In a surprising show of solidarity, 50 Cent has come to the defense of Fat Joe following disturbing allegations leveled against the Bronx rapper earlier this week.
Fat Joe was named in a lawsuit filed by former hypeman Terrance Dixon, who accused him of sexual misconduct involving minors, as well as previously plotting a hit on 50 Cent nearly two decades ago. According to Dixon, the hit was never carried out due to 50’s heavy security detail, which he likened to “Navy SEAL-type protection.”
50 addressed the claims directly on Instagram, dismissing them as false. “The claims about FJ are not credible,” he wrote. “I’m sorry Joe has to endure the public scrutiny and damage to his reputation. THIS A STICK UP! I wrote this hook—I should’ve kept this one.” Fat Joe responded with a “100” emoji in the comments, signaling appreciation for the public support.
The backing is noteworthy given the long-standing tension between the two rappers, which peaked in the early 2000s amid 50’s feud with Ja Rule and the Murder Inc. camp. At the time, Fat Joe stood by Ja Rule, fueling a war of words and diss tracks. Their beef eventually boiled over into the 2005 MTV VMAs, where 50 interrupted the show after Joe’s onstage comments. However, the two squashed their feud years later, and this latest interaction further signals a mature relationship.
As for the current case, Joe’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, called the lawsuit a “blatant act of retaliation” and part of an alleged extortion attempt. He reiterated that law enforcement is aware of Dixon’s tactics and dismissed the allegations as “lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure.”