“Back Down” by 50 Cent
“Back Down” finds 50 Cent setting off an attack aimed at Ja Rule, who apparently wants to contend with him, hence their beef. 50 cent refers to himself as ‘The Kid’, and refers to Ja Rule as ‘little ni**a’, suggesting their status differences in the rap game.
He warns Ja about messing with him by stating that if he insists on getting in his way, he will attack all the people around him, including his parents, wife and kids. 50 Cent’s major problem with Ja Rule is that he is trying to portray himself as a tough gangster instead of focusing on his rap career. The rapper’s response to this is that Ja is nothing compared to him and despite his tough outlook, he is nothing but a softie who will not last if faced with the hardships that come with gangster living.
50 Cent further raps about how Ja Rule isn’t worth his attention and can easily be intimidated by the weapons he and his crew wield. He implies that Ja unlike him, does not have any records in the street, cannot survive in prison thus should quit pretending and competing with people like him whose career has been built from real life experiences.
“Back Down” Facts
Writing: 50 Cent alongside the following:
- Dr. Dre
- Mike Elizondo
- Ron Feemster
Production: Dr. Dre
Album: 50 Cent’s iconic maiden album “Get Rich Or Die Tryin’”
Release Year: 2003
The 50 Cent vs. Murder Inc. and Ja Rule Feud
This is a beef that is still to a degree ongoing in 2020. But it dates all the way back to the 1990s.
As is the tendency with such long-standing feuds, in hindsight it is not exactly clear what sparked it. Some say it dates back to Ja Rule being robbed by an affiliate of 50 Cent. Others say it is the result of Fif being snubbed by Murder Inc. earlier in his career on top of being jealous of Ja Rule. But at the end of the day, it was most likely a combination of all of the above.
Throughout the years the parties involved have dropped a number of disses against each other. The participants not only included Ja and 50 but Murder Inc. artists such as Irv Gotti, Black Child and Cadillac Tah and on Fiddy’s side G-Unit affiliate Lloyd Banks. It is also said that Dr. Dre, Eminem and even the likes of DMX and Busta Rhymes got involved on 50’s behalf.
But that being said, this wasn’t one of those verbal-only beefs. For instance, circa 1999 Ja and 50 physically went at it when Ja approached him in NYC concerning the aforementioned chain snatching. Then in 2000 they traded blows again in the ATL. And later that same year, Black Child actually stabbed Fif in NYC after he and his boys once again got into it with Murder Inc.
Since then the attacks between these parties have been of the verbal variety. Moreover 50 and Ja did experience momentary peace. However, since then they’ve once again began trading verbal jabs, though under a more-lighthearted tone.
