(Buck deserves credit for a remarkable achievement: his solo set included appearances by Ma$e and Busta Rhymes but, somehow, no rapping whatsoever.) 50 Cent also delighted local fans by bringing out a couple of veteran New York groups newly aligned with G-Unit: the grim (but beloved) Queens duo Mobb Deep and the rowdy (but cheerful) Brooklyn duo M.O.P. And so a chunk of the set was given over to the core members of G-Unit, who are now hip-hop stars in their own right: the witty charmer Lloyd Banks, the loudmouthed rookie Tony Yayo and the Southern roughneck Young Buck. In the years since he released "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope), in early 2003, 50 Cent has assembled what must be the most efficient hit-making machine in the history of hip-hop. On Monday night, 50 Cent responded not like a cold-blooded killer but like a cold-blooded CEO: anyone who sided with his former protégé, he said, should "should buy Game's record and make me rich." One enemy is the Game, 50 Cent's former protégé, who has been huffing and puffing about 50's alleged treachery. (He performed last on Monday night, and his performance was recorded for an upcoming Showtime special.) On the other hand, 50 Cent's following isnÂt a cult, itÂs a market, and a big one: he just has to keep making the product people want - addictive club tracks - and they will keep buying.Īlthough 50 Cent has been embroiled in controversy all year long, he mainly played down his feuds. That means Eminem's cult is big enough and rabid enough to see him through a rather uninspired album like last year's "Encore" (Aftermath/Universal), which didnÂt yield many huge hits but sold like crazy, regardless. But listeners love 50 Cent because they love his songs. Listeners love Eminem's songs because they love him. They are two of the best-selling artists in hip-hop, but not for the same reason. Back then, it was easy to see what the two had in common: tabloid lives, mischievous lyrics, disdain for the pop mainstream.Īnd yet on Monday night, when they arrived at Madison Square Garden with the Anger Management 3 tour, for the first of two sold-out performances there, you might have wondered how two such dissimilar figures ever formed a partnership in the first place. And 50 Cent was an underground star in need of some overground visibility. Eminem was a chart-topping rapper looking for a streetwise new protégé. About three years ago, Eminem and 50 Cent began their public partnership.