Happy 47th Birthday 50 Cent! Fif’s Realest Rap Beefs

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Born on this date in 1975, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is undoubtedly one of the most influential forces in the game today. From music to movies to successful business ventures, Fif has always stayed on top of his game ever since he made his unconventional entrance at the end of the last millennium.

What has always kept 50’s name in the people’s mouths is the fact that he always had someone else’s name in his! Not to be confused with the common studio gangster, 50 has not only survived, but remained triumphant and relevant after all of his beefs.

Here’s a short list of some of Fif’s most mentioned beefs in and out of the studio:

1. Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff

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This beef between street soldier and kingpin became a story reminiscent of David and Goliath, with 50 Cent battling the most feared gangster in his Jamaica, Queens hometown. This riff was depicted in 50’s blockbuster film Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. The real ending? Fif is a successful businessman and Supreme is currently in a federal supermax correctional facility for life. According to recent reports, however, an appeals court has now forced a federal judge to reconsider Supreme’s appeal for a sentence reduction.

2. Big Pun

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On 50’s first widely recognized track “How To Rob” featuring The Madd Rapper, he creatively spits scenarios about him catching several of your favorite rappers and R&B singers slipping. One of them happened to be the Terror Squad top recruit, the late Big Pun, who didn’t take it very lightly. On Pun’s Yeeeaah Baby! album, he tells Fif on one of the tracks, “I’m gonna make a song called ‘How I beat your fuckin ass’…”. Nothing never happened off wax with this beef and Pun passed suddenly on February 7, 2000.

3. The Game

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With the G-Unit at the top of the rap tier at the turn of the 21st Century, if you weren’t with them, you and your crew were definitely getting rolled over. The Game, who happened to be the only recruit on the Guerrilla Unit squad that wasn’t from the East Coast, made the mistake by believing that his career would remain afloat without 50. With no help against the barrage of battle records from G-Unit to the unsuccessful “Boycott G-Unit” campaign, it’s safe to say that Fif come out on top of this one.

4. Rick Ross

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The Bawse seemed to be the only artist that has even been able to maintain his relevance after beef with Mr. Jackson. Ironically, this beef started over an alleged wrong look at the BET Awards towards Ross. These two traded bars until Fif came out with the “Officer Ricky” track, in which 50 promised told Rozay “Ima fuck your life up for fun’. At the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards in ATL, Gunplay from Ross’ Maybach Music Group allegedly had his chain snatched and Fif was seen wearing the chain days later.

5. Ja Rule

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His battle with 50 Cent should’ve been a warning to the rest of the artist who came after him with a problem with the Queens MC. These two were from the same hood, which made the beef that much more personal. While 50 claims that Rule hid behind the protection of “Supreme” McGriff, who was suspected of facilitating the unsuccessful hit on Jackson, Rule maintained a successful career until the continuous physical confrontations and vicious shots proved to be too much for certified platinum Murder Inc. artist. Last year, these two bumped heads on a flight, but time must have healed old wounds because the two just greeted each other with a “what’s up” as they flew together.

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Highland Park Shooter Escaped Scene by Dressing In Women’s Clothing to Hide Tattoos

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Highland Park, Illinois mass shooting suspect Robert Crimo reportedly dressed in women’s clothing to escape the area following firing into a parade on the Fourth of July.

According to Lake County Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli, Crimo shot over 70 rounds and dressed in disguise to hide his notable tattoos. He escaped through the crowd running from the chaos of the shooting.

Crimo used a “high-powered rifle” in the shooting that he legally purchased. After leaving the rifle on the roof, Crimo returned to his mother’s home and took her Honda, leading the police on a high-speed chase hours later. Crimo is suspected to have planned the attacks for weeks.

According to the Sun-Times, six people were killed and over 25 were injured in the shooting. The suspected gunman was apprehended on U.S. 41 in Lake Forest, Illinois, following an 8-hour manhunt, which asked for citizens to shelter in place.

Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III is 22 years old and was arrested without conflict after a brief chase occurred. Crimo was spotted by a North Chicago police officer leading to the chase. After the arrest, Crimo was taken to the Highland Park police station.

At the scene of the parade, five people were pronounced dead. A sixth died in transportation to the hospital. A majority of those wounded but still alive had gunshot sounds. Others were injured by the chaos of people scrambling for their lives. Victims ranged from as young as eight to 85.

Additional coverage of the shooting in Highland Park is available below.

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Happy Birthday To Wu Tang Co-Founder/Producer RZA!

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On this day in Hip Hop history, one of the culture’s most influential musical masterminds was born. Wu-Tang Clan frontman Robert Fitzgerald Diggs a.k.a. RZA was born today (July 5) in Brooklyn, New York, 49 years ago. Since stepping on the scene in 1989, RZA has done more than just create an outrageously successful career for himself and his affiliates but has also forever shaped and changed the way a lot of things are handled in the music industry. From branding to merchandising to mastery of one’s craft, RZA stands as a pillar example of how someone given nothing but their own mind can rise to be a titan in the entertainment industry.

In honor of his birthday, we’ve compiled a list of five of RZA’s most important power moves that helped to build and strengthen his empire. Spanning from music to video games, RZA’s influence can be felt across culture, color lines and international borders.

-Signing With Tommy Boy Records

RZA signed with the famous Tommy Boy Records in 1991 under the moniker Prince Rakeem and released one EP, Ooh I Love You Rakeem. Although this may not have been the most eventful or productive period of RZA’s career, his tumultuous relationship with Tommy Boy is what helped RZA to formulate his own plan to monopolize Hip Hop. His time at Tommy Boy allowed him to build vital connections with artists and executives that can been seen lasting throughout the remainder of his career. Tommy Boy gave RZA a necessary first glimpse of how the music industry works as a whole, which helped him to finesse it into something that worked for him.

-The Five-Year-Plan

In his autobiography The Tao of Wu, RZA detailed a majority of the events surrounding the ridiculous success of Wu-Tang Clan, the most prominent of these being his “Five Year Plan.” This plan, enacted in 1992 following the success of the RZA-produced Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, was RZA’s scheme for his group to become the most powerful figures in Hip Hop as a whole and individually. In an analogy, RZA explains, “I want all of y’all [Wu-Tang] to get on this bus. And be passengers. And I’m the driver. And nobody can ask me where we going. I’m taking us to No. 1. Give me five years, and I promise that I’ll get us there.”

At the end of the five year period, Wu-Tang Clan had released the Grammy Award-winning, number one Wu-Tang Forever LP (which sold four million copies in its first six months on shelves), GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, ODB and Ghostface Killah all had Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, and Wu-Tang Clan had a successful comic book, clothing line and video game under their belt.

-Wu-Tang Clan Record Deals

As Wu-Tang’s popularity continued to grow exponentially, major labels were breaking down the door to get a piece of the action. For a short while there was a question of where the group and its members would sign. In an attempt to divide and conquer the corporate music world, RZA came up with the idea to have the majority of the members sign with competing record labels. Although from the outside this plan may seem risky and convoluted, RZA was again right on the money with this decision. Having Method Man sign with Def Jam, Raekwon sign with Loud, Ghostface Killah sign with Sony, ODB sign with Elektra and GZA sign with Geffen/MCA allowed for maximum promotion of each artist. No one company had to divvy out the funds to try and support the promo of each of these rap icon’s solo work. This also allowed record labels to work together like never before when pushing Wu-Tang Clan (who remained under Razor Sharp Records) albums because of the number of companies involved with its production. Never before or since has there been a group to sign a deal of this nature.

-Wu-Wear

In 1995 Wu-Tang released their clothing line Wu Wear, which quickly became one of Hip Hop’s most coveted streetwear brands. The brand’s importance, however, doesn’t come from its popularity but its pioneering. With Wu Wear, Wu-Tang became the first rap group to be laced from head to toe in their own gear. This again gave the group another step ahead of their competition. Even today, Wu Wear is international worn and recognized as a prominent Hip Hop streetwear brand and can be found in stores across the globe and online on various outlets.

-Hollywood Takeover

RZA’s most recent and ambitious endeavor to date is his dabbling in acting and filmmaking. As an actor, RZA has appeared in 21 films and has written and directed three. His popular The Man With The Iron Fists Kung-Fu series has proven he can successfully take his love for traditional Asian martial arts films and put his own spin on them to create something of his own. His partnership with famed director Quentin Tarantino only further validates his abilities and potential as a filmmaker and opens the door to the possibility of future projects.

RZA has yet to stop shaping Hip Hop’s culture and sound over the years, although he may not be as visibly active as he once was. His prominence in this culture is known and felt by anyone with knowledge of Hip Hop, its origins and its success as a genre. From everyone here at The Source, happy born day RZA, thank you for building such a godly culture.

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Suspect in Custody Following Fourth of July Parade Shooting in Highland Park, IL

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A July 4th parade in Highland Park, Illinois erupted into chaos when a man positioned on the roof of a business opened fire on the crowd with a “high-powered rifle.”

According to the Sun-Times, six people were killed and over 25 were injured in the shooting. The suspected gunman was apprehended on U.S. 41 in Lake Forest, Illinois, following an 8-hour manhunt, which asked for citizens to shelter in place.

The arrested suspect is Robert E. “Bobby” Crimo III. He is 22 years old and was arrested without conflict after a brief chase occurred. Crimo was spotted by a North Chicago police officer leading to the chase. After the arrest, Crimo was taken to the Highland Park police station. As of 7 p.m. Monday no charges were filed as confirming of Crimo as the shooter still needed to be done.

The gunman climbed to the rooftop using a ladder. The rifle was recovered at the scene.

At the scene of the parade, five people were pronounced dead. A sixth died in transportation to the hospital. A majority of those wounded but still alive had gunshot sounds. Others were injured by the chaos of people scrambling for their lives. Victims ranged from as young as eight to 85.

Additional coverage of the shooting in Highland Park is available below.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Run-DMC Dropped “Walk This Way” Featuring Aerosmith 36 Years Ago

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On Independence Day in 1986, Daryl McDaniels, his partner in rhyme Joseph Simmons and their DJ Jason Mizell, who are best known as the legendary Hip Hop group Run-D.M.C., released one of the most successful singles of their career; “Walk This Way”, which guest stars rock n’ roll vets Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith.

The rap version of the single, which appeared on Run-D.M.C.’s third album Raising Hell, was a very groundbreaking track that helped pioneer the fusion of rock n’ roll and Hip Hop. The original song of the same name appeared on Aerosmith’s 1975 Toys In The Attic album.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Nas Dropped His Sophomore Album ‘It Was Written’ 26 Years Ago

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On July 2, 1996, Nas unleashed the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut, 1994’s Illmatic entitled It Was Written, the album featured production from DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, and Havoc.

This time around, the fresh-faced, 22-year-old Brooklyn-born emcee consciously pushed the album in a more mainstream direction, hoping to secure a wider fan base. It worked.

The album proved to be Nas’ most commercially successful release, debuting at #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It’s viewed by music critics as one of Nas’ strongest records and remains his best-selling release, with over four million copies sold in the U.S. alone.

One of the album’s standout singles, “If I Ruled the World,” featured Lauryn Hill, who (at the time) was riding the wave of her recent success with The Fugees. Other guests included Foxy Brown, Dr. Dre, and Mobb Deep.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Eric B. and Rakim’s Final Album ‘Don’t Sweat The Technique’ Turns 30 Years Old!

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The Microphone Fiend and his silent cohort drop their fourth and final album together on this date.

On this hot summer day in 1992, Rakim, who is widely recognized by some as the greatest MC of all time, released his fourth studio LP with William “Eric B.” Barrier entitled Don’t Sweat The Technique. This was the long-awaited follow-up to Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em, which was a critically acclaimed album, but that was not reflective in record sales.

This album was also the last LP that Eric B. & Rakim recorded together as a duo. Produced by Eric B. with some production assistance from an up-and-coming producer by the name of Large Professor, Don’t Sweat The Technique solidified Rakim as THE best lyricist in Hip Hop.

Tracks such as “What’s On Your Mind”, which appeared on the House Party II soundtrack, “Know The Ledge”(theme from Juice), and the title track are eternal lyrical masterpieces that are unparalleled to this day. Even songs like “Casualties Of War” depicting the mentality of a conscious Black male during the era of Operation Desert Storm and the war in Iraq were instructive as well as entertaining, while virtually predicting the 9/11 tragedy almost a decade before it happened.

Salute to Rakim Allah and Eric B. for this classic album!

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Marilyn Monroe’s “Birthday Dress” Reportedly Has Damage After Being Worn Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala

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The iconic Birthday Dress of Marilyn Monroe has reportedly been damaged after being worn by Kim Kardashian to The Met Gala.

According to Pop Culture, the most expensive dress in the world worn by Monroe in 1962 shows signs of tearing and missing crystals after being worn by Kim K.

According to Page Six Style, Kim K dropped 16 pounds just to fit in the gown. After she walked the red carpet of the Met Gala, Kim K changed into a replica of the dress.

After the Met Gala, the “Birthday Dress” designer Bob Mackie was not happy that Kardashian wore the dress. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Mackie called wearing the dress “a big mistake.”

“[Marilyn] was a goddess. A crazy goddess, but a goddess. She was just fabulous. Nobody photographs like that. And it was done for her. It was designed for her,” Mackie stated. “Nobody else should be seen in that dress.”

Mackie drew the design for Jean Louis in 1962, who would fashion Monroe for the president of John F. Kennedy. Monroe would die three months later.

Kim Kardashian wore the dress as she strolled the red carpet with her bae, Pete Davidson. Leading up to the big event, the dress was displayed at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum in Orlando, Florida.

“Well, this is Marilyn Monroe’s dress and it is 60 years old and she wore this when she sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy in 1962,” Kardashian confirmed to La La on the red carpet. “I had this idea to try it on and then they came with armed guards and gloves.”

The dress originally cost $12,000 and was created around Monroe, who was sewn into it as it was made.

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Happy 54th Birthday To West Coast Legend The D.O.C.!

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On this day in Hip Hop history, Dallas-bred West Coast rapper The D.O.C. was born.Known for his work with N.W.A. and as a huge influence to the G-Funk era as a writer for a number of artists, The D.O.C. is one of the West Coast’s unsung heroes.

Before embarking on a solo career, The D.O.C. was a member of the Texas trio The Fila Fresh Crew consisting of The D.O.C. (then known as Doc-T), Fresh K, and Dr. Rock. The group got their break appearing on NWA’s N.W.A. and the Posse compilation album. Following the album’s success, the group was able to sign a deal with Macola Records and release three studio albums before disbanding in 1988. Shortly after the split, Eazy-E recruited The D.O.C. to work with him on his solo project Eazy-Duz-It on the track “Nobody Move.”

In 1989, The D.O.C. released his debut solo album No One Can Do It Better which spent 2 weeks in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart and claimed the top spot on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chart. Following his freshman success, West Coast rappers began to reach out to The D.O.C. to work with him on their own projects.

The D.O.C. has made appearances on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle, and N.W.A.’s 100 Miles and Runnin’ and Niggaz4life. He has also released two addition studio albums Helter Skelter and Deuce which have both appeared on the Billboard 200 chart. It is reported that The D.O.C. is currently working on a fourth and final album with Dr. Dre titled Voices through Hot Vessels who’s released date is still to be determined.

Aside from music, The D.O.C. can be recognized from his song appearances in the popular video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Tony Hawk Underground 2, Madden 2005, and NBA Live 2005, his guest spot in the film “We From Dallas”, or his past relationship with neo-soul songstress Erykah Badu. The two share a daughter named Puma who was born July 5th, 2004.

Regardless of how you may know or have heard of The D.O.C. , his influence on West Coast Hip Hip culture is one that would have definitely been missed. From everyone here at the Source Magazine, Happy Birthday D.O.C. may you see many more years of success.

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Today In Hip Hop History: LL Cool J Released Third LP ‘Walking With A Panther’ 33 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, LL Cool J released his third studio LP Walking with a Panther on Def Jam Recordings in 1989.

Peaking at #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chart and #6 on the Billboard 200, this album continued LL’s streak of commercially successful albums as well as served as one of Hip Hop’s early crossover projects.

During that era, Def Jam was working to bring Hip Hop to the forefront of the mainstream, and this album was geared to reinvent LL Cool J’s sound while retaining its Hip Hop integrity. Although it may have been publicly successful at achieving its goal, some critics have said this project may have brought LL’s street credibility into question.

Regardless of critical opinion, the appeal of this album outshines anything negative that could be said about it. The most impressive and respectable feat of this project is LL’s introduction as a self-produced MC. Throughout Walking with a Panther he proved that not only was he capable of knocking out hit after hit but was also a proficient beat maker. The original production team used to create the majority of LL’s better-known songs prior to this album, L.A. Posse, decided to part ways with Def Jam following a contractual disagreement. This altercation left only one member of the team, Dwanye Simon, left to work with LL Cool J in producing the entirety of the LP.

This project also toted some of LL Cool J’s biggest hit singles including: “Going Back to Cali” and “Jingling Baby.” Both of these singles are hallmarks of LL Cool J’s career and in their own way describe his career as a whole. LL’s appeal was from the beginning catered toward the female demographic while still retaining his “cool guy” demeanor in a way that it wasn’t awkward for males to also be in huge support of his music and style. Much like a proto-Drake, LL Cool J through this album was able to deliver enough to keep the streets happy all while maintaining the attention of his female fan base.

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