What exactly is the beef between 50 Cent and Irv Gotti? Tumultuous history explored as rapper shares post on latter's passing

Rapper 50 Cent (real name Curtis James Jackson III) recently responded to news of rival Irv Gotti's death. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the record executive's passing on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. While the cause of death remained unconfirmed, Irv suffered a stroke last year.

50 Cent aka Fif took to his Instagram to address the Murder Inc. Records co-founder's passing with a picture of himself smoking next to a grave headstone that reads "RIP," with the caption:

"“I’m smoking on dat Gotti pack, nah God bless him LOL."

The post also included a picture of the late producer on the red carpet.

The two men have shared a contentious relationship since the late 1990s. Their long-running feud involved Gotti's Murder Inc. Records and Ja Rule, the biggest artist under the label (then). Over the years, their dispute has involved violent brawls, diss tracks, and social media posts.

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In 2000, Murder Inc. rapper stabbed 50 Cent in a violent altercation at a club in New York

Earlier in the day, 50 Cent shared a post following speculations that Irv Gotti suffered a stroke. Fif shared a photo of the record executive with an in-post text claiming that the latter's friends and family were saying their goodbyes as he was on "life support." The rapper captioned the post:

"Damn I wanted him to see my new shows yo!"

While the reports remained unconfirmed, Fif's post drew criticism for his insensitive post. Last August, after Irv Gotti suffered a stroke, the rapper shared an Instagram post featuring a photo of Gotti walking with a cane (screenshot taken from Wack 100's IG stories) with the caption:

"Damn homie, in high school you was the man homie, WTF happened to you? I want Irv to get well, so he can have to watch my next wave LOL."

The first line references 50 Cent's 2002 song Wanksta (it's a bar from the song).

Things between the two men soured in 1999 when a close associate of 50 Cent's was allegedly robbed of Ja Rule in Southside Jamaica, Queens. At the time, 50 Cent was an emerging artist, and Ja Rule was Murder Inc.’s flagship rapper.

In October of the same year, 50 Cent dropped the diss track Your Life's on the Line, targeting the label and Ja.

In 2000 the two rappers clashed at an Atlanta nightclub, sparking a brawl. Tensions escalated in March 2000 when members of G-Unit (50's hip-hop group) and Murder Inc. engaged in a violent exchange at the Hit Factory studio in New York.

The altercation ended with 50 Cent getting stabbed, with Black Child (another rapper with Murder Inc.) taking credit.

At the time, Irv Gotti and Ja Rule claimed that Fif filed a protective order against them as a result. The allegation remains unconfirmed, and according to a July 2024 report by XXL Magazine, it has been seemingly debunked by 50 Cent.

In May 2000, Fif was shot nine times outside his grandmother's house in Queens. Per XXL Mag, a federal investigation into the incident revealed Queens drug lord Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff and members of Murder Inc. plotted to kill the rapper in retaliation to Fif's 2000 song Ghetto Qu'ran.

Ghetto Qu'ran mentioned drug dealers in 50's neighborhood of South Jamaica, Queens, including McGriff (and his gang, the Supreme Team). According to a September 2005 article by the Guardian, upset at the song, McGriff allegedly called for an industry-wide blacklisting of 50 Cent.

Further, it was this song that served as a basis for Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, and the Murder Inc. music group (including Black Child in his 50 Cent diatribe You Da Wanksta (derived from the G-Unit rapper's 2002 track)) calling Fif a snitch.

It is to be noted that despite being close friends, neither McGriff nor anybody associated with Murder Inc. was formally charged in relation to the G-Unit rapper's shooting. In 2003, authorities indicted Irv Gotti and his brother, accusing them of laundering money for McGriff.

They were acquitted in 2005. McGriff, for his part, was sentenced to life in prison for murder conspiracy in an unrelated case in 2007.

Over the years, the pair maintained their hostility. In 2016, while Fif and Meek Mill were beefing, Gotti expressed his disdain for Jackson, prompting him to fire back in an Instagram post.

In 2017, 50 Cent threatened to slap Irv Gotti in response to the latter's interview with The Breakfast Club and plans to relaunch the Murda Inc. bin partnership with 300 Entertainment. In a separate post, Fif called Gotti's ex a "call girl."

The same year, they traded insults over their respective programs on BET (cable channel).

In 2021, Jackson called out Gotti for commenting on DMX's death on 07.5 WGCI's The Morning Show (he claimed DMX overdosed on "crack" and "fentanyl," adding that he caught COVID-19 and couldn't breathe, hence was hooked on a ventilator).

Per XXL, at the time, the official cause of death wasn't revealed. Vulture later reported that DMX's autopsy revealed he died from a cocaine-induced heart attack.

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Fif has not responded to the criticism.