106 & Park Kanye West & 50's Clash of Titans Includes Surprise Visit By Jay-Z

It was a "Clash of Titans" last night when Kanye West and 50 Cent went head-to-head on BET's "106 & Park Live" to celebrate the releases of their albums, Graduation and Curtis, which both hit stores yesterday. But Kanye may have gotten the edge on the much hyped competition by getting Jay-Z to make a surprise appearance.
After ESPN's Stuart Scott delivered the stats of the "lyrical Superbowl," 50 got things started with a performance of his single, "Ayo Technology." Afterwards, hosts Terrence and Rocsi chatted the G-Unit head up about the rivalry between the two men.

"Kanye doesn't stand a chance," 50 taunted confidently before premiering his newest video, "Follow My Lead," featuring Robin Thicke.

When he wasn't busy hyping up his new album, 50 also took the time to clear up several rumors. Blogs were buzzing last week when the Curtis cover leaked. It features a shirtless 50 cradling a naked, long-haired vixen that looks strikingly like his rumored love-interest, Ciara. However, 50 insisted the resemblance was strictly coincidence.

"The photo packaging was done four months before the video was shot," he laughed.

Fitty wasn't finished yet, however. He gave one lucky audience member the chance to get her own money by having a full minute to grab as much money as possible in a special cash machine filled with up to $50,000. Before the winner headed into the booth, 50 sweetened the pot by handing her $500 to get things started. The winner ultimately walked away with $1300.

50 then got the audience back on its feet by performing his hit single, "I Get Money." But things were far from over. West soon emerged onstage amidst cheers to perform both "Champion" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing" from his new album.

Following his performance, 'Ye addressed his MTV Music Video Awards backstage rant."It was always my dream to open the awards with 'Stronger'...give it to the artists that deserve it," he explained.

When Kanye was asked why he thought fans should pick up his album, he declared, "My album is a time capsule of 2007. My album is the pinnacle of what music is at this time...this is my job to give ya'll the best that I could give ya'll."

After premiering his new video, "Good Life," featuring T-Pain, Kanye pulled out the big guns. During his peformance of "Big Brother," West was joined onstage by none other than Jay-Z and they segued into Jigga's hit "Encore."

Once things calmed down a bit, Terrence and Rocsi sat down with both men to discuss their rivalry. Never one to bite his tongue, 50 taunted Kanye once more, saying, "He brought his big brother with him and his big brother ain't even no competition for me." Adding fuel to the fire, 50 threw up the "Roc" handsign before throwing his hand down and shaking his head "no," causing the audience to erupt into a mixed chorus of boos and cheers.

Both men were able to put their competition aside for a minute when asked to pick their favorite song on the other's album. For Kanye, 50's "I Get Money" was a favorite, while 50 picked West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing."

They went on to reveal what they admired most about the other. "I admire how he overcame adversities," Kanye said. "It was a bit easier for me because I came in wearing Polos, but for him to do that with his style--I admire that."

For 50, it was West's production skills that drew his admiration. "He's a great producer. He can bring different things to the table. I knew production-wise he would be great," he said.

And what would be a "106 & Park Live" episode without a number one video? To celebrate such a momentous event, both men shared the spotlight once more, with a mix of "I Get Money" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing" taking the top spot of the night.