50 Cent can admit when he is totally wrong and his gambles dont pay off. For most of last year, he took the advice of Interscope Records and fell back from the mixtape circuit because the label had advised him that it was taking away from his official record sales. That was right around the time DJ Drama and Don Cannon were having issues with the RIAA.

But 50 has made up for lost time in the past six months, releasing three mixtapes since last fall.

"They think Im crazy," 50 told us last week in his Connecticut mansion, chuckling about what Eminem and Shady Records tell him about giving away so much material for free. "Sometimes [Em] misses why I put it out. He goes, Why did you put it out? But I cant be as hot as Im gonna be if I dont play around. I gotta spar before I go fight the champ. Thats my concept of it. If I dont go out and make material and lock in, Im not gonna make the best possible material for the next [official] project."

Fif who has been working on a new freestyle with Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo over the beat of Snoop Doggs "Neva Have 2 Worry" obviously hasnt been slowed down by any of his recent issues with his hip-hop peers. Lately he and Fat Joe have been going back and forth in interviews, songs and Photoshopped pictures on the Web.

"The Hip-Hop Weekly [a fake cover] came out, and it was a thing with [Benzino] supposed to be [sleeping] with Fat Joes wife," 50 said. "I didnt make that. I didnt have anyone [Photoshop] that. Why would you do that? I work for Hip-Hop Weekly? Theyll know that there are issues between me and Joe, so when he approaches them, theyll say, Nah, it must be 50. You know how 50 is. But I didnt care, cause I dont like Joe neither. It doesnt matter to me that they did it, but it didnt come from me."

But several days ago, 50 did hold a mock funeral for Joe online. In the video, he started to cry, saying the SoundScan returns of Joes The Elephant in the Room killed him. He also warned Joes friend Rick Ross not to align himself too tightly with the Terror Squad general.

"Rick Ross is doing good," 50 elaborated. "I also complimented him that he had the #1 album. I said, Just dont stand too close to this fat piece of Im saying that because of what [Joe's] trying to do. He runs to Miami and hangs out with them like hes running Miami? Does Fat Joe run Miami? I dont think Fat Joe runs Miami. I think people from Miami would be upset youre even questioning that. The fact he can influence DJ Khaled on the radio, does that mean Fat Joe runs Miami? I dont care if [Khaled] ever plays my records. Hes not important enough to what Im doing for it to matter. Not to say Miami doesnt count. He doesnt count for it to matter to me."

The G-Unit album, tentatively titled Shoot to Kill, is slated for this summer, while Fifs next solo LP, Before I Self Destruct, is coming toward the end of this year.