Superstar rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent will go head-to-head on September 11, the day both artists' sophomore albums land in stores.
While fans of both rappers have relished in the friendly rivalry that seems to be brewing between the pair over the release date, 50 Cent has actually accepted a challenge to debate Kanye West on live TV.
50 Cent appeared on BET's 106 & Park countdown show on Friday to promote his upcoming album Curtis.
During the show, he accepted an offer from hosts Terrance J. and Rocsi to engage Kanye West in a presidential ****"debate" to decide who has the best album, weeks before their albums hit stores.
The rivalry started when West's release date for his Def Jam/Universal release Graduation was shifted from September 18 to September 11.
Conversely, 50 Cent's album Interscope/Universal album Curtis was moved from September 4 to September 11.
"I accept the challenge," 50 Cent told millions of viewers on Friday (August 3). "Kanye, he's not going to want to show up. Just don't be asking me if I am a conscious rapper. I know exactly what I am saying - so I am conscious."
If Kanye were to accept the challenge posed by the hosts, the two colorful, outspoken rappers would appear live on the show to debate who has the better produced album.
50 Cent's sophomore album The Massacre sold over 1 million copies during its first week in stores, while West's second album Late Registration moved 860,000 units its first week on the shelves.
While 50 Cent claimed that Def Jam President Jay-Z would cave in and switch Kanye's release date, Jay-Z himself shot the notion down and welcomed the competition.
Popular gambling website Bodog.com recently began taking bets on which artist will sell more during the first week, if they hit stores on September 11 as planned.
Fans have wagered that 50 Cent's Curtis will outsell West's Graduation (180 to 140), while Curtis is also the favorite to top Billboard's Top 200 album chart.
(CBS) It looks like Kanye West will not accept the challenge to debate fellow rapper 50 Cent on the merits of their albums, both of which are set to be released on Sept. 11.
"I don't have beef with anyone," West said on MTV's TRL today, in response to a question by a reporter from the Associated Press. "What am I going to debate about? I'm going to go in the studio and make music. When I heard the thing about the debate, I thought that was the stupidest thing."
Appearing on BET's "106 & Park," 50 Cent told hosts Terrance J. and Rocsi he would take on West in a presidential-****debate live on the show in order to determine who has the best album. The debate would occur weeks before the release date, according to the Web site Hip Hop Elements.
"I accept the challenge," 50 Cent said. "Kanye, he's not going to want to show up. Just don't be asking me if I am a conscious rapper. I know exactly what I am saying - so I am conscious."
The competition began when the release date for West's Def Jam/Universal album "Graduation" was moved up from Sept. 18. 50 Cent's album Interscope/Universal album "Curtis" was pushed back from Sept. 4, according to Hip Hop Elements.
50 Cent claimed that Def Jam president Jay-Z would back down and change West's release date, but Jay-Z told Billboard that he welcomed the competition.
"It's great for retail, the record business, the buying public [and] the Internet so they can have their debates on who's going to win," he said. "I have to bet on the home team. It's going to be a good fight, too."
West echoed the sentiments on MTV.
"With 50's album dropping and my album dropping on the same day, everybody wins because you get a lot of good music at the same time,
" he said on TRL.
Source: http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/07/music/main3142507.shtml
Kanye accepts challenge from 50.
http://www.realtalkny.net/2007/08/topic/artists/kanye/video-kanye-west-performs-accepts-50-cents-challenge/
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