After weeks of lashing out at high profile hip-hop stars, rapper Curtis Jackson, also known as 50 Cent, has set his sights on his own top-selling protege, Jayceon Taylor, known as The Game.
The move touched off a war in his own camp that turned bloody late Monday when an associate of The Game was shot three times, police said.
The skirmish came after 50 Cent unexpectedly announced The Game's dismissal from the G-Unit, his rap crew, during an interview on radio station Hot 97. When The Game and his entourage tried to confront his former boss, gunfire broke out outside the West Village station.
Kevin Reed, 20, The Game's associate from Compton, Calif., was hit once in the upper leg and grazed in the leg and shoulder. He was rushed to St. Vincent's Medical Center, where he was treated and released yesterday. Police are also investigating shots at Violator Management, which represents 50 Cent, shortly after the Hot 97 incident.
Police have made no arrests in connection to Reed's shooting or the shots fired at Violator Management, which shattered the glass front door and left six holes in the lobby's marble wall.
Reed initially told cops at the scene that the shooting had nothing to do with the rap world, police said, though they didn't believe him. Those with Reed said they were passersby, though police believe they are all part of The Game's crew.
When police arrived, several people from both entourages fled. Police said no one claimed the dark sedan that was left running outside the building.
50 Cent was in the radio station at the time and was not involved, police said.
Hours before the shooting, MTV debuted the video for "Hate It or Love It," the third single to feature 50 Cent from The Game's chart-topping debut "The Documentary" on its "TRL" show. Though Game and 50 Cent have the No. 5 single in the country with "How We Do," their relationship apparently reached the breaking point Saturday night after 50 Cent heard The Game tell Hot 97's DJ Funkmaster Flex in an on-air interview that he respected rapper Nas, one of 50's growing list of enemies, and was considering recording with him.
"50's beef is his beef," The Game said. "I'm not going to get in the middle of that. When I have beef, seems like I'm always by myself."
During his interview with Funkmaster Flex on Monday night, 50 Cent said The Game had been disloyal.
"He went overseas and he heard people saying, 'Game' and he bugged out on us," 50 Cent said, adding that he had not received proper credit for his contributions to The Game's album. "He's gone."
Hip-hop historian and DJ Davey D. said 50 Cent may have genuine disagreements with the artists he is battling, including The Game. However, he said 50 is also using a "tried-and-true formula" of starting beefs in order to get attention for his album.
A spokesman at Interscope, 50 Cent and The Game's label, said there would be no comment on Monday night's shooting. Label officials were trying to determine the fallout from 50's decision to kick The Game out of G-Unit and how that affects his album. The label did decide, however, to cancel a planned in-store appearance tomorrow at the Times Square Virgin Megastore celebrating the release of 50's new album, "The Massacre."
The hype surrounding the new album centers on a controversial track, "Piggy Bank," in which 50 Cent insults top rappers Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Nas and Kelis, and other tracks where he continues his beef with his longtime rival Ja Rule.
"He's just trying to sell records," Yonkers rapper Jadakiss told Hot 97's DJ Clue on Monday night after the shooting, adding that he does plan to respond to 50's insults on an upcoming album. "He ain't got shot no more, so he don't got nothing else to talk about."
By creating so many enemies, some experts say, 50 Cent should be concerned about his security.
"50 should make sure he has people around him," said Derrick Parker, a security consultant and retired detective who specialized in gathering intelligence on hip-hop artists for the NYPD. "There's talk about people going after him."
50 Cent has said he dealt crack while growing up in Jamaica and financed his early career as a rapper with drug proceeds. He is known for surviving nine gunshot wounds in his drug-dealing days.
Since 50 announced his decision to drop Game, he has been discussing what he says were Game's problems with finishing his debut album. 50 said that until he agreed to work on the album, Game was about to be dropped by Interscope Records, adding that he turned over songs from his own "Massacre" album to Game in order to complete the project.
Like many in hip-hop, Davey D. hoped the beef would not generate more casualties, though most aren't sure that is possible.
"I've been getting calls about this from everywhere, even New Zealand," Davey D. said. "All over the world people are up on all this stuff, through the hip-hop grapevine. People are choosing sides
For those who didnt know Eminems newest song n video "Like Toy Soldiers", was supposed to be how the beef in rap only leads to death and violence. 50 cent didnt agree with this and is apprently the rumor is anyway, 50 is leaving Shadyaftermath records very soon.
The move touched off a war in his own camp that turned bloody late Monday when an associate of The Game was shot three times, police said.
The skirmish came after 50 Cent unexpectedly announced The Game's dismissal from the G-Unit, his rap crew, during an interview on radio station Hot 97. When The Game and his entourage tried to confront his former boss, gunfire broke out outside the West Village station.
Kevin Reed, 20, The Game's associate from Compton, Calif., was hit once in the upper leg and grazed in the leg and shoulder. He was rushed to St. Vincent's Medical Center, where he was treated and released yesterday. Police are also investigating shots at Violator Management, which represents 50 Cent, shortly after the Hot 97 incident.
Police have made no arrests in connection to Reed's shooting or the shots fired at Violator Management, which shattered the glass front door and left six holes in the lobby's marble wall.
Reed initially told cops at the scene that the shooting had nothing to do with the rap world, police said, though they didn't believe him. Those with Reed said they were passersby, though police believe they are all part of The Game's crew.
When police arrived, several people from both entourages fled. Police said no one claimed the dark sedan that was left running outside the building.
50 Cent was in the radio station at the time and was not involved, police said.
Hours before the shooting, MTV debuted the video for "Hate It or Love It," the third single to feature 50 Cent from The Game's chart-topping debut "The Documentary" on its "TRL" show. Though Game and 50 Cent have the No. 5 single in the country with "How We Do," their relationship apparently reached the breaking point Saturday night after 50 Cent heard The Game tell Hot 97's DJ Funkmaster Flex in an on-air interview that he respected rapper Nas, one of 50's growing list of enemies, and was considering recording with him.
"50's beef is his beef," The Game said. "I'm not going to get in the middle of that. When I have beef, seems like I'm always by myself."
During his interview with Funkmaster Flex on Monday night, 50 Cent said The Game had been disloyal.
"He went overseas and he heard people saying, 'Game' and he bugged out on us," 50 Cent said, adding that he had not received proper credit for his contributions to The Game's album. "He's gone."
Hip-hop historian and DJ Davey D. said 50 Cent may have genuine disagreements with the artists he is battling, including The Game. However, he said 50 is also using a "tried-and-true formula" of starting beefs in order to get attention for his album.
A spokesman at Interscope, 50 Cent and The Game's label, said there would be no comment on Monday night's shooting. Label officials were trying to determine the fallout from 50's decision to kick The Game out of G-Unit and how that affects his album. The label did decide, however, to cancel a planned in-store appearance tomorrow at the Times Square Virgin Megastore celebrating the release of 50's new album, "The Massacre."
The hype surrounding the new album centers on a controversial track, "Piggy Bank," in which 50 Cent insults top rappers Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Nas and Kelis, and other tracks where he continues his beef with his longtime rival Ja Rule.
"He's just trying to sell records," Yonkers rapper Jadakiss told Hot 97's DJ Clue on Monday night after the shooting, adding that he does plan to respond to 50's insults on an upcoming album. "He ain't got shot no more, so he don't got nothing else to talk about."
By creating so many enemies, some experts say, 50 Cent should be concerned about his security.
"50 should make sure he has people around him," said Derrick Parker, a security consultant and retired detective who specialized in gathering intelligence on hip-hop artists for the NYPD. "There's talk about people going after him."
50 Cent has said he dealt crack while growing up in Jamaica and financed his early career as a rapper with drug proceeds. He is known for surviving nine gunshot wounds in his drug-dealing days.
Since 50 announced his decision to drop Game, he has been discussing what he says were Game's problems with finishing his debut album. 50 said that until he agreed to work on the album, Game was about to be dropped by Interscope Records, adding that he turned over songs from his own "Massacre" album to Game in order to complete the project.
Like many in hip-hop, Davey D. hoped the beef would not generate more casualties, though most aren't sure that is possible.
"I've been getting calls about this from everywhere, even New Zealand," Davey D. said. "All over the world people are up on all this stuff, through the hip-hop grapevine. People are choosing sides
For those who didnt know Eminems newest song n video "Like Toy Soldiers", was supposed to be how the beef in rap only leads to death and violence. 50 cent didnt agree with this and is apprently the rumor is anyway, 50 is leaving Shadyaftermath records very soon.
