Gourt Home::Gourt :: Piggy Bank (song)
| "Piggy Bank " | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by 50 Cent | ||
| From the album The Massacre | ||
| Released | 2005 | |
| Format | — | |
| Genre | Rap | |
| Length | 3:16 | |
| Label | G-Unit/Shady/ Aftermath/Interscope | |
| Writers | 50 Cent K.Cain) | |
| Producers | Needlz | |
| Director | — | |
| Certification | — | |
| Chart positions | #88 | |
"Piggy Bank" is a song from 50 Cent's second album, The Massacre. It was not released as a single, but charted at eighty-eight because of controversy over its attack on long-time rival Ja Rule, as well as Jadakiss and Fat Joe, who had worked with Ja Rule on his song "New York". The song also takes lyrical swipes at rappers Shyne, Lil' Kim and Nas.
The Song's History
In 2004, Ja Rule released a song for his R.U.L.E. album titled "New York." The song was well received by hip hop fans for its heavy bass driven beat and edgy lyrics. The track featured appearances by fellow New York rappers Fat Joe and Jadakiss.
The song was a welcome reentry for Ja Rule into the public's eye after his public fued with fellow Queens native, 50 Cent, led to a drop in his popularity. Ja Rule subliminally mentioned his old foe in the first few lines of his verse:
- You're print distrified, you're no longer desired
- So take off them silly chains, put back on your wire
- 'I'm on fire'...
The final line being a reference to a 50 Cent-assisted Lloyd Banks song titled "On Fire." The lines also included a subtle reference to the belief 50 Cent had at one point been a police informant.
50 Cent, perhaps feeling slighted by the song, and the other two rappers' willingness to participate in it, countered with 'Piggy Bank.'
50 Cent states that he mostly attacked Jadakiss and Fat Joe for their partnering with Ja Rule, who was, in essence, recording a 50 Cent diss song. According to 50 Cent, the two had allegedly been making subliminal disses to him in the past.
Shyne
Shyne first came under 50’s fire when it was rumored that he was in talks to sign with Ja Rule’s record label, Murder Inc. while in jail. As a result, 50 mentioned Shyne in a mixtape freestyle where he said:- I heard Irv trying to sign Shyne so I don't have no love for him
- tell him 50 said he's soft, he won't shoot up the club again.
This freestyle eventually leaked to Shyne, who was in prison for firing a handgun in a New York club. Shyne then responded, recorded over telephone, with his own freestyle, where he threatened to handle their rivalry violently. It was for this freestyle, that he was added to the Piggy Bank attack.
Nas
In 2003, there circulated rumors throughout the rap industry that Nas was in talks with Irv Gotti to sign to Murder Inc. Although the rumors proved false, they did not help strengthen ties between Nas and 50 Cent. Initially, the two had been relatively close associates. However, time led to the two becoming estranged. 50 Cent cites Nas’ erratic behavior as a reason for his distrust. 50 notes that while Nas has in the past stood for peace, he was also the same person on June 27, 2002 that although unprovoked, verbally attacked several rappers including Cam’Ron, Nelly, Nore and New York Hot97 radio disc jockey Angie Martinez. To further point out his waffling personality, Nas later apologized to those he had attacked, reverting back to his previous peaceful beliefs.Whether this was an actual reason for 50’s response, is unknown. However, it is clear that Nas has made disparaging comments about 50 Cent, long before Piggy Bank was released. At a free concert in Central Park, New York, Nas made a statement regarding the quality of 50 Cent's music. "This is that real New York shit, not that fake shit! Not that 50 Cent!" This is 50 Cent’s main reason for adding Nas to the song.
References
"Piggy Bank" contains several references to the rap community:
- In one line 50 Cent tells Jadakiss "I'll do your little ass like Jay did Mobb Deep", a reference to Jay-Z's famously brutal insult to the duet on his song "Takeover".
- The line "Banks shit sells, Buck shit sells, Game shit sells, I'm rich as hell" refers to how 50 Cent profits from the work of fellow G-Unit artists Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and former member The Game.
- The first verse contains the following line:
That fat nigga thought "Lean Back" was "In Da Club"''
My shit sold 11 mill, his shit was a dud'' This line refers to Fat Joe's collaboration with Terror Squad entitled "Lean Back", which 50 Cent accuses his rival of thinking to be as big a success as his own smash hit, "In Da Club". It also indirectly refers to "Get Rich or Die Tryin'", which sold over 11 million copies worldwide, and Fat Joe's comparatively mediocre sales.
The Video
The music video for the song was computer animated. It features parodies of Fat Joe looking like King Hippo of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Jadakiss made to look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Nas as a henpecked husband literally chasing after his wife, Kelis. The video was produced after The Game was expelled from G-Unit. Although, Game is mentioned in a positive way in the song since it was recorded before the rift between them, a parody of Game as Mr. Potato Head is shown.
Piggy Bank's Aftermath
Jadakiss and Fat Joe responded to ‘Piggy Bank’ with their own freestyles: Jadakiss’ “Checkmate” and Fat Joe’s “My Fo’ Fo’.” While Fat Joe stated that this would be his one and only response to 50 Cent, Jadakiss and his D-Block crew threatened to make the beef a cornerstone of their careers.
Seeing as how Jadakiss, who is known as one of New York’s premiere emcees, was more of a threat, 50 responded with the Tony Yayo-assisted ‘I Run N.Y.’ At the song’s conclusion, 50 pokes fun at the fact that Jadakiss still does not own the rights to his own publishing. 50 Cent went as far as to threaten to buy Jadakiss’ publishing from Puff Daddy (who’s Bad Boy label still owned rights to Jadakiss’, and his group the Lox's, music).
Soon afterwards, Jadakiss and the Lox appeared on New York’s Hot97 radio station and stated that they would retire from making music due to the fact that most of the money they had earned was going to Bad Boy. According to Puff Daddy, who responded the following day on the same station, the Lox were only redirecting their anger from the 50 Cent diss.
Although he had stated he would end the rivalry after his first song, Fat Joe attacked G-Unit once more. At 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Fat Joe made a disparaging comment about G-Unit during a performance. 50 Cent and G-Unit retaliated on set by shouting obscenities toward Fat Joe and Terror Squad. Nas was the last to make a response for Piggy Bank. The much anticipated response to 50 Cent's verbal jab came in July of 2005. The song, "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)", taunts 50 and his G-Unit crew by claiming that their earlier "diss" was directed not towards Nas but towards his family because 50 was afraid to get into a war of words with Nas. He threatens to end 50's career and claims to be rap's real King of New York. The song was clearly the first feint in the battle and most fans eagerly anticipate that another diss will come on Nas' next album. 50 Cent has yet to respond to Nas on record.
Also a response can be heard in Kelis' song Bossy where she states That's right I brought all the boys to the yard/and that's right I'm the one tattooed on his arm in response to 50's lyric Kelis said her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard/Then Nas went and tattooed the bitch on his arm.
"Piggy Bank (song)"