50 Cent plays down rap violence

50 Cent is playing down a shooting incident that left a 24-year-old man with leg injuries, insisting the media is taking rap wars too seriously.

The rapper was involved in two gunfire incidents earlier this week after making comments on radio station Hot 97 about his one-time protégé The Game, and 50 has also sparked a new feud with Jadakiss and Fat Joe after berating them on new 'dis' track Piggy Bank.

But, speaking on Black Entertainment Television's (BET) 106 & Park show, the rap star, real name Curtis Jackson, insisted the media is making too much of his "beefs".

In his first public comments since the shooting at Hot 97 on Monday, 50 Cent stated: "Where I'm from is aggressive. I was taught to be aggressive, so I say these things.

"(But) a lot of things you hear out there is being said for shock value and not really as serious as people make it out to be. The media gets it and they try to do what they can do with it to make money off of it and make it look as bad as possible.

"Hip-hop has always been competitive, and they should always look forward to us getting back and forth with words."

He continued by playing down reports he only writes 'beefs' to sell more records and increase his popularity: "Beef records don't really sell records. In Da Clubs sell records."

Before 50's appearance on 106 & Park, a member of his entourage was arrested on weapons charges in front of the CBS building, where the show is taped, for allegedly carrying a concealed knife.