Photo: MTV News

• Beanie Sigel
• 50 Cent

50 Cent and Beanie Sigel perform on Monday night
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — 50 Cent has been on a high-octane promotional run for the past few weeks to support his latest effort Before I Self Destruct, and on Monday night, the hulking rapper ended his trek where it all began, on the streets of New York.

Flanked by his G-Unit family and hundreds of fans who waited outside in the cold to catch a glimpse of the entertainer, 50 Cent made good on his promise to deliver a good show at Manhattan's Highline Ballroom for MySpace's The 50th Release show.

G-Unit's Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo were first up to bat, bouncing back and forth, exchanging raps as fans waited for the main event.

As he did on the previous night's American Music Awards performance with Eminem, 50 slyly made his entrance onto the stage to the sounds of yells and screams and launched right into his verse from "Crack a Bottle."

"It's bottle, after bottle/ The money ain't a thing when you party with me," 50 rapped as the crowd joined in. "It's what we into, it's simple/ We ball outta control like you wouldn't believe."

Clad in a black-and-tan leather vest, oatmeal Timberland boots and shiny jewelry, 50 went into some of his darkest rap tales.

"I done told you, boy, I'm a soldier boy/ I got no choice but to be a rider/ I approach you, boy, with the toaster boy/ Get to point-blank range and fire," Fif warned on the catchy song "G-Unit Rider, Part 2." 50 followed up the melodic track with more smash songs from his vault: "I Get Money," "What Up Gangsta" and "Crime Wave." The MC grinned from ear to ear, commanding the audience's attention with each lyric.

Next, 50 turned his attention to the many female patrons in the audience with the single "Baby by Me." The song's introduction excited one woman so much, she leaped a few feet from the adjacent V.I.P. area, just to get closer to the stage. Fif then launched into his new single, "Do You Think About Me," joined by guest crooner Governor.

Midway through the show, he turned things up a notch.

"Where my n---a at?" 50 shouted. As Jay-Z's "Do It Again" track sounded off, Beanie Sigel emerged from the bowels of the backstage area and dived head first into his verse off the record.

"You know how Mac come through on the club tip/ Everybody real deep on that thug sh--/ Cop Cris' spray the club on that thug sh--/ Cop frisks suits snub in the club quick," Beanie rapped.

Moments before his surprise appearance Beanie talked to MTV News about his newfound alliance with 50 Cent.

"It means a lot," he said of joining 50 for his hometown performance. "I'm here. I'm in New York."

	See 50 Cent and Beanie Sigel Onstage

Sigel, with some assistance from 50 Cent, has fired a number of pot shots at onetime mentor Jay-Z. But through it all, Beanie says that his music will remain pure. "I'mma continue to do my thing," he said. "And I'mma be in this music business, putting out good music, quality music. And I'mma stay grounded in relation with me and the people who I represent and speak for. The people in the streets who's doing they thing. That's what I'm here to do, and I'mma always do that.

Beans and 50 performed the Jay-Z dis record "I Go Off" for the first time on a public platform.

"I'll give you something to talk about/ Come 'round me frontin' I'll air you out, I go off," 50 rapped.

Following the brief set, 50 got back to reminding the crowd why he's still a force to be reckoned with, sprinting through more hits from his endless catalog, old and new, including "P.I.M.P.," "Just a Little Bit," "Magic Stick" and the open letter to ousted G-Unit members Young Buck and Game, "So Disrespectful."

Shortly before closing out his performance, in true bad-boy fashion, 50 joked on members of the New York Police Department, who were also in attendance.

"Every time I come to New York, you see the police right next to you," 50 said, pointing to the various plain-clothes cops in the crowd. "You gotta watch them. It's the hip-hop police. They make like I'm a terrorist or some sh--. I ain't do nothing to nobody. But you gotta watch them, 'cause they're watching you."

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Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z in 2005
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

On the day it was announced that Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" would be his first #1 single, Beanie Sigel tried to make sure Hova wasn't in the mood to celebrate. Footage shot by DIYRyan appeared on 50 Cent's Web site, showing Beans in a home studio in New Jersey.

"You in the hall already/ On the wall already," Beans raps to his friends in the video. "You's a work of art/ Man, this boy's all pretty/ Type to not feed no workers/ 'Cause he grubbed already/ Noodle, I had the sauce/ We could've made spaghetti/ But I'mma shine on my own/ I'm a star already/ Lost the Best of Both Worlds/ He could've called R. Kelly."

The lyrics and flow were in the same cadence of Jay-Z's last verse of the Blueprint 3 track "Already Home."

On Saturday, Sig called into DJ Whoo Kid's Shade 45 satellite radio show show and said he was waiting for Jay-Z to respond to his anti-Jigga campaign.

"I hope so, for the sport," Beanie said of whether he thought Jay would throw lines back at him, thus igniting a full-fledged rhyme war. "I'm ready to stretch my legs. I'm ready to jump in the ring.

"I don't think there's much a person could say about me," Beanie added. "My gangster's never been on trial. At the end of the day, what can you say about a real n---a? I ain't never tell on nobody. I was never in an awkward position where I had to curb my manhood. ... Jay can rap. You can't take anything from Jay, but yo, I'm nice, cuz. I'm nice!"

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Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Beanie Sigel maintains he is ready to engage in a battle with Jay-Z — that is, unless he and Jigga have a heart-to-heart. On Saturday, Beans called into Shade 45 and talked to DJ Whoo Kid.

"I hope so, for the sport," Beanie told Whoo Kid about whether Jay will throw lines back at him, thus igniting a full-fledged rhyme war. "I'm ready to stretch my legs. I'm ready to jump in the ring."

On Friday, Beanie and 50 Cent put out the song "I Go Off," and although Beanie didn't directly throw lines at Hov, 50 called the Jiggaman out toward the end of the record. Last month, Beanie called out Jay in the song "What You Talkin' About (Average Cat)" for not looking after his career; Jay responded that Beanie had failed to look after his own career: "What people choose to do when they attain success ... at some point you have to look in the mirror, and look at yourself."

"I don't think there's much a person could say about me," Beanie said when asked how a battle between him and Hova would go. "My gangster's never been on trial. At the end of the day, what can you say about a real n---a? I ain't never tell on nobody. I was never in an awkward position where I had to curb my manhood. ... Jay can rap. You can't take anything from Jay, but yo, I'm nice, cuz. I'm nice!"

Sigel also said he had an arsenal waiting should the rhyme fight commence.

"I got so many records. That's why I'm like, 'Say something — I dare you.' "

Beanie did note that he'll soften his stance if he and Jay can have a real talk and air everything out.

"I'll leave it all alone if we have a conversation," Sigel said. The last time the two saw each other face-to-face or even spoke was two years ago at the opening of the 40/40 Club in Las Vegas, according to Sigel.

In the interview, Sigel said that "I Go Off" was a song he had in the stash. In fact, the first verse of the song was originally released on a Young Chris song called "The Last Two," which also featured Freeway.

"I was gonna change it, [but my boys] was like, 'Leave it like it is. So what if the one verse is out there already? When you drop it, it's gonna be crazy,' " Beans recalled. "I was like, 'All right.' When 50 put the hook on it, that took it somewhere else."

Sigel also revealed that "I Go Off" will not be the last collaboration with him and the G-Unit chief, and that fans should expect a "second record, third, fourth, fifth, sixth."

During the 40-minute interview, Sigel also discussed his relationship with other former members of the Roc: He and Kanye do not speak; he hasn't talked to Dame Dash in a while but is willing to forgive and forget. "Whatever tainted our relationship, I could look past that and I could be cool with Dame."

And as far as Memphis Bleek is concerned, he keeps him in the same space as Jay-Z. "At the end of the day, Bleek [is] fake too. F--- outta here! I ain't trying to hear that. Bleek's got the same characteristics with his friends."

Lastly, Beans said he was not ruling out a State Property reunion if everyone could be a cohesive unit.

"If everybody gets to the page, things will go back to how they're supposed [to be], but correctly this time."

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Photo: MTV News

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Beanie Sigel's cover art for "I Go Off" featuring 50 Cent
Photo: Thisis50.com

50 Cent has officially called out Jay-Z. On Thursday night, the much hyped Beanie Sigel/ 50 Cent collaboration, "I Go Off," premiered on Philadelphia's Power 99 and New York's Hot 97, during Kay Slay's "Drama Hour."

50 Cent doesn't have a verse on the record, but for the most part keeps his mic time relegated to the hook. Meanwhile, Sigel — who slammed Jay-Z on Power 99 last week — doesn't call out any names.

"Big Pop of the prop on deck," Beans rap. "Who shot ya?/ Who want beef with Big Poppa?/ ... I earned every buck that was mine/ I know n---as upstate doing life in a box/ I know n---as upstate doin' life with they pops."

As the song ends, 50 talks, mentioning Jay by name and telling the Brooklyn rap legend that he's lost his street edge. "You changed, man. You let the money change you, Jay," 50 says. "You used to be from Marcy, n---a. Now you'se a 'Pass the Grey Poupon n---a.' You don't want the shooters? I'll take 'em. Feed the wolves, or the wolves will feed off you. ... It's your move, n---a."

50 Cent has literally changed his tune. When MTV News recently asked whether he'd like the Jiggaman to respond to him, Fif said, "I could care less whether he replies to me."

50 did note that a battle between him and Hov would thoroughly engage the game.

"Well, it would be great. It would be great for hip-hop," 50 said about a battle between him and Jay. "It would probably be interesting, but I don't think one of us will survive it."

Fif also admitted that despite touring together in the past, appearing in a Reebok commercial, being photographed together at various events over the years and even sharing Madison Square's stage a few years back during a monumental moment with T.I., Diddy and Kanye West, he and Jay-Z have no real friendship.

"I don't have a relationship with Jay-Z," 50 added. "We're just both apart of hip-hop culture. We're not friends. We don't call each other to talk at leisure."

Fif says he doesn't know if Hov will respond to this latest dis, but he would absolutely go at Jay if the shoe were on the other foot.

The two had a back-and-forth around 10 years ago, when Fif jokingly threatened Jay on the song "How to Rob." Jay responded with infamous line, "I'm about a dollar/ What the f--- is 50 Cent?" during a freestyle at the 1999 Summer Jam concert. The lyric later appeared on the track "Some Like It Hot" on Jay's Life and Times of Sean Carter LP.

Since then, the two had quashed the rivalry. A couple of months back, in the song "Flight 187," 50 did say Jay looked like sitcom character Steve Urkel. And responding to 50's statement that he would have blackened Kanye West's eye, if Kanye tried to interupt him onstage like he did Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, Jay told a reporter overseas that no one was afraid of 50 Cent.

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Beanie Sigel's cover art for "I Go Off," featuring 50 Cent
Photo: Thisis50.com

Ever since 50 Cent and Beanie Sigel's joint appearance on Philadelphia radio station Power 99 last week, everyone has been buzzing about the new Sigel/G-Unit affiliation. Fif says there is no recording contract for Sigel as of yet, but recent Internet buzz is hyping a song between the two called "I Go Off." According to 50's official Web site, the release date is Friday the 13th.

MTV News obtained a 30-second portion of the song, in which Fif raps on the hook, "I give you something to talk about/ Come 'round me frontin' I'll air you out/ I go off."

While the streets have speculated that the track would be a dis record aimed at Jay-Z, that doesn't necessarily seem to be the case — at least during the 30 seconds we've heard. Sigel's lyrics are ruthless, but don't seem to be referencing anyone in particular.

"I don't shoot sh-- off, I gun it down," Beanie raps. "Walk up on n---as and run 'em down/ Won't stop till your box goeth underground/ Put you in an urn, your bones will burn/ The rap gorilla, the wack rap ringtone killa/ I'm here to find a n---a eating who's realer is rare/ You could meet me the square if you dare to come near."

As far as the G-Unit affiliation, 50 Cent said that he and Sigel had met but talk about a signing was premature.

"I had a meeting with him today," 50 said Thursday. "First we gotta start with the music — where's the music? Then we have to get into what it would take to bring him over to G-Unit as a record company. You can't sign a deal in a conversation — it's a process. We'll see what happens."

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50 Cent
Photo: MTV News

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Not so fast. After Beanie Sigel and 50 Cent sat down for a joint interview with Philadelphia radio station Power 99 earlier this week, the streets thought Sigs signing with G-Unit was already a done deal. According to 50, they did talk about it, but still have a long way to go.

"I had a meeting with him today," 50 said Thursday. "First we gotta start with the music — where's the music? Then we have to get into what it would take to bring him over to G-Unit as a record company. You can't sign a deal in a conversation — it's a process. We'll see what happens."

Fif did note that he thinks Beanie is capable lyrically and looks forward to hearing what he has in his vaults.

"I would listen to what he has," Fif explained. "His skills haven't diminished. Nine times out of 10, he'll have something workable already on deck. When you're dealing with artists who have been established longer than you, it's a process. You have to figure out exactly where they are at before you commit to being a part of those projects, because they have habits and they've been conditioned for something different. You have to figure out exactly what that is before you dive in."

The Broad Street Bully isn't the only established MC Fif is thinking about extending an invitation to.

"I got artists who I'm looking at," he said. "A few of them aren't actively available for me to do different things with them. But I'm looking to sign new artists into the actual company."

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Dame Dash
Photo: MTV News

Dame Dash just laughs off stories about how he is supposedly in dire straits financially. He gets so much of a kick out of it that he doesn't rush to defend himself against the rumors. These days, Dame is back where he started, making music independently along with brokering art and producing television.

Dash has a complex in lower Manhattan, DD172, where he has two music studios and an art gallery, and also publishes a magazine and maintains CreativeControl.tv. Mos Def has dubbed the building the "24/7 karate school" because of all of the artists that come through and work together, including Mos, the Black Keys, Jay Electronica, Jim Jones, the RZA, Raekwon the Chef and producer Ski (Reasonable Doubt) to name a few.

Dash says everyone is welcome, just as long as no one brings negativity.

"I'm not teaching violence. No beef! None of that. I don't have beef with nobody."

Dash's name has popped up in headlines dealing with Beanie Sigel's recent lash-out against Jay-Z. During some recent interviews, Beans accused Dash of shady business dealings when the two were putting out the State Property PRO-Keds sneakers.

"Him and the licensee who licensed Rocawear went behind my back and obtained the license to the company that was licensing PRO-Keds and stopped making the State Property PRO-Keds," Beans said on Philadelphia radio station Power 99. "It was all geared towards Roc-A-Wear."

Dame said he did not want to address any specifics regarding Sigel, but did say he did not want any beef.

"I love Jay, I love Beans — what's the reason for beef?" Dash responded. "That's stupid. What's the reason for beef? People die, people don't feel good — I want people to laugh. What's up, y'all?"

Dame was shocked to hear Beanie on the radio.

"I was surprised. I was hurt for him, more or less, because I know that ain't him," Dash said. "But I don't want to speak on that. Whatever [Beanie's] going through where he's got to do that ... I could understand where he may look at things and feel that way. I can see that. He's probably got a lot of people around him and nobody to really tell him what's going on. It was a different environment for Roc-A-Fella back then. I feel bad for those cats. I love those cats. I hate that they struggle. I hate it. I hate to see anybody struggle. I don't embrace that. I'm not one of those dudes that get happy when I hear something bad about somebody I had a bond with. I really loved those dudes. You see Ski down there, I knew Ski for 20 years. That's my man. Sometimes people have different agendas for why they don't wanna be my friend. But at the end of the day, I'm always there for them."

On November 27, Dash releases the first album from his BlakRoc label — the next LP from the Black Keys, which will also be called BlakRoc. The album features Jim Jones, the RZA, Raekwon the Chef, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Billy Danze and Pharoahe Monch.

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Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z
Photo: Getty Images

Beanie Sigel says he's still not getting the reply from Jay-Z that he wants. On Tuesday, the Broad Street Bully appeared on Philadelphia radio station Power 99 as a surprise guest during 50 Cent's interview. The two hinted that Beanie and the G-Unit would be aligning sometime in the future. More overt, however, was the suggestion that Beans would be calling Jay out in public more often.

"He is a crumb. I'm gonna put my foot on his neck until he responds," Beans said as the segment came to a wrap. Beans added that he's ready for a lyrical tangle with his once-close clique member and that he would relish a retort from Jiggaman for the "What You Talkin About (Average Cat)" song.

"Please make a record," Beans yelled on-air. "A week's been out, dog. I'm not taking nothing from Jay as an artist. He ain't no walk in the park as an artist. All I'm saying is I don't gotta jog to keep up to him."

During the interview, Beanie also addressed Jay's recent comments that he did a lot for Sigel, who Jay noted had a record deal and a record label and drove two Bentleys at one point. Sigel said that the label and the cars were earned and that Jay didn't give him anything.

"I think he has good intentions, Jay, but he's using a traditional business corporate model," 50 said calmly. "I think the only place he really went wrong was when he said 'La Familia,' like 'we family.' "

50 added that a few years back, he wanted to offer Beanie at least $800,000 to come to the G-Unit upon his release from prison but that Jay had blocked the deal.

"I said it makes sense right now, I could sell this right now, I could get him out and go right away with the actual music," 50 recalled about the deal that never materialized.

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