G-Unit

G-Unit

For the record label, see G-Unit Records.

G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mixtapes. The name of the group is short for "Guerrilla Unit" as well as "Gangsta Unit".

Biography

The group's founding members, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo all grew up on the same block, they rapped together, hustled together and sold drugs together. When 50 Cent was spotted and signed to a label, the other two worked hard on mixtapes to create a buzz on the street. 50 Cent was then dropped from his label due to him being shot at 9 times in front of his grandma's house. They saw 50 Cent as too much of a risk to keep. He then signed to Interscope Records and was granted his own label by Dr. Dre due to the success of his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin'. This was when G-Unit Records was born.

File:Gunitlogo.jpg

G-Unit logo

The group continued to work hard and released several mixtape series which earned them a lot of attention in the rap industry. Some of these are listed below:

Main article: G-Unit discography

• 50 Cent Is the Future
• God's Plan
• No Mercy, No Fear
• Automatic Gunfire

G-Unit has also started a mixtape series with DJ Whoo Kid (their DJ) called "G-Unit Radio".

Before the group had a chance to record its debut album for Interscope after 50's very successful debut; Get Rich or Die Tryin', Tony Yayo was sentenced to prison for a gun-possession charge. During Tony Yayo's prison sentence the group Signed Cashville Rapper Young Buck. The group continued its activity, working on yet more mixtape recordings. Their G-Unit Remix to 50 Cent's 'P.I.M.P' was highly successful and was endlessly being played on popular music stations and TV Channels.

Meanwhile, G-Unit recorded their debut album, Beg for Mercy, over the course of 2003. The Album was quickly released on November 14 2003 to combat bootlegging. The Album was very popular and was considered one of the most successful rap debuts of its time. Tony Yayo made only two appearances on the album on songs that were recorded before his arrest.

All of the group’s members have since released very successful and popular albums.

Members

Current members

• 50 Cent
• Lloyd Banks
• Tony Yayo
• Young Buck

Former members

Bang Em Smurf – Bang Em Smurf was locked up for weapons charges in 2002, with 50 Cent promising to bail him out with money from his own new record deal with Aftermath Entertainment. Bang Em Smurf later claimed, however, that 50 Cent never returned, most likely because Bang Em Smurf had a fight with 50 Cent's tour manager.

Domination – Domination Never a official member of G-Unit but was a close friend of Bang Em Smurf during his G-Unit days. After a brief feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit in 2003, Domination and Bang Em Smurf decided to focus on music only.

The Game – The Game was originally put into G-Unit by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, but 50 Cent claimed The Game was being disloyal to the group because he did not want to get involved with the beef between G-Unit and other rappers, even going as far as to say that he wished to work with them. This resulted in what is arguably the biggest feud since the feud between Nas and Jay-Z.

Controversy

Main article: G-Unit feuds

G-Unit vs. The Game

Main article: G-Unit vs. The Game feud

Origins

When The Game signed onto Aftermath Entertainment in 2003, it was arranged that he would work with 50 Cent and G-Unit in order to create a growing buzz for him that would also fuel an interest in G-Unit. Before the release of The Game's debut album, there was already tension between the two rappers, including a physical altercation that took place in 2004. The sudden feud between the pair, who had been marketed as having a mentor/protégé relationship, also stemmed from alleged rumours that The Game had recorded with G-Unit nemesis Joe Budden on a track that was released in 2004. The two were able to put their differences aside for the release of The Game's debut album on January 18 2005, The Documentary. The album was a big success for the rapper and had three singles that featured 50 Cent. The release date of 50 Cent's sophomore album, The Massacre, was pushed back in order to accommodate The Game's album, causing anger by 50 Cent towards Interscope Records. Tensions would rise during the filming of the music video for The Game's third single, "Hate It or Love It", when 50 Cent refused to shoot a scene in the front seat of a car, instead sitting in the back (The Game's brother, Big Fase 100, would replace him). With 50 Cent's album also enjoying major success, the feud would then take an unexpected rise.

Feud becomes public

While 50 Cent's album featured disses towards Ja Rule, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, and Nas, The Game chose not to be included in these beefs with G-Unit, even going so far to saying he was interested in working with some of the said artists. Taking offense at what he perceived as The Game's disloyalty, 50 Cent appeared on the radio soon after to announce that he kicked The Game off of G-Unit Records, claiming that The Game owed him more credit for songs that he had helped in writing and recording, and that The Game should have openly supported 50 Cent in his feuds. 50 Cent also claimed that he was not being acknowledged by The Game for helping his album sell so well. The Game rebutted this explanation, however, stating that 50 Cent's alleged jealousy over the success of The Documentary (which resulted in 50 Cent's album The Massacre being pushed back from February to March) caused them to feud while on tour. Information about 50 Cent being shot at nine times, instead of actually surviving nine bullet wounds was brought to the forefront in a track by The Game, titled "We Are The Champions". This exacerbated the beef between the rappers for the simple reason that 50 Cent's street credibility of being "actually" shot three times was compared to the five bullet wounds The Game received that later sent him into a coma.

The feud would reach its highest point when The Game and his entourage decided to confront 50 Cent while he was on the radio in New York City. During that dispute, a member of The Game's entourage was shot after a confrontation at the Hot 97 studio. Many people were comparing this feud to the East Coast/West Coast feud, since 50 Cent is from New York City, and The Game is from California. After the situation between them escalated, Interscope Records owner Jimmy Iovine arranged for 50 Cent and The Game to hold a press conference to announce their reconciliation, which included giving over $200,000 each to charity. Nevertheless, even after the situation had apparently deflated, 50 Cent and G-Unit continued to feud with The Game, denouncing his credibility in the media, and claiming that without their support, he will not score a hit from his second album. 50 Cent also sued The Game's manager, Jimmy Henchmen, over unauthorized filming for a documentary about Kelvin Martin, who is also known as the original 50 Cent. The Game responded during a performance at Summer Jam, and launched a boycott called "G-Unot". G-Unot is a boycott against 50 Cent and the other members of G-Unit Records. The phrase G-Unot is a pun on the group's name, and a pejorative term to refer to the group. It is short for "G (Gangster) You Not".

After the performance at Summer Jam, The Game responded with "300 Bars and Runnin'", a hard-hitting freestyle diss going at G-Unit as well as members of Roc-A-Fella Records, on the mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 3. Many of The Game's fans felt that the diss song was the pivotal rebuttal that gave The Game the upper hand in his beef with 50 Cent and G-Unit. You Know What It Is Vol. 3 contained many diss songs towards G-Unit by The Game and his Black Wall Street label-mates. G-Unit continued to denounce The Game in interviews, and 50 Cent responded through his "Piggy Bank" music video, which features The Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll, and parodies many other rivals of his.

In January 2006, The Game took the beef to new level by releasing an entire DVD devoted to the fall-out, entitled Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin, along with a mixtape, with a lot of claims that this would be his final involvement with the beef. After this, many The Game fans started stating that The Game had won the beef, until 50 Cent came out with the track "Not Rich, Still Lyin'" which featured 50 Cent imitating The Game. In the song 50 Cent mocks The Game and speaks about The Game's fall-out with his half-brother Big Fase 100.

Although both rappers were once signed to Aftermath Entertainment, the feud between them has led to The Game leaving the record label in order to resolve the matter completely (although others claim 50 Cent to have pressured Dr. Dre to kick him off). In October 2006, The Game extended a peace treaty to 50 Cent, which wasn't immediately responded to. A couple of days later, on Power 106, he would state that the treaty was offered for one day only. The Game later on released "Sound Scan", a diss track targeting G-Unit members in response to Lloyd Banks freestyle on BET show Rap City that mocked him. "Sound Scan" is mainly aimed at the disappointing sales of Lloyd Banks' sophomore effort, Rotten Apple.

It has also been reported that Busta Rhymes wants to get 50 Cent and The Game together on the same track on his new album, Before Hell Freezes Over. Busta Rhymes wants to do this because he wants to end the feud.

In February 2007, it was reported that The Game and Young Buck got into a non-physical altercation at a club, during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. Although it was believed that Young Buck and The Game made peace and put the incident behind them, Young Buck recently stated in an interview with SOHH.com that the beef is still on.

At one point, it was reported that Busta Rhymes wanted to get 50 Cent and The Game together on the same track on his new album, Before Hell Freezes Over. This way, he intended to end the feud between the two.

However, the reconciliation will not happen any time soon because of Tony Yayo's attack on James "Lil' Henchmen" Rosemond, who is the son of Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond. Tony Yayo was arrested on March 24 2007 and was accused of smacking Lil' Henchmen for wearing the shirt of his father's record label, Czar Entertainment. Czar Entertainment manages many artists, including The Game. Tony Yayo, 50 Cent, and their entourage allegedly approached Lil' Henchmen in a black SUV. Four men jumped out of the car. Tony Yayo then showed the boy that he had a gun, and he then proceeded to antagonize and slap the boy. Tony Yayo has been charged for assault and he was later released with a $5,000 bail. He has pleaded not guilty. 50 Cent has strongly denied his involvement and has stated that he was in his home in Connecticut when the alleged incident occurred. He also stated that Tony Yayo did not hit Lil' Henchmen. 50 Cent thinks that the people who are trying to ban him are the same people who started the "G-Unot" campaign. He thinks they are trying to go after him by using the Lil' Henchmen incident as an excuse to ban him.

The Game has released a diss to G-Unit on April 2 2007 which can be heard on his MySpace page. The diss track is called "Body Bags" and it is on his mixtape You Know What It Is Vol 4: Murda Game Chronicles. "Body Bags" is aimed at Tony Yayo,50 Cent, and Spider Loc.

Spider Loc responded to "Body Bags" with a diss called "Toe Tagz".

Ja Rule

There was once beef between 50 Cent and Ja Rule. Although the feud was mainly between the named rappers the rest of 50’s G-Unit crew also got involved to show their loyalty to 50 Cent. They denounced Ja Rule In Their song and in interviews. Some of you may have heard about the physical squabbles, one involving 50 punching Ja and another with Ja's crew stabbing 50 and a friend of his. Ever since 50 Cent has served Ja Rule on wax, with such songs as "Your Life is on the Line" where 50 imitates Ja's yelling of "Murdaaaa" in the hook and "Get Out the Club" which specifically mentions the incident at the club..."You come 15 niggas, 10 knives, and I leave with 4 stitches, that ain't assault, that's an insult". When 50 signed with Shady/Aftermath Records, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti seem to have a problem with Dr. Dre and Eminem for signing an artist that they have beef with. Both Ja Rule and Irv Gotti were special guests on Star and Bucwild's morning show on Hot 97 NYC. Irv Gotti had some 'legal documents' stating the order of protection 50 'has on him'. Although, the documents are most likely filed by lawyers without 50 Cent's knowledge. Ja Rule yelled out "Gay Gay Gay Gay-Unit" Taking the Mickey out of the way 50 did "GGG G-Unit" in the beginning of the "Till I Collapse" freestyle. Ja Rule also threatened Eminem and Dre, that if they allow 50 Cent to release a diss track towards him or Murder Inc that he would take action against Eminem and Dre.

Caddilac Tah

Cadillac Tah had some beef with 50 Cent and G-Unit, their beef wasn’t really exposed to the public much, Black Child, one of Murder Inc's members is rumored to be the one who shot 50 in front his grandma's house, and was also rumored to be the one who stabbed 50 Cent in a club, the rumor says " Murder Inc members, including Ja Rule and Irv Gotti entered a club, the lights went out, black stabbed 50, the lights came back. Since then, black child had made two disses towards 50 Cent, "There’s a snitch in the club" and "You the wanksta" in both songs black talks about shooting 50 Cent, stabbing and other things, "I got a lot of living to do before I die, and I ain’t got time to waste, shoot this nigga in his face"

Black Child

Black Child was rumored to be the one who shot 50 Cent in front his grandmother's house, and was also rumored to be the one who stabbed 50 Cent in the club. The rumor also states that Murder Inc. members, including Ja Rule and Irv Gotti, entered a club, the lights went out, Black Child stabbed 50 Cent, and the lights came back.

Cam'ron and Dipset

G-Unit has currently been beefing with Dipset founder Cam'ron. The Feud Started After 50 Cent and Cam’ron had a brief argument on New York Radio Station Hot 97. There has been an exchange of diss tracks between the two parties. Examples of these would be Young Buck and 50 Cent's Cent's "Hold On" and 50 Cent's "Funeral Music". The videos for these diss tracks can be seen YouTube

The G-Unit Clothing Company

Main article: The G-Unit Clothing Company

The "G-Unit Clothing Company" was established in 2003, when 50 Cent teamed up with Marc Ecko (the founder of Eckō Unlimited), to create a line of clothing and accessories inspired by 50 Cent himself and fellow members of G-Unit. Young Buck has stated, it features "More coordinated colors... a whole new flavor and a classy street look". 50 cent States that 'The G Unit Clothing Company is "Quality clothing... I think it's the best possible clothing company"'.

Following its first major successes , G-Unit Menswear and Kids Line, The G-Unit clothing company which has approximately totaled over £110 million in retail sales since its initial launch partially released in late 2004 the equally successful G-Unit Women's Collection which made it's full debut in Spring 2005. G-Unit Women's Collection is intended to appeals to women ages 16-26, the collection features select denim, tees, skirts, knit cut & sew tops, woven tops and outerwear, this is for obvious reasons usually spotted being worn by the first lady of G-Unit, Olivia.

The range also Includes G-Unit Sneakers They are an urban appeal shoes designed and marketed by the Reebok Shoe Company. It was a shoe granted to rapper 50 Cent after his group G-Unit released their debut album Beg For Mercy.

G-Unit Clothing sponsors The Book Bank Foundation as well as proceeds donated to the G-Unity Foundation.

Discography

Main article: G-Unit discography

Studio albums

• 2003: Beg for Mercy
• 2007: Locked & Loaded

Singles

• 2003: "Stunt 101"
• 2003: "Poppin' Them Thangs"
• 2004: "Wanna Get To Know You" (Featuring Joe)
• 2004: "Smile"
• 2004: "Ride Wit U" (Joe Featuring G-Unit)

Awards

• Vibe Awards
  • 2004 - Best Group - G-Unit

• AVN Awards
  • 2005 - Best Interactive DVD - Groupie Love
  • 2005 - Best Music - Groupie Love by Lloyd Banks

External links

• G-Unit Records
• Official G-Unit Group
• G-Unity (G-Unit Charity)
• G-Unit MySpace