The one reason why 50 Cent was disappointed in Nas: “We had our little difference”
50 Cent and Nas have a relationship that has gone up and down over the years. The pair are both titans of the hip-hop industry, separated by just a couple of years in age. While they started out on the right foot, things ended up taking a turn.
The G-Unit rapper once revealed that Nas was the first person to do something for nothing for him, giving him a co-sign and bringing him on tour for his Nastradamus album during the early days of his career in 1999. However, things escalated in 2005 when 50 dissed him on ‘Piggy Bank’ from his Massacre project.
Their relationship fell apart for several reasons. Nas was once in talks with Irv Gotti to sign to Murder Inc, who 50 had a longtime beef with. It’s also claimed that 50 was replaced by Nas as a feature on Jennifer Lopez’s ‘I’m Gonna Be Alright’ in 2002, with production group Trackmasters allegedly dropping him after being shot. Gotti was also the person who organised the song.
The pair traded disses over the years, with Nas once saying in a concert: “Represent that real New York shit, not that fake 50 Cent.” 50 almost collaborated with Nas in 2013 on J Cole’s ‘New York Times’, which appeared on his Born Sinner album. However, Nas didn’t submit his verse in time. When asked if any beef remained or whether they would work together in the future, 50 revealed his disappointment with the Illmatic legend.
“You know what: Nas is still Nas,” he told Vibe. “I was disappointed in Nas when we had our little difference because I thought he didn’t see the possibilities. We never saw the crew that blew up in connection to his actual success. You saw the crew that blew up in connection with Jay Z: Roc-A-Fella. It’s a little disappointing that he didn’t broker what he had at the moment. At the end of it, the n*gga’s still Nas. He ain’t never did nothing that I would have.”
50 stated Nas had never done anything unforgivable, claiming rappers take shots at him and get in their feelings when he responds to them. “So, I’m cool with him,” he said. “We cool. It’s just – we’ll watch and see. They play word games and then get upset when I say something. But it’s not that serious to me. I don’t care.”
The duo have since put their issues behind them. In July 2023, they collaborated on a song called ‘Office Hours’ from Nas’ Magic 2 album with Hit-Boy. In the song, 50 noted their Queens roots, rapping, “This shit ain’t ’bout nothin’/ You saw it but you ain’t seen shit/ This is Queens shit/ No ifs, ands or buts in between shit.”
Nas previously teamed up with 50 on ‘Too Hot’ and ‘Who U Rep With’ on his Guess Who’s Back? mixtape in 2002. Despite their differences, they’re now on good terms two decades later and have their own legacies as two of New York’s greatest ever MCs.