Beg for Mercy
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 62/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B) link |
| Robert Christgau |  link |
| RapReviews.com | (7.5/10) link |
| Blender | link |
| E! | B link |
| PopMatters | (favorable) link |
| Rolling Stone | link |
Beg for Mercy is the debut album by hip hop group G-Unit, at the time composed of rappers 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, with support from Tony Yayo. The album was released in November 2003, 9 months after 50 Cent's successful debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
Background
"I've been promoting G Unit since before I even had a record deal," says 50. "All the music I put on the mixtape circuit was 50 Cent and G Unit."[1]
As the album was recorded, Tony Yayo was sentenced to jail on charges of gun possession, and so he makes only two appearances on the entire record, on the tracks "Groupie Love", and "I Smell Pussy". His image is seen on the brick wall of the album cover as he could not be photographed due to the jail sentence.
At the time of the album's release, rapper The Game was just placed in G-Unit, therefore he is not photographed, nor does he make an appearance on the album. He does however make cameos in the videos for singles Stunt 101, Wanna Get To Know You & Poppin' Them Thangs. He is also mentioned in Poppin' Them Thangs when Young Buck raps, "You ain't no Crip like Snoop, / You ain't no Blood like Game."
Sales and certifications
In its first week of sales, Beg for Mercy sold 377,000 copies. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, behind Tupac Shakur's eighth posthumous release, Tupac: Resurrection, (430,000 units moved), and Jay-Z's The Black Album, (463,263 units moved.) Its bow was moved up from November 18 to thwart piracy, as was Beg for Mercy.[2] Beg for Mercy then sold 327,000 copies in its second week to peak at #2 on the Billboard 200,[3] while moving another 193,000 units in its third week.[4] By April 2008, it had sold over 2.7 million units in the U.S.,[5] 5.5 million copies worldwide,[6][7] and had been certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA.[8]
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Length | Sample | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "G-Unit" (Young Buck, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks) | Hi-Tek | 3:29 | "Million Dollars" by Triumvirat | |
| 2 | "Poppin' Them Thangs" (50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck) | Dr. Dre & Scott Storch | 4:01 | ||
| 3 | "My Buddy" (50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck) | Thayod Ausar, Eminem & Luis Resto | 3:44 | "Ecstacy of Gold" and "Piume Di Cristallo" by Ennio Morricone, and an interpolation of "My Buddy" a commercial of Playskool.[9] It also contains audio excerpts from the film Scarface. | |
| 4 | "I'm So Hood" (50 Cent) | DJ Twins, Eminem, Luis Resto | 2:26 | ||
| 5 | "Stunt 101" (50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, & Young Buck) | Mr. Porter | 3:52 | ||
| 6 | "Wanna Get to Know You" (Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, & 50 Cent featuring Joe) | Red Spyda | 4:25 | "Come Live with Me Angel" by Marvin Gaye | |
| 7 | "Groupie Love" (50 Cent, Tony Yayo,& Lloyd Banks Feat. Butch Cassidy) | Dirty Swift & Bruce Waynne | 4:14 | "Simply Beautiful" by Al Green | |
| 8 | "Betta Ask Somebody" (Lloyd Banks, Young Buck & 50 Cent) | Fusion Unltd. & Jake One | 3:53 | "Blue Leopard" by Pierre-Alain Dahan | |
| 9 | "Footprints" (Young Buck & 50 Cent) | Nottz | 4:21 | "Walk with Me" by Martha Bass | |
| 10 | "Eye For Eye" (Lloyd Banks, Young Buck & 50 Cent) | Hi-Tek | 3:56 | "Hello Love" by Eden Raskin. | |
| 11 | "Smile" (Lloyd Banks & 50 Cent) | No I.D. | 3:38 | "I Too Am Wanting" by Syreeta | |
| 12 | "Baby U Got" (50 Cent, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks) | Megahertz | 4:04 | ||
| 13 | "Salute U" (Young Buck & Lloyd Banks) | 7th EMP | 3:00 | "Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major (Allego Moderato)" by Johann Sebastian Bach | |
| 14 | "Beg For Mercy" (50 Cent, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks) | Sha Money XL & Big-Toni | 2:39 | "Back Down" by 50 Cent | |
| 15 | "G'd Up" (50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, & Young Buck) | Dr. Dre & Scott Storch | 4:47 | ||
| 16 | "Lay You Down" (50 Cent, Young Buck, & Lloyd Banks) | DJ Khalil | 4:03 | "Doctor Marvello" by Klaatu | |
| 17 | "Gangsta Shit" (50 Cent, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks) | Needlz | 4:12 | ||
| 18 | "I Smell Pussy" (Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo & 50 Cent) | Sam Sneed | 3:58 | "The Greatest Sex" by R. Kelly | |
| 19 | "Collapse (G Unit Freestyle) (UK Bonus Track)" (50 Cent) | 1:38 |
References
- ^ "Rap News Network - G-Unit Biography". Rapnews.net. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ "Jay-Z's back in 'Black' as album bows at No. 1.('The Black Album' debuts at top of charts) | HighBeam Business: Arrive Prepared". Business.highbeam.com. 2003-11-20. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (2003-11-26). "Britney Moans Her Way To The Top Of The Albums Chart - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (2003-12-03). "Jay-Z's Farewell Album Hasn't Said Goodbye To The #1 Slot - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ Crosley, Hillary (April 24, 2008). G-Unit, The Game Push Back New Albums. Billboard. Accessed May 10, 2008.
- ^ New York Post, Return of the Rap Pack. NYPost. Accessed June 30, 2008
- ^ Jeffery-Coker, Mesai. Featured Interview: Tony Yayo. Rap Fanatic magazine. Accessed August 31, 2007.
- ^ RIAA Searchable Database - "G-Unit". RIAA. Accessed May 10, 2008.
- ^ http://www.whosampled.com/G-Unit/My-Buddy/