How 50 Cent And Tia Kemp's Unlikely Alliance Turned Into Bitter Beef

Rick Ross wasn't in the photo, but he was certainly the intended audience. In 2009, 50 Cent posed alongside Tia Kemp, the mother of Ross' son, for a provocative Smooth magazine shoot while their mutual enemy was taking hits from every direction. The two were enjoying their unlikely alliance, and embarrassing Ross was practically a shared pastime. However, when 50 dusted off one of those old photographs during their most recent argument, the joke took an unexpected turn. Kemp was no longer in on it. She was the target.

Their history makes the fallout all the more interesting. Fifty once gave Kemp a platform to air her grievances with Ross, helped promote her projects, and even floated the idea of giving her a television show. Now, he's suing her for at least $6 million over statements involving his teenage son. It's a remarkable reversal for two people who spent years taking pleasure in the same man's misfortunes. Before they were trading insults and legal threats, though, Kemp had her own problems with Ross, and 50 saw an opportunity too good to pass up.

The feud between 50 Cent and Rick Ross had already become personal before Tia Kemp entered the picture. In January 2009, Ross released "Mafia Music," taking aim at 50's personal life by referencing his former girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins, and a fire at a house owned by the G-Unit rapper. Fifty fired back by mocking Ross' past as a corrections officer, but exchanging diss records wasn't nearly as entertaining as finding someone who could challenge his rival's image from firsthand experience.

Kemp had her own reasons for being upset with Ross. The former couple, who met in 2003 and shared a young son, William Roberts III, had been fighting over child support for more than a year. Kemp told XXL that Ross had a vehicle he'd purchased for her repossessed during a Jan. 21 deposition, leaving her without transportation. Ross' attorney disputed Kemp's broader allegations about his financial support, maintaining that the rapper regularly paid more than Florida's child-support guidelines required.

Fif and Kemp's introduction reportedly came through Kemp's attorney, and on Feb. 2, 50 released an eight-minute interview with her on ThisIs50. Kemp questioned the expensive lifestyle Ross portrayed in his music, claiming he rented his jewelry and leased his vehicles. She also discussed his previous employment as a corrections officer, an issue that had already complicated Ross' street persona.

"It's sort of embarrassing, as you listen to his raps, you would definitely believe him," Kemp said in the video. Their first interview attracted immediate attention, and 50 wasn't finished finding ways to put his new ally in front of the cameras.

Fifty wasn't content with giving Kemp a microphone and sending her home. During her visit to New York, he took her shopping for fur coats and Gucci shoes. The rapper continued taking shots at Ross through his music, including a diss track titled "Tia Told Me."

Amid that sonic chaos, Kemp had released Tia's Diary: Deeper Than Rap by May, a memoir detailing her life and troubled relationship with Ross. The title was an obvious jab at his third studio album, Deeper Than Rap, which had arrived just weeks earlier. Kemp had wanted to write a book before meeting 50, but credited him with helping make it happen. "He really helped me a lot. Rick Ross would've never gave me this opportunity," she told AllHipHop in May 2009.

Kemp also maintained that her story wasn't exclusively about Ross. She explained to XXL that she'd faced considerable hardships before their relationship, though their years together provided plenty of material. Then, Fif and Kemp landed two covers of Smooth magazine, with Fif serving as guest editor. One particularly suggestive photograph featured Kemp standing above him in lingerie and red heels while the rapper aimed a camera in her direction. The accompanying headline teased, "Where's the beef?" It wasn't hard to tell who was supposed to be offended.

That same month, Kemp's dispute with Ross led to a development outside the industry. A Broward County judge ordered the rapper to provide temporary child support and health coverage for their son. Ross was also granted visitation rights and ordered to cover Kemp's legal expenses.

Meanwhile, the public alliance continued into November, when 50 brought Kemp and her children to Floyd Mayweather's Las Vegas mansion. Diddy was also present, and photos circulated of Kemp's young son William spending time with his father's rivals. In a video released through ThisIs50, the children played with a stack of Mayweather's money while 50 jokingly teased one of the boys for suggesting his father had more.

It was another chance to get under Ross' skin, though this time his young son was part of the mess. The photographs and video attracted criticism, but neither Kemp nor 50 appeared ready to abandon their public partnership.

Kemp didn't need 50 Cent to keep her name circulating in Hip Hop circles. Over the years, she built a following through outspoken Instagram commentary, often taking aim at Ross while offering plenty of unsolicited opinions about other celebrities. Her confrontational humor eventually opened doors of its own. In 2024, she joined Tokyo Toni and Karlissa Saffold on Zeus Network's Aunt-Tea Podcast, a ten-episode series featuring guests including The Game, Big Freedia, and Joseline Hernandez.

Her online presence also caught the attention of her old ally. In June 2025, Kemp went viral after disputing rumors that she pursued younger men. She objected to being labeled a cougar, joking that people had apparently decided she belonged to an entire family of wildcats. Fifty found the rant entertaining enough to repost it on Instagram with an unexpected proposal. "Yo I like Tia, 🤔I think she should replace Wendy Williams. LETS MAKE A DEAL !."

It wasn't clear whether 50 genuinely intended to develop a television show for Kemp or was simply enjoying another opportunity to irritate Ross. No deal was publicly announced, but his endorsement suggested he still wanted to see her outspoken personality reach a larger audience. On her end, Kemp was already pursuing those opportunities. "I want people to take me seriously as a host and TV personality, not just from social media," she told Complex.

A confrontation outside Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, brought 50 Cent and Kemp's friendly association to an abrupt end. On Oct. 11, 2026, her 21-year-old son, William Roberts III, was allegedly threatened and pistol-whipped while standing outside with a woman. According to a Daytona Beach police report, 20-year-old Don Roberts III, who is unrelated to William, approached the pair with a handgun and threatened to kill him before striking him on the right side of his head.

William reported the incident the next day, saying he'd initially been afraid to contact authorities. He believed the confrontation involved the woman's previous relationship with Don, who surrendered to police on Oct. 16. Don was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, pleaded not guilty, and was subsequently released on $50,000 bail.

Fifty saw the allegations as another opportunity to torment Ross. After news of the arrest circulated, he shared Don's mugshot and offered to help secure his release, claiming he would send high-profile defense attorney Drew Findling to represent him. The rapper also joked that the incident was a misunderstanding, linking it to his latest film, Street Fighter.

The situation became even more contentious when Don appeared in a video shared by 50, thanking the rapper for supporting him and believing in his innocence. Although Don was released from custody, it remains unclear whether 50 actually paid his bond. The Los Angeles Times reported that Don publicly acknowledged his assistance without specifying what it involved.

Kemp was furious. After years of watching 50 ridicule Ross, she now found herself defending their son against the same man she'd once joined in publicly humiliating his father. She responded on Instagram with a profanity-filled tirade directed at 50, criticizing him for making light of William's alleged assault. Her anger quickly extended to his family, including his late mother, Sabrina Jackson, and his youngest son, Sire.

"U have NO room to post anyone's child," Kemp wrote alongside a photograph of 50, his former girlfriend Daphne Joy, and their 14-year-old son. She also made disparaging remarks about Joy and repeated unsubstantiated claims concerning Sire's developmental health.

The increasingly hostile exchanges had moved well beyond the two rappers' longstanding rivalry. William, now an adult, had been the victim of a reported assault that prompted criminal charges. Sire, meanwhile, was a minor who had no publicly established involvement in the dispute between his father and Kemp. Fifty objected to the statements about his son, and what began as another round of Instagram insults was heading toward a much more expensive confrontation.

Earlier this week, 50 Cent was ready to let his attorneys handle Kemp. He filed a federal lawsuit in California on Sire's behalf, accusing her of libel and slander, false light invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The complaint seeks at least $2 million for each of the three claims, bringing the requested damages to $6 million. His attorneys also seek a jury trial and a permanent injunction requiring Kemp to remove the disputed statements and refrain from republishing them.

According to the complaint, Kemp had targeted Sire in four online publications over six days, including an Oct. 25 interview. Fifty's lawyers argued that she knowingly spread false information about the teenager and used his developmental health as an insult. They also claimed she'd ignored a cease-and-desist letter demanding that she remove the material. Kemp allegedly responded by publishing part of the notice with the message, "F u and ya lawyers."

The rapper pursued a separate legal action in Miami-Dade County, where a judge granted a temporary injunction protecting Sire on Oct. 26. The order requires Kemp to remain at least 500 feet away from the teenager and prohibits her from contacting him directly or indirectly, including through social media. She's also barred from possessing firearms or ammunition and must surrender any weapons in her possession upon being served.

Fifty celebrated the legal developments with an Instagram photograph featuring Sire, condemning the online bullying of children and warning Kemp that her "gangster granny act" wouldn't work. He ended the message with three words: "no white flags."

Kemp wasn't raising one, either. She responded to the $6 million lawsuit with a mock GoFundMe graphic requesting the exact amount, captioned, "I need Money by Monday." In another video, she accused 50 of being comfortable insulting others but unwilling to tolerate similar treatment when the insults were directed at him. She also revisited his 2015 bankruptcy, which followed a multimillion-dollar judgment in a lawsuit brought by Lastonia Leviston, another former partner of Ross.

When news of the Florida injunction became public on October 28, Kemp returned to Instagram Stories with another round of insults. She covered a photograph of 50 with rat emojis, called him "15cents," and continued making derogatory remarks involving his family. Whether those subsequent posts violated the temporary order has not been established.

The public hostility hasn't subsided, but the courts now have a role in determining what happens next. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3 to decide whether the temporary Florida injunction should remain in effect, while the California lawsuit continues separately. It's a considerably different relationship from the one 50 was publicly celebrating in June 2025, when he suggested Kemp deserved her own television show. Sixteen months later, the man who once wanted to give her a bigger platform is asking a federal judge to restrict what she can say about his son.