50 Cent, Fabolous, Jim Jones, Maino and Dave East stir up old school fears, but is it really beef?

For years, the narrative around New York Hip-Hop has leaned toward dysfunction. Beef is in the water. There have always been fractured alliances, tension, and fierce competition in a city that has always felt like the best of the best.

However, late last year when Fabolous flamed 50 Cent in a freestyle that included his podcasting pals, it felt like the beginning of World War III for the city. However, after a pregnant pause by 50 and an ominous statement before we collectively rang in 2026…it has been crickets. Kinda.

“Fab vs. Banks [side-eye emoji],” 50 Cent wrote on Twitter/X, in response to an ongoing debate on Lloyd Banks vs Fab. “They both never put in no work themselves. They both are not likely to sell at this point in their career. IT’S A TIE, LADIES & GENTLEMEN [shrug emoji] they are the same.”

It seems that the version of events in our collective minds – as rap fans – starts to fall apart once you hear directly from the artists themselves.

AllHipHop’s correspondent SlopsShotYa recently caught up with Fabolous, Maino, Jim Jones, and Dave East at their compound in The Bronx, where the conversation quickly shifted from internet narratives to real-life reality.

At the center of much of the recent talks sits 50 Cent, whose online trolling often gets mistaken for actual conflict. According to those closest to the situation, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

READ ALSO: 50 Cent Disses Former G-Unit Member Lloyd Banks With Twitter Insults

Fabolous says the idea that New York Hip-Hop is fractured is largely overstated.

“I think in a sense New York—if you look at the podcasts—this (“Let’s Rap About It” podcast) is an example of New York unified,” Fab explained. “Joe and Jada having their pod, that’s New York unified. I don’t think it’s as broken up as media makes it.”

Addressing the online back-and-forth involving 50 Cent, Fab made it clear that it never spilled into real-world animosity.

“50 trolls online. We did a freestyle kind of trolling back, and that’s where it got left. Other than that, I don’t see real division.”

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Maino echoed that sentiment. He also said they can run it back if needed.

“We left it there—unless they want to start it back up.”

For Jim Jones, the disconnect comes from outsiders misunderstanding how New York operates culturally.

“If you’re from here, you understand,” he said. “But there’s a lot of unity and camaraderie in New York between artists.”

Dave East, the youngest of the crew, pointed to the root of the confusion.

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“People gotta stop confusing the internet with real life,” East added. “There’s a lot of love in New York. A lot of good energy. I individually don’t got a problem with nobody.”

New York Hip-Hop today isn’t driven by forced unity or even viral controversy. The vets – those who’ve been through cycles of competition, collaboration, and growth—understand. They get the difference between performance and reality. That was not the case back in the day when somebody could get shot outside if a radio station.

When 50 Cent speaks – even as a troll – the city reacts. When Fabolous gets on the mic, it carries real weight. When Jim Jones shows us his build out in the BX, it resonates. When Maino and Dave East ground the conversation.

New York Hip-Hop isn’t falling apart.

It’s doing what it has always done.

Now, we just need a 50 Cent to reply to Fab. [Smiley-face emoji.]