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- A Timeline of Kanye West and 50 Cent's Soundscan Showdown Five Years LaterA Timeline of Kanye West and 50 Cent's Soundscan Showdown Five Years LaterIt's the showdown that shifted hip-hop into its current cycle—emo over gangsta. In one corner stood 50 Cent: the battle-tested Queens MC whose two previous LPs, <em>Get Rich or Die Tryin'</em> and <em>The Massacre</em>, both sold upwards of five million copies domestically. The latter had even moved over 1 million units in its first week of release. In the other corner stood Kanye West: a Native Tongue offspring whose first two LPs had moved a little under six million copies collectively. Essentially, Fif's first LP had outsold Kanye's two discs put together. It was David and Goliath all over again. It shouldn't have even been close. And it wasn't. Kanye delivered arguably the best album of his career while Fif dropped his worse. <em>Graduation</em> sold close to 1 million albums in the first week, while moved a little under 700, 000 units. But Universal Music Group was the real winner. With both artists under their umbrella—50 Cent with Interscope and Kanye with Def Jam—the label helped drive one of the highest-selling weeks in music history. With this clash of titans celebrating five years tomorrow (September 11), <em>XXL</em> looks back at the events that lead up to the historic showdown.—<em> Chery</em> (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/cchery">@cchery</a>)
- 50 Cent's <em>Curtis</em> Gets Pushed Back to September1150 Cent's <em>Curtis</em> Gets Pushed Back to September11On July 13, news surfaced that 50 Cent’s third LP, <em>Curtis</em>, would be pushed back from its September 4th date to September 11. The LP had originally been scheduled to hit stores June 26, but was delayed, presumably because of the lukewarm response to Fif’s first two singles for the album, “Straight to the Bank” and “Amusement Park.”
- Kanye West's <em>Graduation</em> Gets Pushed Back to September 11Kanye West's <em>Graduation</em> Gets Pushed Back to September 11Six days after 50 announced his new release date, reports spread that Kanye West’s <em>Graduation</em> had also been pushed back to September 11. Outlets immediately began speculating that either Kanye or 50 would have to change their release date.
- 50 Cent Said He's Not Moving His Album50 Cent Said He's Not Moving His AlbumA day after a Def Jam rep revealed the new Yeezy release date, 50 stopped by Hot 97 for a chat with the station’s flagship DJ, Funkmaster Flex. In the interview, Fif assured that he wouldn’t budge and that <em>Curtis</em> would drop on 9/11 as expected. "I mean, I hope that they see and understand what’s getting ready to happen,” Fif told Flex. “I’m not moving. I’m coming September 11th. If Kanye come that day, then he come that day. I mean that’d be great if he actually stays in that date. I think his people are smart. I think he’s smart too. I think they’ll move, but I'm not moving…Jay’s not gonna let that happen anyway. He’s not gonna leave him there."
- Kanye West Says He's Not Moving His AlbumKanye West Says He's Not Moving His AlbumOn July 23, undaunted by 50’s comments, Kanye told MTV he had no plans of moving his album date. West also took the humble approach to Fif’s cocky attitude—forecasting the contrast between the two stars for the battle to come. "I'd rather come out on a day like that, up against 50 — where people are excited about going to the stores and it's an event and people talk about it — and be No. 2 on that day rather than come out and be No. 1 on a day nobody cares about," West told MTV. "It's about things going down in history. It's not that much exciting stuff in hip-hop right now. I think people are going to make it more than what I'm making it myself. At the end of the day, I'm making music and I'm trying to sell." The showdown was not officially set.
- 50 Cent Bets His Career on the Soundscan Showdown50 Cent Bets His Career on the Soundscan ShowdownOn August 10, Fif upped the ante by waging his career on the outcome of he and Yeezy’s Soundscan Showdown. In an interview with SOHH.com, Fif promised to retired if West outsold him come September 11. Let's raise the stakes," the G-Unit leader told SOHH. "If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I'll no longer [perform] music. I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out any more solo albums." The battle reached a fever pitch from there.
- Kanye West Says He and 50 Cent Push Each OtherKanye West Says He and 50 Cent Push Each OtherOn August 21, Yeezy continued killing Fif with kindness. Rather than respond to Fif’s proclamations with bravado, the Louis Vuitton Don looked on the bright side. "I think we push each other," Kanye told MTV. "I feel I wouldn't have some of the tracks on my album if it wasn't for 50, and he wouldn't have some of the things he had if he wasn't up against me. In the last couple of years, people have been putting out albums aimlessly. Nas used to talk about Biggie and Jay and Wu-Tang going up against each other, but now it's like there hasn't been that competition in rap. In New York, [West's] 'Can't Tell Me Nothing' is the No. 2 song [on the radio], and [50's] 'I Get Money' is the No. 1 song. They're neck-and-neck, so it's exciting to people."
- 50 Cent Crashes Kanye West's Guest Set at the Screamfest Tour50 Cent Crashes Kanye West's Guest Set at the Screamfest TourOn August 23, 50 and Kanye both took to Madison Square Garden as guests of the ’07 Screamfest Tour’s co-headliners, Ciara and T.I., respectively. Fif emerged first. The Queens rapper popped up to perform his guest verse on Ciara’s “Can’t Leave Him Alone” before going into a rendition of his own “I Get Money.” He then brought out G-Unit’s Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and Mobb Deep. <br /><br />Tip would outdo his fellow ATLien. The King of the South brought out Jay-Z for a performance of “Watch What You Say,” who in turn brought out West to perform “Can’t Tell Me Nothin.” In an impromptu move, Fif stormed the stage and began running victory laps around ‘Ye as he rhymed standing next to Hov. Diddy then joined in on the fun—running to the front of the stage to stand next to the other hip-hop heavyweights.
- 0600b796-532_1435844a50 Cent Announces "I Get Money (Billion Dollar Remix)" With Jay-Z and DiddyFif announced that he was set to release a remix to his smash hit, “I Get Money” featuring Jay-Z and Diddy. The record would eventually drop on September 18. Fif has been on record saying that Hov made sure the remix didn’t drop before the 9/11 date to give him any advantage.
- 50 Cent and Kanye West Grace the Cover of Rolling Stone Magazine50 Cent and Kanye West Grace the Cover of <em>Rolling Stone</em> MagazineOn September 5, <em>Rolling Stone</em> Magazine revealed that 50 Cent and Kanye West would be gracing their next cover together. The cover pictured the two MCs in a boxing weigh in type of face off only inches from one another. Rollingstone.com also published a behind the scenes look at the cover shoot.
- <em>Curtis</em> and <em>Graduation</em> Hit Stores<em>Curtis</em> and <em>Graduation</em> Hit StoresOn September 11, <em>Graduation</em> and <em>Curtis</em> both hit stores. <em>Graduation</em> featured singles like “Can’t Tell Me Nothin,” the chart-topping “Stronger,” “The Good Life” and “Flashing Lights.” Curtis, meanwhile, was largely powered by “I Got Money” and “Ayo Technology” featuring Justin Timberlake.
- 50 Cent and Kanye West Appear on <em>106 & Park</em> Together50 Cent and Kanye West Appear on <em>106 & Park</em> TogetherOn the day of their albums’ release, ‘Ye and Fif appeared in a special edition of <em>106 & Park</em> together. Both also took the stage. Yeezy, despite nursing an painfully obvious horse voice, got the best of Fif when he brought out Jay-Z for his performance. Fif would later tell media outlets that he would have recruited Eminem for the task, had he known that the Jigga Man was going to surprise guest.
- Kanye West Beats 50 Cent in Soundscan ShowdownKanye West Beats 50 Cent in Soundscan ShowdownKanye West shocked the world when the numbers came in on September 16th. <em>Graduation</em> sold 957, 000 units in its first week, while <em>Curtis</em> moved 691, 000 units. After winning, ‘Ye famously proclaimed, “I’m the no.1 human being in music right now.”
- 50 Cent Doesn't Retire50 didn't make good on his promise to retire if Kanye outsold him. Initially, he said he didn't retire because he'd actually outsold Kanye on a worldwide scale. He's since release one album, 2009's <em>Before I Self Destruct</em> and he's set to drop <em>Street King Immortal</em> in November.
