Before exploring one of the most intense rap beefs to ever shake the hip-hop scene, it helps to understand why this story still captures so much attention. Fans of rap and gangster hip-hop culture are fascinated by rivalries that feel real, dangerous, and deeply personal. Few conflicts have left an impact as strong as the one between The Game and 50 Cent.
This beef wasn’t just two artists trading insults. It was a reflection of the pressure, pride, and loyalty issues that often come with rising in the rap industry. The Game and 50 Cent’s rivalry pulled in entire crews, sparked violence, and created songs that are now part of hip-hop history.
These early 2000s clashes shaped careers and defined the tone of West Coast and East Coast rap at the time. Revisiting the feud through The Game’s recent reflections gives fans a clearer look at how serious things became and how close the situation came to spiraling out of control.
The Game breaks down his explosive feud with 50 Cent
In a recent interview on Real 92.3 L.A.’s The Cruz Show, The Game opened up about the level of danger he felt during his feud with 50 Cent. He even compared their conflict to the legendary Tupac and Biggie rivalry, explaining that he thought it could end fatally.
“And I also thought, since Biggie and ‘Pac got murdered, that when it’s on, it’s on,” he said. “Because two of my favorites died beefing. So it’s like, when and 50 were going through it, I thought either he gon to kill me or I’m going to kill him. So I needed to kill him first, you know what I’m saying? And that was the mind state of me in my 20s, man.”
His words show just how seriously he took the tension and how deeply the culture of gangster rap influenced his thinking at the time.
The energy behind “300 Bars and Running”
The Game’s legendary diss track “300 Bars and Running” became a defining moment in his beef with G-Unit. He spoke about the raw emotion behind it, explaining how personal the situation felt.
“‘300 Bars,’ that was crazy, man, that was iconic,” he said. “It was fueled by anger, though. That was one take, straight through. I wanted to kill 50 at that time, man.”
He described himself as young, emotional, and still adjusting to life after leaving Compton. Believing hip-hop was “100 percent real” pushed him to respond with even more intensity.
How the rivalry started
The feud took shape in the early 2000s when The Game refused to take part in 50 Cent’s other beefs, especially the one with Nas. This created tension, eventually leading 50 Cent to question The Game’s loyalty and remove him from G-Unit.
From there, things escalated, diss tracks, public insults, and even a shooting outside Hot 97 that was reportedly connected to the conflict.
Today, the feud stands as one of hip-hop’s most memorable clashes, showing how fast loyalty, ego, and pressure can turn into something explosive in the rap world.