For some, the gloves worn by Curtis Jackson as he pummels artist after actress after rapper with his lyrical attacks may read marketing and promotion. Flanked in his corner by the most dynamic training duo in history (Dr. Dre and Eminem) 50 Cent has ensured his constant presence on the gossip sites and Hip Hop webzines with his verbal attacks on the innocent, the not-so-innocent and those looking for a free PR campaign.

Right or wrong, 50 Cent has encouraged some of the most talked about tirades in the last five years, giving former label mates a harsh dose of reality, (Young Buck) and the fuel to rage their own campaign against the notorious one (The Game), but as we all know, all is not fair in love and war and there have been casualties that have never really gotten over the knocks they have taken and some, even though they tug at the ropes, probably never will.

This piece is here to break it down - the tried, the tested, the totally annihilated and the ones who failed to drop to the floor when the Queens fighter came into the ring.

ROUND ONE: Ja Rule

First up into the ring is fellow Queens’s rapper Ja Rule. This battle started back in 1999 with both rappers vying for the attention of their native borough. The Murder Inc. front man spotted 50 with a man who stole his jewelry and it has been on ever since. From the involvement of Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff in the attempted murder of 50 Cent the hate between Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. and all those aligned continues to ferment.

"Lil' nigga named Ja think he live like me/Talkin' about he left the hospital took nine like me/You livin' fantasies nigga, I been checkin' deposit/When your lil' sweet ass gon' come out of the closet?" 50 Cent, "Hail Mary," 2003.

Ja made a slight come back in 2006 with the Cool & Dre-produced "New York," which featured an assortment of other ‘so-called’ 50 victims. But by then damage had been done and the constant barrage of jabs thrown by 50 Cent has never allowed Jeffrey Atkins to run or record solo successfully again.

"You're print distrified, you're no longer desired/So take off them silly chains, put back on your wire." – Ja Rule "New York," 2006.

ROUND TWO: Fat Joe

Joey Crack, another local fatality. This battle has been on/off since "Piggy Back" took direct shots at the Bronx emcee. The Terror Squad captain wasn’t impressed that 50 was coming at him that way as he couldn’t figure out just what he had done to deserve it really. So he reacted with "My Fo Fo," taking shots at Curtis about his obvious weight increase and implying that steroids were the cause.

"But he don't care, he's still locked up in his house and shit/Steroid up and he wont come about that bitch/Is it me or does candy shop sound like magic stick?/In the video, this nigga 50 bout to strip." – Fat Joe "My Fo' Fo'," 2006

Yet needless to say, salt was added to an open wound for Fat Joe when his former leading lady hit the stage with Fif in Joe’s own borough. Remy Ma up on stage in the old Jimmy’s Bronx Café as 50 promoted Curtis back in August 2007 didn’t really do much for morale in the Boogie Down.

"That fat nigga thought 'Lean Back' was 'In Da Club'/My shit sold 11 mill, his shit was a dud." – 50 Cent "Piggy Bank," 2005.

ROUND THREE: The Game

You could start thinking Hot 97 has the monopoly on 50 beefs as they always seem to get a mention in the most major of 50 Cent's drama. This was one that had Hip Hop on the edge of its seat as the ‘elders’ of the culture feared a new east coast/west coast war after Curtis declared The Game was no longer down with G-Unit on air in 2005. Loyalty is apparently what G-Unit prides themselves on; but betrayal is what G-Unit was escalated upon, resulting in the legendary G-Unot campaign that in a real world would have had Game indicted as a serial stalker.

The back and forth on wax between the label king and his former subject that continued through 2006 and 2007 had The Game putting out freestyle after freestyle. Many thought that after "100 Bars – The Funeral" and "300 Bars And Running," it would be hard for the Compton rapper to come out with something he hadn’t already said and the majority hoped we wouldn’t have to be subjected to "500 Bars (and Sleeping)" but the two continue to bicker and bitch, but just not using as many bars as they once did.

Of course The Game has put in his two cents on the Young Buck situation, showing support for another fallen soldier from the Unit army.

ROUND FOUR: The L.O.X.

50 really got his teeth into Yonkers hard knock Styles P. He was allegedly the reason why "The Ghost’s" Time Is Money album was pushed back time and time again, earning him the moniker Curtis "Interscope" Jackson. With The L.O.X. having that street support, it was hard for many fans of both factions to watch Styles be mauled and subjected to the aftermath that ensued. But Styles and Fif laid their beef to rest, where else…but of course on air on Hot 97 when Styles called in to the Angie Martinez show in February 2007 and had grown man talk with the man who had openly insulted his business decisions. Continued on page 2 »