‘He Was Lookin’ Real Stupid’: That Time 50 Cent Punched Ja Rule in the Face

In 50 years of hip hop, there have been countless infamous feuds, and two decades ago, 50 Cent and Ja Rule started one of the longest-running battles in the genre’s history. 

In a classic 2003 Rolling Stone cover story, 50 Cent recounted to Touré the time he punched his soon-to-be rival in the face.

“One night in a club, 50 said “What’s up?” to a man he knew who happened to have stolen a chain from Ja Rule. Ja saw 50 talking to the man and felt disrespected. Thus began a feud,” the cover feature revealed.

Several diss records followed before things got physical one day in Atlanta when the pair found themselves staying in the same hotel; when 50 saw his rival, he pulled him aside for a chat.

“He was lookin’ real stupid,” 50 told Touré. “He had one of them little bats they give you at the baseball games for your kids. He had the li’l-tough look on his face… I let him go on for about a minute or two, and then I just punched him in his eye. I heard enough of that shit.”

Now that’s how you start a long-running feud. As 50 was unafraid to explain to Touré, anger was his most familiar emotion. “Somethin’ happen that another person might start crying about, I get mad,” he confessed. “Some people know how to express themselves emotionally and cry and do all that other shit. Me, emotionally, I’m, like, thirteen.”

That story and more is discussed in the latest episode of ‘Behind The Rolling Stone Cover’, a brand-new podcast takes readers behind the making of its iconic magazine covers.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ Editor-in-Chief Poppy Reid read the full 2003 50 Cent cover feature in full. It follows previous episodes on Amy Shark and The Amity Affliction.

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