J. Cole has put 50 Cent's debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', ahead of Michael Jackson's landmark album Thriller, as the greatest album of all time.
On the first night of 50's The Final Lap tour at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, the Off-Season rapper popped out as a special guest for a quick performance of his hit song "No Role Modelz." At the end of his mini-set, J. Cole took a minute to give 50 Cent his flowers as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
"Can I say this before I walk off stage? If you don't make some noise for one of the greatest n***as to do this shit 50 muthafucking Cent, Curtis Jackson," Cole said in front of a raucous crowd.
The Dreamville boss then said 50's groundbreaking debut Get Rich or Die Tryin' is the greatest album of all time, even ahead of Michael Jackson's magnum opus Thriller.
"Get Rich or Die Tryin' is the best album of all time I don't give a fuck what you talking about," Cole said. "It's Get Rich or Die Tryin' at number one and it's Thriller at number two, and I love Michael Jackson."
Get Rich or Die Tryin' is certified 9X-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and was the best-selling album of 2003 and of 50's career.
The G-Unit captain also earned a Grammy nod when Get Rich or Die Tryin' was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 46th annual Grammy Awards. Thriller, on the other hand, was a juggernaut in the 80s.
For starters, Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, with 70 million copies sold worldwide. The album is also certified 34X-platinum and garnered Jackson a record-breaking eight Grammys at the 26th annual award show.
According to an interview The Game did in 2019, the King of Pop tried to get him and 50 Cent to squash their heated beef in the mid-2000s. MJ's team reached out to the West Coast artist while he was on tour to try and get the two to find common ground.
"That was weird as fuck," he said. "It's like, this ain't how I wanna meet Michael Jackson or talk to Michael Jackson. I kinda felt like Mike was on some lame shit. Like, who sent you type shit, but at the same time it was like, you know that voice Michael Jackson's voice that you hear."
He continued, "Like, that n***a wasn't talking like that. It was like, lowkey deep. You could still tell it was Michael Jackson but it was more like…it was like regular."
