50 Cent: 'Jay-Z was nothing before Beyonce'

50 Cent has taken a sly swipe at rap rival Jay-Z, insisting the rapper was a 'no-one' until he wed Beyonce Knowles.

Superstar Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, wed the Bootylicious beauty in April, and 50 Cent claims it was their union - not the rap mogul's music - that raised his profile on the international scene.

He says: "I'm a big fan of Jay-Z, but outside of the States and hip-hop circles, no one really knew who he was until he married Beyonce."

The rapper has also disputed reports that Jay-Z is worth an estimated $1bn (€679m), but is adamant he's not jealous of his

fortune.

He adds: "I don't believe he's worth that much! It's all been exaggerated. I'm comfortable. I don't want for anything so I'm not in a race."

50 Cent recently topped Forbes magazine's poll as the biggest earning hip-hop star of 2008, making $150m (€102m) in the last 12 months, compared to Jay-Z, who came second with $82m (€56m).