At the height of hip-hop’s most unpredictable era, rivalries weren’t just lyrical; they felt personal, physical, and permanent. Looking back now, The Game is revisiting one of the darkest chapters of his career, opening up about how close things came to ending his life.
In a recent conversation with Datwon Thomas for VIBE Magazine, the Compton rapper reflected on his long-running feud with 50 Cent. What stands out most isn’t the bravado or shock value, but the weight of hindsight. Game doesn’t frame the beef as entertainment or rivalry; it’s remembered as a moment when survival felt uncertain.
From the outside, fans saw diss tracks, headlines, and public tension. Inside, according to Game, there was a real belief that neither side would walk away alive. That realization adds new context to one of rap’s most infamous clashes.
The Game on facing death during the 50 Cent feud
When asked whether the conflict could have escalated into real violence, Game didn’t hesitate.
“I was prepared to die in that beef,” he said. “I was almost 100 percent sure that me and 50 was going to die in that. I for sure thought it. I just knew it… We already seen it happen, and I was the biggest rapper on the West, and he was the biggest rapper on the East at that point, and we were both young, in our 20s, and I just thought that we wouldn’t make it out of that.”
At the time, both artists represented opposite coasts, massive fanbases, and unchecked momentum. In an era still haunted by the legacies of Biggie and Pac, the stakes felt dangerously familiar.
A beef that went beyond music
The tension began in 2005, around the period leading up to Game’s debut album, The Documentary. His fallout with G-Unit and 50 Cent followed disagreements tied to loyalty during other industry conflicts. What followed wasn’t just industrypolitics; it spilled into real-world consequences.
“The thing about it is, I didn’t give a f*ck, because I hated that n***a so much for trying to play me,” Game said. “And again, Biggie and Pac, this sh*t is real. It’s real. I know 50. He ain’t playing, he’s for real.”
Game described reckless behavior driven by anger, admitting he was fully prepared for the worst. “I was serious, man.”
While one high-profile incident at Hot 97 became widely known, Game says the danger extended far beyond a single moment.
“It just so happened that we made it out of that, you know, without being hit,” he explained. “But people got shot, and people died in that beef. You know what I’m saying?” Looking back, his words carry relief, but also gravity.
“Game and 50 made it out, but n***as died. Like, people died in that beef. It was that serious. And I thought it would be me and him. Me or him.”
Today, the feud is long resolved. But Game’s reflection serves as a reminder of how thin the line once was between hip-hop rivalry and irreversible loss.