50 Cent and the Game call truce in rap war

NEW YORK - Feuding gangsta rappers 50 Cent and The Game have called a truce, saying they wanted to set a good example to fans of a genre that sometimes glorifies violence and occasionally falls victim to it.

The two stars, who have at least 14 bullet wounds between them, donated US$253,000 (NZ$342,000) to the Boys Choir of Harlem and an unspecified amount to a foundation in Compton, the rundown Los Angeles neighborhood where The Game grew up.

"This is an opportunity for people to see us make peace," 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, told reporters at a news conference in Harlem.

The spat between 50 Cent and his former protege, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, came to a head last week when a man said to be part of The Game's entourage was shot in the leg outside a radio station where 50 Cent was doing an interview.

Hours later, shots were fired at the Manhattan offices of 50 Cent's representatives, Violator Management.

The clashes fueled fears of further violence and prompted prominent black preacher and civil rights activist Al Sharpton to call for a broadcasting ban to keep artists linked to violence off the radio and television for 90 days.

The feud coincided with the release of 50 Cent's new album "The Massacre" which shot to No. 1 on the US pop charts on Wednesday after posting first-week sales of 1.14 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Meanwhile The Game's debut album, "Documentary," slipped one notch to No. 5 on sales of 100,000 copies as his seven-week sales tally climbed to more than 1.5 million units.

The Game, who admits that he was once a drug dealer, said he wanted to show that problems could be resolved through talk. "I want to apologize. I'm almost ashamed to have participated in the things that went on over the last few weeks," he said.

The two men embraced and shook hands after handing over checks to the director of the Boys Choir of Harlem.

Gangsta rap conflicts have been deadly in the past. 50 Cent noted that Wednesday was the anniversary of the 1997 death of Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, who was gunned down in Los Angeles. Another of the biggest names in rap, Tupac Shakur, was shot dead in Las Vegas in 1996.

"In the shadow of the untimely death of Biggie, today marks the anniversary of his death. We're here to show people can rise above even the most difficult circumstances and together we can put negativity behind us," 50 Cent said.

Earlier he said he was launching a new foundation, the G-Unity Foundation, "to help people overcome obstacles and make a change for the better in their lives."

Both artists records are released through Interscope Records, a unit of Vivendi Universal SA's Universal Music Group.

- REUTERS