{
  "id": 14322799,
  "title": "50 Cent Says J. Cole ‘Paid the Most’ By Opting Out of Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake Battle: ‘It’s a Part of Hip-Hop Culture to Compete’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/50-cent-says-j-cole-paid-the-most-by-opting-out-of-kendrick-lamar-vs",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-13T23:57:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/50-cent-j-cole-kendrick-lamar-drake-battle-andrew-schulz-1236359972/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Tuesday, Oct. 13, 50 Cent appeared on The Crew Has It podcast to discuss hip-hop culture and the 2024 Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake battle. The veteran rapper expressed his belief that J. Cole lost the most by opting out of the clash, stating, \"I think it’s a part of hip-hop culture to compete. The mistake is when you opt out of the competition. I think J. Cole paid the most.\" Although 50 praised Cole's non-traditional, authentic approach, he did acknowledge Drake's victory in the feud, though he questioned what the rapper truly lost. Drake recently returned with his May trifecta of albums, making him the first artist to hold the top three slots of the Billboard 200 simultaneously.",
  "summary": "50 knows a thing or two about beefing in hip-hop.",
  "key_points": [
    "50 Cent stated J. Cole paid the most by opting out of the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake battle.",
    "50 Cent believes hip-hop culture thrives on competition.",
    "Drake won the battle, holding top three spots on Billboard 200 with May albums."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Avoiding high-profile lyrical confrontations risks undermining an artist's standing within a culture that fundamentally defines greatness through the ability to compete against its most prominent rivals.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}