Curtis Jackson, better known as world-renowned rapper 50 Cent, has never been one to avoid confrontation. So perhaps his altercation with influential record executive Steve Stoute shouldn't surprise many, despite 50 Cent's rapid rise as a businessman.
See photos of 50 Cent and Steve Stoute shouting here
While Jackson has made millions on Vitamin Water, and has become a growing factor in the sport of boxing as a promoter, Stoute made comments about his waning influence in the music realm, where he made his mark.
"Are you going to have 50 Cent up here soon? You got to. He got out of his record deal," Stoute said on Hot 97's The Angie Martinez Show. "He's not [in my top five influential rapper list]. He hasn't had a hit in a really long time. He has not made anything musically that's changed anything in a very long time. I feel like he's always gearing up for something that never happens. Hopefully, now that he's independent, and there's no record company to blame, his aggressive content, [laughs], can get onto the air. I don't know. I think he's trying to get back."
Stoute's been making the media rounds to promote The Tanning of America, a documentary exploring the influence of hip-hop in mainstream culture, an impact so great that it paved Barack Obama's road to the White House. This documentary piggybacks off his 2011 best-selling book of the same name, and features commentary from luminaries such as Nas, Jay Z, and Russell Simmons.
The pair have a long history, dating back to when Jackson was infamously shot nine times. He had an agreement to sign with Sony records, where Stoute was heading up the Urban department, but the shooting scared him off and they dropped 50.
Stoute is also close personally and professionally with Nas, a fellow Queens rapper with whom 50 has beefed in the past. Stoute told Complex Magazine several years ago, "I had a vision for him. I felt like it was my job to make him the biggest guy in the world.
"I wanted the world to hear his music. I didn't want him to become a great lyricist but end up like Kool G Rap, a lyricist the world doesn't get to hear. I felt like I could take the responsibility and make the Nas movement bigger and not keep it confined to the Tri-State area, so to speak. He allowed me to do that. When we were together, we made a lot of noise and I made him an international star."
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