VERZUZ: Ja Rule vs. Fat Joe at MSG Reignites Some Old Feuds
VERZUZ: Ja Rule vs. Fat Joe at MSG Dominates the Comeback Game
These past three days have been a triduum of entertainment and style. On the 12th we had the VMAs. On the 13th we had the Met Gala. Last night, we had VERZUZ. The pandemic-born rap battle came live to Madison Square Garden in a historic face off between industry legends Ja Rule and Fat Joe. The VERZUZ battles began as an Instagram live event, featuring iconic match ups such as Swizz Beatz vs Timbaland, Nelly vs Ludacris, and T-Pain vs. Lil Jon and we were there to witness it all.
Ja Rule and Fat Joe at VERZUZ
As with any good battle, there was drama on and off the stage. Prior to the show, many speculated that 50 Cent would make an appearance. He and Ja Rule have a very public and less than pleasant past. Upon hearing rumors that 50 cent would be appearing, producer Irv Gotti posted, "Y'all talking all that 50 Cent s***. All good. He got beat up stabbed up. Shot up. And Sued us. That's all I'm gonna say. Your hero ain't what you think he is. Period. And Facts. 50 Cent replied on his Twitter, "I put they whole label out of business. F*** with me if you want to. I'd stay out of my way if I wasn't me."
So, suffice it to say, 50 Cent did not make an appearance at last night's event.
Ja Rule and Fat Joe at VERZUZ
While the beef with 50 Cent was a little too real to make it to MSG, Ja Rule and Fat Joe came at each other with so much witty tenacity you'd think one of them had shot the other nine times. (Too soon?) Just before the battle officially began, Fat Joe warned Ja Rule, "This s*** I'm about to drop? You were not outside when this s*** came out." To which Ja Rule threw back the, albeit, low hanging fruit, "You old". Sometimes the best smack talk is the easiest to come by.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 14: Ja Rule performs during VERZUZ: Fat Joe Vs Ja Rule at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on September 14, 2021 in New York City.
Fat Joe had some moments of victory as well. When Ja Rule bragged "I was high school, junior high school motherf**** memories." Fat Joe was ready with a devastating "That's my point. Where have you been the last fourteen years?" (A lot of these comebacks seem to be time and age related. I'm going to keep that in mind next time I want to insult someone on the fly.)
MSG VERZUZ: Fat Joe v. Ja Rule
The stage animosity made for an incredible show. It continued throughout, amplifying at every turn. After Fat Joe brought Remy Ma onstage to perform some of their iconic collaborative verses, Ja Rule came back with "The fact that women come out to save you, I'm gonna keep that between me and you." After Remy's exit, Ja Rule teased that she would be back a third time then stage whispered to the crowd, "But let me tell you something. I do this sh** by my motherf**** self." The songs with Fat Joe and Remy Ma? Incredible. The disses about the songs with Fat Joe and Remy Ma? Also great. A very even match all around.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 14: Fat Joe performs during VERZUZ: Fat Joe Vs Ja Rule at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on September 14, 2021 in New York City.
After a night filled with crowd revving performances, special guests such as Ashanti, Dre, Nelly, and more, and some of the highest quality clapbacks I've heard, the night ended on a high of unity as Ja Rule and Fat Joe performed New York together. They publicly expressed it was all in good fun.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 14: (L-R) Jermaine Dupri, Papoose, Ma, Nelly, Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Ashanti and Lil' Mo attend VERZUZ: Fat Joe Vs Ja Rule at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on September 14, 2021 in New York City.
The winner will be revealed today, but Twitter seems to be leaning on the side of Ja Rule as the winner. While Ja is favored to win, both had an awesome night of performance that left the entire crowd wanting more. Special thanks to CL Media and if you want to watch the Verzuz you can download the Triller App or rewatch it on FITE.
