In the early 2000s, two incredibly dominant collectives were operating in New York, G-Unit and Murder Inc. Headed by 50 Cent and Ja Rule, respectively, following a misunderstanding, tensions bubbled over and became a war of crews. Regional differences usually accompany rap feuds.
However, one thing that was so different about the G-Unit versus Murder Inc battle, in particular, was that both crews had their origins in the same borough of the same city. Queens, New York.
Ja Rule (real name Jeffrey Atkins) and 50 Cent (born Curtis Jackson) developed a mutual hatred for each other and quickly began to exchange diss records. However, this quickly polarised the city of New York, and people swiftly picked sides. Recalling this period time, during a recent appearance on the Back Stories podcast, Murder Inc. Records marketing executive Dex Diamond delved into how DJs were even targeted.
Explaining how club DJs taunted members of Murder Inc., Diamond recounted, “Some of these DJs thought it was a game and they was playing diss records while we there. While we in the club, they go from the commercial shit, they go into the diss records ’cause they think it’s a game.”
Diamond admitted that he didn’t mind club DJs doing their jobs but explained that purposefully putting on a diss track aimed at him and his artist was not something he would tolerate. Disclosing that sometimes Murder Inc affiliates would beat up DJs playing Ja Rule diss tracks, Diamond unveiled, “We was tappin’ n*ggas asses! Throwing down in fuckin’ Miami and shit.”
Recalling a time when G-unit members tried to harass his crew in Miami, Diamond remembered, “We [were] walkin’ down Ocean [Drive] and a bunch of muthafuckas, with all of us there, talkin’ bout G-G-G-G-Unit and try to snuff a n*gga, next thing there’s five-on-five and shit.” The 50 Cent diss tracks getting played in the clubs at the time included the likes of ‘Wanksta,’ ‘Back Down,’ ‘Piggy Bank’ and ‘Return of Ja Fool,’ all aimed at the Murder Inc musician.
You can watch Dex Diamond’s interview below.
