Did 50 Cent retire Jay-Z for three years?
50 Cent and Jay-Z have had a sense of friendly competition over the years, and although it never turned into a real feud, the pair have spoken about each other on a number of occasions, and it has not always been positive.
The Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ first exploded in 2003 with the release of his chart-topping single ‘In Da Club’ and became a global superstar instantly. That said, the same year the Queens emcee arrived on the scene, Jay announced that he would be retiring after his project, The Black Album.
However, in an interview, Fifty once insisted that this was not coincidental and asserted that Jay-Z decided to take a back seat as he knew 50 Cent would be overshadowing him for at least three years. The G-Unit founder has previously detailed how hip-hop is a competitive art form and once explained that MCs are always seeking dominance.
Strangely, Fifty revealed that he wanted Jay-Z to be present during his prime. He felt the competition was necessary because it brings out the best in artists. In an interview on Shade45, the lyricist revealed that competition isn’t always fuelled by jealousy and can be beneficial, stating, “You need someone to work off; everybody does, wherever you’re at. It doesn’t always have to be negative. I’m happy where I’m at, so why wouldn’t I be happy where he is.”
Speaking about the three years Jay-Z was dormant, Fifty insinuated that the Reasonable Doubt creator’s choice to become president of Def Jam was initially an excuse to avoid competition. Suggesting this, Fifty told Shade45, “You gotta say, ‘Where was Jay Z from 2003 to 2006?’ I sold 23million records between 2003 and 2006. He stopped making music and said I’m gonna go be the president of a record [company]. Like I quit.”
However, the Power tycoon admitted that when Jay teamed up with Beyoncé and signed her to Def Jam, it presented a challenge to him commercially, unveiling, “When he signed the Beyoncé contract and was like, ‘Yeah men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.’ That s*** is a tough one to beat.”
During an appearance on the Power 105 morning show, The Breakfast Club, 50 Cent revealed that on one occasion, Bey came to her husband’s defence and questioned him, recalling, “One time [Beyoncé] jumped off of a ledge and came running over cause she thought me and Jay had issues, and I’m like, ‘What the f***? Did she really just jump and run up on me like that?”
He continued, “We was at the Cosmopolitan. She jumped out and was like this, ‘What?! That Bonnie and Clyde for real! You try this or what, boy?! I’m here!’ She bugged out at me. I looked, and Jay starts laughing. He’s like, ‘Yo, you know what it is.’ I said, ‘Oh s***! What the f*** y’all got going on, man?’ Bey jumped down off of that joint like, ‘What?! Wassup?!’ Matter of fact, Floyd [Mayweather] was there. We were in the Cosmopolitan in Vegas, and I was bringing him to say wassup to Jay because Jay don’t really like him.”