50 Cent: Kendrick Lamar's 'Control' Verse Was 'Necessary for Hip-Hop'

50 Cent knows or thing or two when it comes to competition. So how does the hip-hop titan feel about Kendrick Lamar’s explosive verse on Big Sean’s “Control”? He weighed in with his thoughts during an interview with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97.

“It’s a breath of fresh air for me because he’s saying there’s no more ‘Kumbaya, my Lord,'” said the G-Unit mogul. “Everybody’s not sitting by the campfire being friends.”

He applauded the Compton MC for shaking things up. “His competitive energy, that’s necessary for hip-hop,” continued 50. “That’s what it is. Our culture’s competitive. We can smile, we can take pictures, but you know that the next presentation that person is gearing up for is supposed to shake everything. If yours ain’t right, bye bye.”

As a New York native, he didn’t take offense to the “king of New York” line. “That was the line necessary to make everybody stop,” said Fif. “It all was a response to king of New York, not to him actually saying their names.”

He didn’t feel the need to record a response, but was reminded of his own call-out record “How to Rob.”

While everyone from Meek Mill to B.o.B have recorded responses, 50 thinks Big Sean and Jay Electronica are the ones who should really feel threatened.

“I would’ve changed it,” he said. “It’s Big Sean’s record and nobody knows. Everybody’s talking about Kendrick. The people that should really be upset should be Big Sean and Jay Electronica ’cause he’s saying what his intentions are and they done forgot your verses was on the joint.”

Listen to 50 sound off in the full interview below.