KANYE VS. 50: THE REMATCH

The two rappers, whose last albums went head to head in the marketplace on Sept. 11, 2007, with Kanye emerging victorious, look headed for another dual this December.

50 Cent’s new G-Unit/Interscope album, Before I Self Destruct, will arrive on Dec. 9, with Kanye’s latest Def Jam release, 808’s and Heartbreak, scheduled to come out the following week, Dec. 16.

Some are expecting one of both dates to be switched.

The two are already warming up for the showdown.

During a concert in Albany, N.Y., last week, 50 poked fun at West’s new single, “Love Lockdown,” with a sarcastic rendition of the song, with Tony Yayo pretending to smash a camera, a reference to Kanye’s recent skirmish with a paparazzi at LAX. The song, now available on iTunes, has become a top download.

West immediately took to the offensive on his blog site, joked, “I guarantee this will be 50’s favorite album of mine. This will be gangster's album of the year."

Kanye’s Graduation album easily topped 50 Cent’s Curtis, scoring 957k in its first week of sales to the latter’s 691k upon its 9/11 release last year.