50 Cent has a lot of enemies, but Fat Joe the Gangsta might’ve been one of Fif’s biggest adversaries. In fact, their beef was so deep that Joe never thought it would end.
During a recent conversation on Talib Kweli’s People’s Party podcast, Joe made it clear he was prepared to take his issues with 50 to the grave, but he’s glad he didn’t.
“I never thought in my life I would squash the beef with 50 Cent,” Joe said before explaining how the 2012 death of their mutual friend Chris Lighty started their path to reconciliation.
“I’m the real deal. If we would have bumped heads somewhere, it would have went down physically 100 percent. So when Chris Lighty died, I went to the funeral by myself,” he told Kweli. “I show up, and 50 Cent is there. He’s on the other side, I don’t see him.”
Shortly after the funeral, Fat Joe received word from BET that Chris Lighty, who was just 44, would be honored at the BET Awards. He was informed that 50 would be there, so he came to the rehearsal prepared for any outcome.
“When I show up to the BET Awards, we on point. We super focused. That’s the only way I can explain it legally,” he explained. “They say rehearsal. I perform ‘Lean Back’ and then 50 Cent comes out. He ends up right by where I’m at. And when the music stops, he puts his hands out, and says ‘Peace for Chris Lighty.’ Chris Lighty wanted peace.”
Joe admits he didn’t initially understand why 50 was being the bigger person. He’s since realized their friendship can be an example to younger rappers to show that beefing over words should never turn into a violent sport.
“I think we have an obligation, a responsibility to show these young brothers that beefing over words can be squashed,” he continued. “You can become friends. It doesn’t have to result in us killing each other. The rap beef doesn’t have to turn violent in the streets. I hope everybody sees that and says, ‘The shit they were saying to each other, and now they’re friends? It can happen. … I’ve been beefing with these people so long. Why don’t I squash beef with all my enemies, and see what doors it opens?”
Watch Fat Joe’s full comments to Kweli above.
