50 Cent vs Diddy: What Happened?
The rivalry between 50 Cent and Diddy has been one of the most long-standing and volatile in hip-hop, marked by public jabs, diss tracks, and personal allegations that span decades. To understand how this beef developed, we have to go back to the 1990s.
In the early ’90s, a man from Harlem named Shan Colmes started his career as an intern at Uptown Records. After being fired, he rebranded himself as Puff Daddy, eventually founding his own label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. Puff (later known as Diddy) quickly rose to prominence, signing The Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, and Faith Evans, while creating a massive buzz in the industry. The release of Ready to Die in 1994 made Bad Boy Records one of the most powerful labels in hip-hop. Meanwhile, in Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent was beginning to make his mark on the rap scene.
50 Cent’s journey began in 1998 with a deal from Columbia Records, but his debut album Power of the Dollar was shelved after he was shot nine times in 2000. Before this, in 1999, 50 Cent made his first public jab at Diddy in his track How to Rob, dissing Diddy and threatening to steal his girlfriend, Kim Porter. At this point, Puff was unbothered, as he assumed 50’s diss was just a ploy to gain attention.
In the early 2000s, Diddy offered 50 Cent a chance to work with him after Jennifer Lopez recommended him to write for Bad Boy. However, things quickly soured when 50 Cent claimed that Diddy didn’t take him seriously, resulting in him getting dropped from the label. By 2002, 50 was starting to make waves with his mixtapes, especially Guess Who’s Back and 50 Cent Is The Future. On these mixtapes, he took shots at Diddy, calling him a “trick” and mocking his style.
In 2003, Diddy attempted to recruit 50 Cent again but lost the opportunity due to 50’s escalating feud with other artists and labels. As 50 Cent’s reputation grew, he signed with Shady Records and released his groundbreaking album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in 2003, making him one of the biggest names in rap. But the beef between him and Diddy continued to escalate, with 50 mocking Diddy’s personal life and business moves.
The early 2000s saw 50 Cent relentlessly diss Diddy, especially after Diddy was rumored to have blocked a deal between Mase and G-Unit. On tracks like Hip Hop Is Dead, 50 took direct jabs at Diddy’s alleged involvement in the murder of Tupac, further deepening the tension between them. Diddy, however, largely ignored 50’s insults, continuing to focus on his own career and business ventures, including his successful brand of vodka, Ciroc.
In 2007, there was a brief moment of reconciliation when both 50 and Diddy performed on stage together, but the truce was short-lived. By 2009, 50 Cent’s issues with Diddy resurfaced when he learned that Diddy was now working with his biggest rival, Rick Ross. This set off a chain of events, with 50 Cent launching a petition to stop Diddy from exploiting Biggie’s legacy and mocking Diddy’s relationship with J.Lo and other personal matters.
In the years that followed, the feud intensified, with 50 Cent continuing to take shots at Diddy, particularly after Diddy became involved with 50’s former business associates and promoters. 50 even posted rumors about Diddy’s alleged involvement in Tupac’s murder, and in 2017, Eminem joined in, suggesting that Diddy was behind the hit.
By 2018, 50 Cent and Diddy’s relationship had deteriorated even further. After a reported altercation involving 50’s baby mama and Diddy, 50 took to social media to mock their relationship, calling Diddy out for alleged personal and business misdeeds. This period was marked by public insults, social media posts, and taunts, with 50 continuing to accuse Diddy of foul play in the industry.
However, as time passed, the feud seemed to quiet down. In 2019, 50 Cent even sided with Diddy on a legal matter involving Comcast, showing that while their relationship was tumultuous, 50 was willing to put aside differences for business. But as recently as 2023, the rivalry reignited when 50 Cent posted about Diddy’s involvement with Rick Ross and the ongoing speculation surrounding Tupac’s murder.
In November 2023, the situation took another twist when Diddy was accused by his ex-girlfriend Cassie of abuse, and 50 Cent was quick to comment on the situation, calling out Diddy in light of the lawsuit. The feud shows no signs of letting up, with 50 Cent continuing to publicly criticize Diddy and his business practices.
From the mid-’90s to the present day, the 50 Cent vs. Diddy beef has been a testament to the intense rivalries and business dealings within the music industry. Whether it’s personal, professional, or a mix of both, this long-standing feud is far from over, and fans are still watching to see what will happen next.
