Ebro Darden has argued that 50 Cent would “wash” Lil Wayne in a Verzuz match-up, causing an uproar on social media in the process.
The Hot 97 radio host shared his hot take on Twitter, writing: “What Jadakiss did to Dipset…Is what 50 will do to Wayne… @yourboyeddie wasn’t outside in the mid-2000s.”
His tweet came in response to a clip from a recent episode of Apple Music’s Rap Life Review, during which co-host Eddie Francis said that Ebro claimed 50 would “wash” Wayne in a song-for-song battle. However, that isn’t an opinion shared by Francis.
“I seen that and I was like, ‘What?!’ In what world?'” he said. “I’m not even here to say 50 could beat Lil Wayne, but to say that 50 would wash Lil Wayne? In no dimension, in no world, in no — just no! That would not happen.”
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Eddie Francis acknowledged that 50 Cent’s peak with 2003’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is “probably hotter than anyone I saw in Hip Hop history,” but argued his reign at the top was short. Wayne, on the other hand, “has been around since 1998 basically” and his features alone would make for a formidable setlist, he said.
Lowkey wasn’t quite in agreement with Ebro that 50 Cent would “wash” Lil Wayne, but claimed the Cash Money Millionaire would struggle to compete with the G-Unit general in the Verzuz ring if his setlist wasn’t airtight.
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“I’ma say something and I’ma stand on it: Wayne don’t have a Get Rich or Die Tryin,‘” Low said. “We’re talking about a Verzuz battle, right? We’re not talking about what we like. We’re not talking about what we grew up on. We’re not talking about what we listen to when we’re in the kitchen cooking or driving down whatever highway in L.A. that you drive down.
“We’re talking about in a crowd. We’re talking about 50 Cent. This man is a mainstream monster; Wayne is a cultural mainstream monster. But when we talk about these hits? When we talk about these bodies of work? When we talk about these smashes?”
He continued: “I ain’t saying 50’s gonna wash Wayne, but if Wayne is not sequenced right and is not positioned correctly, that could be a very long fucking night for Dwayne Carter.”
Get Rich or Die Tryin’ dropped on February 6, 2003 via Interscope, Dr. Dre’s Aftermath and Eminem’s Shady Records in conjunction with 50’s own G-Unit Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 872,000 copies in its first week, and has since been certified 9x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
To commemorate his blockbuster project’s 20th birthday last month, 50 Cent announced that for one week only, fans could purchase a “personally autographed” vinyl of Get Rich or Die Tryin’ via his website. The unique offer also tied in with Hip Hop’s ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations.
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“20 years ago today, I dropped the largest debuting hip hop album of all time,” 50 wrote on Instagram. “Here’s Your chance to Own a piece of History! Get your Autographed ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ Albums Today. Available for the next 7 Days.”
The Queens, New York native took a moment earlier this year to reflect back on when Get Rich or Die Tryin’ shot to No. 1 on the Billboard charts, which he called a defining moment in his decorated career.
“The first time I realized the numbers on Get Rich or Die Tryin’, that was it for me,” 50 said on Big Boy’s Neighborhood when asked which career moment he wishes he could relive. “We had a short first week, and it came back, it was like 830,000 something. And then we didn’t have the decrease that you would have, meaning they under-shipped it.”
He continued: “The 60 percent, 30 percent decrease that would be there for every album wasn’t there because the following week, it came in with a whole other 800,000. I was on a bus riding in the back, and I remembered [thinking], ‘This is never going to feel like this again.’”
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Last November, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ also became 50’s longest-charting project of his career. The album re-entered the Billboard 200 at No. 165, bringing its total number of weeks on the chart to 150.
Lil Wayne’s monstrous career is nothing to scoff at either. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) granted him 22 new platinum certifications on his 40th birthday last September. The new platinum plaques spanned Wayne’s entire career and included some of his biggest singles, with “6 Foot 7 Foot” and “Love Me” featuring Drake and Future going 7x platinum.
