Have Big Check, Will Donate

The most awkward photo op of the week award might have to go to 50 Cent and The Game during their "we've made peace, yo" press conference yesterday, which happened to be on the 8th anniversary of Biggie Small's death. While this is great news for the music community, not to mention the streets of NY and LA, the event seemed to have been extremely...tense. The two rappers, who had been fighting a war of words and possibly bullets, have kissed and made up, or as much as they can. From the
NY Times article:

During yesterday's event, which took place in a small theater at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the two rappers presented donations to the Boys Choir of Harlem, which in recent years has struggled financially. 50 Cent, through his G-Unity charity, donated $150,000, while the Game donated $103,500 through his own charity.

Shortly after presenting giant checks to Walter Turnbull, founder of the Boys Choir of Harlem, and posing for photos, the Game, born Jayceon Taylor, left the stage. Not one to disappoint an audience, 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, called Mr. Taylor back to center stage, where the two who had barely looked at each other during the news conference shook hands and shared a hug. The two artists then stood side by side and again posed unsmiling for photos.

Yes, you read that right: G-Unity. 50 Cent told the audience that rumors that last week's shooting and smacktalk was a publicity stunt were wrong, because this kind of publicity, while good for records sales (the Massacre did sell over 1 million in less than a week, far outpacing The Game's debut earlier this year), the shooting is actually bad publicity for his various ventures, including his deal with Reebok. Oh, The Game, who was apparently "more comfortable" about being apologetic - his charity is called "Black Wall Street." Also, Gothamist loves how the signatures on the big checks have their stage names in quotes; we do big check photo ops and have always wondered if people try to cash in the big foamcore checks, endorsing them with permanent marker.

For more on the hiphop music scene, visit on Saturday nights. Also, you don't need to leave donations to the celebrities: You can make a donation to the Boys Choir of Harlem at their site.