After achieving a remarkable 21 million albums sold worldwide with "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" and "The Massacre," rap uber-star 50 Cent swallows a bitter pill: The selling of 691,000 copies of his latest album, "Curtis," was overshadowed by top-selling recording artist Kanye West's 957,000 of his latest album, "Graduation" in the initial week of their release.

Yet, selling 691,000 copies during the first week of an album release should put a smile on any music mogul's face. Unfortunately for 50 Cent, he declared on the record that he'd retire if Kanye West outsold him. Now he may suffer damage to his image, as names like "loser" and "welch" come to mind, since he shows no plans to cease his recording contract.

The battle between these hip-hop giants included 50 Cent forming a loose alliance with unlikely sidekick George W. Bush in an attempt to undermine West -- and this wasn't the first time 50 has aligned himself with the U.S. President, but that's another story.

The story here concerns 50 Cent, the underdog, whose tough-guy persona fails to cast a net wider than the handsome and philanthropic West. But we here at Yahoo! love underdogs. We know what it's like to have some snot-nosed upstart sneak in and steal a little thunder.

So have a heart and look deep into the eyes of our beleaguered 50 and think about how this defeat hurts him. Then again: He only shows humor when referring to this charade-like comparison with West (helping to advertise his newest project with either conclusion).

As for West, he's done his share of good in this world -- speaking out passionately against discrimination, performing at Live 8. With a politically saturated style, he's a class-act that cleverly catches more fans.

What about the music? Listen to track samples, find the best price from your favorite online store, and get both CDs -- so you can make up your mind on who's the better artist; and not the better marketer.

Kanye West's "Graduation" CD - under $10!