hot 97 radio station. He explained that he was upset with Fat Joe and Jadakiss for their involvement with Ja Rule on his song, "New York, New York."
"You know if two people got a dispute or differences...if you stand too close to one of them, you a part of that," he said. "You can't stand more closer than being on a record with a person and then [being] in the visual."
50 Cent said that he also felt that Jadakiss and his group D-Block "subliminally...say little things," about him in their records.
Jadakiss and Fat Joe have both retaliated to 50 Cent's comments with songs of their own. In both songs, the artists question 50 Cent's credibility as a self proclaimed thug as he stays out of the streets and travels with large numbers of police officers and bodyguards.
Because 50 Cent has been at the center of some sort of controversy with one or another rapper since the start of his career, it seems to some that his latest attempt at stirring up trouble is yet another cry for attention on his part, meant to boost hype and sales.
"Basically, the 'Piggy Bank' is just to create hype, to create sales for [50's] career, and I'm not with that," Fat Joe told MTV. "This is a promotional stunt that I don't appreciate being part of."
Several Howard students said that they agree with Joe.
"I feel like 50 is an artist who uses controversy to sell records," said Tahir Johnson, a senior marketing major. "Those artists [Fat Joe and Jadakiss] are hot right now so that's why he's using them. He's doing it to make his position better."
"You make money off your gimmick," said Christal Tarver, a sophomore legal communications major. "50's gimmick is starting beef."
If 50 Cent's latest battle record is indeed a promotional tool, it's an effective one. His latest release, "The Massacre," sold 1.1 million copies in its first week of release, and has sold a total of 2.3 million copies since the March 3 release date.
Though it has experienced a 50 percent sales decrease in the past two weeks, the album remains the number one seller in the nation.
But are 50's multiple disputes with other rappers the reason people are buying his CD?
"It doesn't make me necessarily want to buy his records, but that's what he's doing it for," said Phil Exum, a junior biology major. "Ultimately, he is selling more because drama sells."
"His comments about Fat Joe and Jadakiss were unnecessary," said Reshawn Batchelor, a sophomore mechanical engineering major. "50 Cent is the next dead rapper."He runs his mouth too much and he's pissing people off."
But when asked who's winning the battle, students agree that there's no real competition.
"I don't think it's a win or lose type thing," Exum said.
Sean Ward agreed.
"As long as no one gets shot, there's no losers," Ward said.