Ja Rule hasn’t responded too many times to 50 Cent‘s antics, but when the king of trolling mocked the death of Irv Gotti, Ja Rule was ready to go “nuclear” on him.
During a recent visit to The Breakfast Club, Rule opened up about the aftermath of Gotti’s tragic passing from a hemorrhagic stroke, just two months ago. Shortly after the news broke, his longtime nemesis, 50, wasted no time adding fuel to the fire with a insensitive Instagram post. In a carousel of images, the TV mogul shared a photo of himself smoking next to a tombstone marked “R.I.P.,” with a caption reading, “I’m smoking on dat Gotti pack, nah God bless him [white dove emoji] LOL.”
Addressing 50’s post, Ja expressed how “goofy” he thinks Fif’s antics are and admitted that trolling Gotti was almost his last straw. “I see some of the things that [50 Cent] gets involved in, feuds. ‘Grow up, my ni**a.’ That’s what I be thinking to myself,” he expressed. “It’s goofy sh*t,” he continued. “Cause I was hot. I was ready to go nuclear and sh*t.”
instagram/50cent
The “What’s Luv?” rapper credited his constraint to his longtime friend Preme who told him, “‘You know, Rule? Here’s what you gotta understand about who we are and what we are: We are the masters of self-defense.’” In response, Rule recalled him responding, “I love that, because I don’t want to start or make trouble with people, but if we gotta get into it … I’ll f**kin’ end it.”
He then went on to clarify that he doesn’t go looking for conflict. “That’s who we are as men. Here to protect our family, protect our home, defend our honor, our names, our reputation,” he said. “I’m not here to be a bully and bother people. That’s not what I’m here to do but I am a master of self-defense.”
Having been signed to Gotti’s Murder Inc. label in the late ’90s, the 49-year-old reflected on the complexity of his relationship with 50. Noting that while he rarely addresses their beef in public, Ja admitted that he does occasionally feel compelled to respond to the “In Da Club” icon.
“He keeps it going,” Ja continued. “I’ll go to the circus once in a while. I really like to stay clear of that sh*t … I like to have fun sometimes. I poke jabs at him, too, but that’s all that really is. To me, it’s silly. We’re both successful Black men and I think the focus should be on continuing to make sure that we pay it forward.”
Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo Jr., suffered a stroke last year and at that time 50 ridiculed him with a reference to his 2002 hit “Wanksta” — a track widely believed to be aimed at Ja Rule. In an Instagram post, he captioned an image of Gotti walking with a cane, writing: “Damn homie, in high school you was the man homie, WTF happened to you?” He continued taunting him with, “I want Irv to get well, [raised eyebrow emoji] so he can have to watch my next wave [wave emoji] LOL.”
At the time, a rep for Gotti attributed his health issues to his ongoing battle with diabetes. “Irv has been struggling with diabetes for years, which caused him to have a minor stroke over six months ago,” they said to TMZ. “He has since changed his diet to eating more healthy. He’s been successful in making a full recovery.” However, the music exec succumbed to his conditions.
Gotti is survived by his children Angie, Sonny, and Jonathan Wilson; his brother and Murder Inc. co-founder Chris Gotti; his mother, Nee Nee Lorenzo; and sisters Tina and Angie. Following the news of his passing, Gotti’s children released a heartfelt statement on his Instagram, reflecting on his lasting legacy:
“Our dad was an incredible man, a true visionary who transformed the hip-hop industry and changed the game for artists and fans alike. His passion for music and dedication to his craft inspired many, and his contributions will continue to influence future generations. As we navigate this difficult time, we kindly ask for privacy while we grieve the loss of our dad, son, brother, uncle, and friend,” the family shared. “We take comfort in knowing that his spirit will live on through his music and the love he shared with all of us.”
Take a listen to Ja Rule speak on 50 Cent trolling Irv Gotti and his full interview with The Breakfast Club above.
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