In the years leading up to his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin,' 50 Cent dropped several diss tracks as an independent artist, thus helping him make a name for himself in the New York City rap scene. It's a trend that continued well into his career as a Shady Records/Aftermath signee. In a recently released documentary called How 50 Cent Got Rich And Nearly Died Tryin,' Sha Money XL, one of 50 Cent's original record producers, revealed that the founder of G-Unit Records originally dissed hip-hop icons Jay-Z and Nas on a classic track called "Back Down," before the commentary was removed.
“That record is [50 Cent's] traditional patterns of ‘How to Rob,’ your ‘Life’s on the Line,’ ‘Ghetto Quran,'” Sha Money XL stated. “Certain names is being mentioned, certain nerves being pinched...That’s his marketing tool – Fif has a marketing tool within music. He knows how to make records that’s gonna get you to talk, listen and f*ck with him."
Elsewhere in the documentary, Sha XL Money says that Dr. Dre, the executive producer of 50 Cent's debut album, nixed the idea because he was "going to far."
Scroll up and skip ahead to the 108:00 mark to hear Sha Money XL's revelation.
Source: Hip Hop DX
