Paul Nair: 50 Cent: The New Linda Tripp?

The rap blogs are abuzz today about rap superstar 50 Cent, but it's not because of a hot new song or a premature leak of his new record Terminate On Sight . No, if the blogs are in a frenzy it must mean only one thing: beef. Beef (friction or hostility between two rappers or camps) fuels the hip-hop world, via DVDs, YouTube missives and almost instantaneous volleys issued via impromptu songs. What was once a carefully plotted war of words between two adversaries is now more akin to a slap fight, with artists utilizing Web 2.0 platforms such as social networking sites and video streaming to respond to any real (or perceived) threats or disrespectful diatribes mere hours after they've been issued. 50 is no stranger to the process, nor does he fare poorly when it comes to defending his hip-hop honor. A beef with multi-platinum artist Ja Rule in the early part of the decade effectively shut down the latter's career; since then the artist formerly known as Curtis Jackson has put many others in his ... (link)