Topline
Rapper 50 Cent mocked music mogul Jay-Z on social media after he was named in a sexual assault lawsuit alongside 50 Cent’s longtime rival, Sean “Diddy” Combs, months after he repeatedly questioned why Jay-Z—who has denied claims against him—had not yet spoken up about Combs’ sexual assault allegations.
Jay-Z attended the Los Angeles premiere of “Mufasa: The Lion King” a day after being named in a … [+]
Key Facts
50 Cent (whose name is Curtis Jackson) trolled Jay-Z (whose name is Shawn Carter) in a post on X Monday, asking: “Ok I don’t know what’s going on, but are we gonna still have the Super Bowl. 😟I’m just asking for a friend,” referring to Carter’s company Roc Nation, which is the producer of the Super Bowl halftime show.
In an interview with radio host Big Boy on Monday night, Jackson laughed about his post on X about the Super Bowl, stating he was asking for upcoming headliner Kendrick Lamar, adding he doesn’t think the NFL would want to be associated with Carter following the sexual assault allegation.
Jackson also questioned a statement Carter issued through his Roc Nation social media accounts denying the allegations, calling the statement “combative” and stating he believes it was written by a lawyer instead of a publicist.
Jackson said, however, he hopes things are “alright for [Carter] internally,” referencing Carter’s young children, adding he believes the current cultural climate incriminates people for “not even what you did, it’s what they said you did.”
News Peg
Carter made his first public appearance after the lawsuit Monday night at the premiere of “Mufasa: The Lion King” with his wife Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy Carter, who both have speaking roles in the film. The family reportedly did not speak to the media and left the “Mufasa” red carpet quickly after posing for pictures Monday night. After the event, Beyoncé posted pictures of just her daughter to Instagram, praising her for her voice acting in the film, without mentioning her husband. Carter’s appearance came one day after an unnamed Alabama woman added Carter to a federal lawsuit filed in New York in October that had already accused Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 in 2000. The lawsuit alleges Combs and Carter served her a drugged drink at a Video Music Awards afterparty, repeatedly raping her while an unnamed female celebrity watched—which Carter has strongly denied. Carter issued a statement through Roc Nation’s social media channels Sunday evening, calling the attorney who filed the suit and many others against Combs, Tony Buzbee, a “deplorable human” whom he accused of blackmailing him. Carter said he intends to “expose” Buzbee as a “fraud,” lamented that he would have to explain the lawsuit to his young children and said his “heart and support goes out to the true victims in the world.” Carter’s attorney Alex Spiro filed a motion Monday asking a judge to force the accuser to reveal her real name or dismiss the case.
Key Background
Jackson repeatedly trolled Carter earlier this year after Combs’ sexual assault allegations and legal troubles deepened, questioning why Carter had refrained from publicly addressing allegations levied against Combs, whom he had frequently collaborated with. Soon after federal agents raided Combs’ homes in March, Jackson posted a picture of Carter’s face on a milk carton with the word “missing” on Instagram, writing in the caption: “Anybody seen Jay LOL,” joking he “ain’t answering his phone.” In another now-deleted post from March, Jackson posted a picture of Carter waving, writing Carter was “waving at puffy jet.” In May, Jackson posted a picture of a close-up of Carter’s face, writing: “Jay in hibernation he ain’t coming outside till this sh-t with puff blow over, no brunch, no lunch, No dinner. LOL.”
What Is Jackson’s Relationship To Carter?
While Jackson and Carter were both still early in their careers, Jackson dissed Carter alongside dozens of other rappers on his 1999 song, “How to Rob,” rapping that Carter’s album sales give him “something to live for.” Carter responded on the song “It’s Hot (Some Like It Hot),” rapping: “I’m about a dollar, what the f*ck is 50 cents?” The two rappers co-headlined the 2003 Rock the Mic tour, and collaborated on the song, “I Get Money (Forbes 1, 2, 3 Remix),” with Combs in 2007. But Jackson has continued to toss jabs at Carter, telling Rolling Stone in 2009 that Carter “has a king complex” and “thinks he’s f*cking Jesus,” accusing him of shifting his image amid his relationship with Beyoncé to appear more intellectual. Jackson also slammed Carter’s album “4:44” in 2017, calling it “too smart” and “golf course music.” Jackson also claimed in a 2022 interview Beyoncé confronted him during a meeting between Jackson and Carter in Las Vegas, and Jackson questioned Carter’s Grammy wins in a 2023 interview, stating he seemed to win more after he married Beyoncé.
Tangent
Jackson emerged as one of the most frequent and high-profile critics of Combs amid his sexual assault allegations. The two rappers have had a feud that dates back decades, and Jackson repeatedly trolled Combs in social media posts as his legal troubles worsened. Jackson is reportedly producing a documentary on Combs’ sexual assault allegations for Netflix.
Further Reading
50 Cent Slams Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Again—‘We Can’t Un See What We Saw’—As Feud Continues (Forbes)