Tia Kemp says 50 Cent’s public offer to help the man accused of pistol-whipping her son is what ignited their latest feud. During her appearance on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday,” Kemp explained that the rapper’s reaction to the alleged attack on William Roberts III, whom she shares with Rick Ross, crossed a line for her.
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The flashpoint was an Instagram post in which 50 shared information about the man facing charges and offered to arrange bail and legal assistance. Kemp told Newton it was that decision, not simply 50’s years of tension with Ross, that prompted her to respond.
“Him posting that defendant and said, ‘I’m bonding you out. I’m getting the best lawyer for you. It was a street fight,'” she explained, before adding that 50 also plugged his new “Street Fighter” movie into the post.
50 Cent did publicly offered to help the accused man and named attorney Drew Findling in the post. He also referenced Street Fighter, the movie in which he plays Balrog, while describing the alleged encounter as a street fight. The film opened in theaters on October 16.
However, police allegations describe something more serious than a fight. According to the Daytona Beach police report, William, 21, said he was approached near Bethune-Cookman University on October 11 by Don Roberts, who is not related to him. William alleged that Roberts threatened him with a handgun and struck him on the side of his head. Roberts was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and pleaded not guilty.
Roberts was released on a $50,000 bond on October 21. Although 50 offered to help get him out and the accused man later publicly thanked the rapper for supporting him, available bond records did not establish that 50 actually paid the money or covered attorney fees.
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For Tia Kemp, the public offer was personal. Her son was the person reporting an attack, while his father’s longtime rival was publicly backing the person accused of hurting him. She described 50 as a “bully” and questioned why her social media account had been removed, suggesting he had something to do with it.
Kemp previously complained that she was unable to use Instagram Live, and her Instagram account later became inaccessible. 50 reposted her complaints and continued teasing her online, but there is no verified evidence that he caused Instagram to restrict or remove her accounts.
The conversation also circled back to Rick Ross. Kemp argued that jealousy was driving 50’s continued attention to the Miami rapper and invoked another one of 50’s longtime musical rivals, Ja Rule.
“I think he jealous ’cause all my baby daddy cars look better than his. He thought my baby daddy would go broke or something or just shut up in a corner,” she said. “And Ja Rule was telling the truth. We all owe Ja Rule an apology.”
Kemp’s comments were her opinion about the rivalry, not proof of 50’s motives. Ross and 50 have traded public shots for years, but the October confrontation brought their children into the conflict.
After 50’s posts, Kemp made insulting comments online about his teenage son, Sire Jackson, and Sire’s mother, Daphne Joy. 50 then pursued legal action, alleging that her statements about the minor were defamatory and amounted to harassment. A separate federal lawsuit seeks millions in damages.
At a November 3 hearing in the Florida protective-order case, 50 appeared by Zoom, but Kemp was absent. Reports indicated she had not yet been served with court papers, and another hearing was scheduled for December 7.
