G-Unit

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".^[1]

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, both Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo continually worked hard on mixtapes in order 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. ^[2] 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 Interscope Records due to the success of his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin'. This was when G-Unit Records was born.

File:Gunitlogo.jpg

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:

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

G-Unit have 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

Act	Description
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 an 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 that The Game was being disloyal to the group because he did not want to get involved with the feuds between G-Unit and other rappers, even going as far as to say that he wished to work with them. He also did not give 50 cent enough credit for the writing of tracks on The Game’s debut album. This resulted in what is arguably the biggest feud since the feud between Nas and Jay-Z.

Controversy

G-Unit vs. The Game

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.^[3] 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 second album, The Massacre, was pushed back in order to accommodate The Game's album, causing anger from 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 as far as to saying that 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 would 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".

50 Cent has since registered the G-Unot trademark for himself which has in turn prevented The Game from using it anymore. ^[4]

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' second album, 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.

Young Buck said

I just think he's digging his own hole 'cause he won't never get another fucking conversation from me in any kind of sense to have resolvement in anything. Now it's like you deal with the goons the way you deal with them, Anything else, if the nigga keep poppin' shit like that, I'ma end his little career through the mixtape world. I ain't even gon' let 50 get dirty with this nigga, because I'm kinda upset at the fact that I heard the bullshit out of him and I don't know if he's aware that I recorded that conversation that we had over the phone. I ain't gon' play with that dude. When I go at him, I'm a go at him and I'ma Ja Rule this shit.^[5]

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 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 later released a diss to G-Unit on April 2 2007 which can be heard on his MySpace page.^[6] 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, Young Buck and Spider Loc.

Spider Loc responded to "Body Bags" with a diss called "Toe Tagz". ^[7]

Ja Rule and Murder Inc.

Before signing with Eminem and Dr. Dre, 50 Cent had been in disputes with rapper Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. The conflict's origin remains a mystery, however, many believe that Queens drug kingpin Kenneth "Supreme" McGrifth funded and provided the start-up money for Murder, Inc. Ja Rule and Supreme have had beef with 50 Cent and allegedly ordered his attempted murder in 2000. The feud started when 50 Cent released the song "Ghetto Qu'ran", which dropped the names of McGrifth as well as several of his associates. Because of this many people call him a snitch. Other accounts have ranged from an alleged robbery of Ja Rule's jewelry by a friend of 50 Cent's, to Ja Rule and Murder Inc. supposedly snubbing a young and star-struck 50 Cent at a video shoot, to 50 Cent's shooter being Ja Rule's bodyguard. The feud didn't become public until 50 Cent released his fiery, but subliminal, diss track, "Life's On the Line." This led to two violent confrontations between the rappers. The first was a meeting where 50 Cent punched Ja Rule, which caused a fight. The second confrontation occurred in a New York studio, where rapper Black Child, a member of Murder, Inc. stabbed 50 Cent. Black Child claimed that 50 Cent was reaching for a gun during the fight. 50 Cent claimed they turned off the lights and that he left with 4 stitches. 50 Cent also claimed that he was unarmed.

Regardless of the physical repercussions, 50 Cent continued to make the rivalry a cornerstone of his music career. G-Unit released numerous mixtapes, insulting Ja Rule and Murder Inc. Before the release of Get Rich Or Die Tryin', Murder, Inc. began a smear campaign against the rapper. A restraining order document began floating around the Internet stating that 50 Cent had filed an order of protection against label CEO, Irv Gotti and Black Child. This helped forge the belief that 50 Cent was a "snitch" or a police informant. Further investigation from New York lawyers found that the document could have been, and was most likely, signed by a judge without 50 Cent's consent or knowledge.

The rivalry reached a boiling point for Murder Inc., which had remained silent for the most part, when 50 Cent released his second album-length battle rap, entitled "Back Down." In the song 50 Cent, who was always known for his hold-no-tongue approach to battling, insulted, joked and dissed Ja Rule and his label into action. In response, Black Child, along with fellow Murder Inc. rapper Cadillac Tah, countered with their own mixtape disses. Ja Rule, however, remained quiet. 50 Cent continued his barrage, releasing the Tupac assisted "Realest Killaz" where he addressed Ja Rule's penchant for imitating the slain rapper. This prompted Ja Rule to finally respond with the songs "War is On," "Guess Who Shot Ya" and "Loose Change." This all culminated into Ja Rule releasing Blood in My Eye, which was, in effect, a 50 Cent diss album.

Ja Rule eventually tried to squash the beef with 50 Cent by using Minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before Blood In My Eye was released. As a result most fans, along with 50 Cent dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt.

Ja Rule also had a small rivalry with 50 Cent's label-mates Eminem, D12 ,Dr. Dre, and Obie Trice. Ja Rule insulted Eminem's ex-wife and daughter in a song and Eminem responded on a mixtape by DJ Green Lantern with a freestyle collaboration with 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes in a Tupac Parody titled "Hail Mary 2003". Although they exchanged heated words, most fans did not take it seriously in the shadow of 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule. Eminem also dissed him with another underground song with G-Unit entitled "Bump Heads" (and various other songs with out the G-Unit). Dr. Dre also fired back with Obie Trice and Eminem on track called Shit Hits The Fan, included in Cheers, which Dr. Dre finally fires back on a beef ten years after Ruthless vs. Death Row beef, claiming Ja Rule's "pussy, you're not Pac, I knew him / Pac was a real nigga, you're a just a fucking insult to him."

Since then, Ja Rule has released "R.U.L.E" with the successful single, "New York", featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. Interestingly enough, this single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (See article on Piggy Bank for details). When Eminem called it quits in his 2004 rap "Like Toy Soldiers," Ja Rule agreed, saying that he was exhausted with feuds.

Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned to the beef with a track entitled "21 Gunz" ^[8]. On Lloyd Banks’s mixtape Mo Money In Da Banks Pt.4 Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent replied with "Return of Ja Fool".

Many people believe that 50 Cent has demolished Ja Rule's career considering ever since the beef Ja Rule has not been as popular and hasn't sold as many albums.

Caddilac Tah & Black Child

Cadillac Tah had some beef with 50 Cent and G-Unit although 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 Cent 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 Cent, 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"

Fat Joe

50 Cent points out that Fat Joe painted a target on himself for partnering up with Ja Rule in a song where Ja Rule took shots at 50 Cent. 50 Cent recorded the track "Piggy Bank" in which he attacked Fat Joe. Then, Fat Joe attacked back on a diss called "My 44" and although he said that he wouldn't respond, he made three more tracks "Massacre of Fifty", "Victim" and "Whip Your Head" all aimed towards 50 Cent. 50 Cent & Tony Yayo took more shots at him on "I Run NY". Even though things cooled down, at 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Fat Joe mentioned that all of the police presence in the venue was "courtesy of G-Unit" which related to Joe's lyrical accusations that 50 Cent was a "snitch"^[9]. 50 Cent and Tony Yayo retaliated on set later in the show at the end of their performance by shouting obscenities toward Fat Joe and Terror Squad, which were censored by MTV ^[10]. Tony Yayo claimed Fat Joe ran from them at the VMAs. Also, Pistol Pete (a non-rapping member of Terror Squad) appeared on The Game's "Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin" DVD & disrespected Tony Yayo, Chris Lighty (owner of Violator records and whom had ties to 50 Cent), & James Cruz (50 Cent's manager) & claims he chased Tony Yayo near a jewelry store. Lloyd Banks, Spider Loc and Young Buck have also been dissing Fat Joe. In 2007, the beef has only been carried on in interviews from both parties.

Cam'ron

This "beef" started when 50 Cent was on Hot 97 giving an interview and Cam'ron called in^[11]. Cam’ron asked 50 Cent whether he has the power to stop records from being released on Koch Records and 50 cent said that he does in some respects. As the conversation escalated into an argument, 50 Cent called Koch Records the "industry graveyard"^[12]. Cam'ron replied and started insulting G-Unit by saying that Jim Jones' newest album sold just as much as Lloyd Banks' album did, despite the fact that Dipset is on Koch Records (an independent label) and G-Unit is on a major label. 50 Cent took offense to this and said that Lloyd Banks makes more money than Jim Jones, so it's irrelevant. Cam'ron lost his temper and started ranting. Most notably, he brought up the poor record sales of the new Mobb Deep album. His rant became so profane and disruptive that the radio station was forced to hang up on him^[13]. On February 8 at midnight (technically February 9) a video premiere of 50 Cent's appeared on DJ Kay Slay's Myspace. The video, entitled "Funeral Music" attacked the leader of Dipset. This is not seen as an attack on other members of Dipset, as 50 Cent says "From now on, Jimmy's the boss of Dipset. And Juelz is the Capo. Cam is demoted to soldier. We like Jimmy better anyway". At the end of the video, there's a poster showing a fictional drawing of Cam'ron with a gun saying "50 Cent" on the burial, along with his date of death; being February 8 when the video was released. Cam'ron recently responded with a diss track called "Curtis" titled after 50 Cent's first name, which can be heard on Dipset member Duke Da God's Myspace page. Cam'ron doesn't state too much, other than claiming he enjoys 50 Cent's shoutouts to Dipset members Juelz Santana and Jim Jones, then goes on to discuss Santana's 800,000 copies sold and Jim Jones' 374,271 copies sold on their recent albums. He also says "You haven't said Lloyd Banks name in a minute." Young Buck and Jim Jones had a conversation and agreed that the feud was to be left between 50 Cent and Cam’ron. 50 Cent and Young Buck made the song "Hold On" together with a video in which 50 Cent takes shots at Cam'ron. Cam'ron responded with "Curtis pt.2", which he shot a video for. G Unit rapper Nyce takes shots at Cam'ron and JR Writer in the diss song Eulogy. In the end of 2006 Jr Writer brought out the track "Suit Up" dissing G Unit.

DJ Khaled

Young Buck recently released an unnamed diss song towards DJ Khaled after he intentionally didn't label Get Rich or Die Tryin a classic out of eight albums. Khaled stated

I'm all about unity, but if you're not down with unity, I can't help you with that^[14]

In the song Buck refers to many people on DJ Khaled’s new album, We the Best. In the song Young Buck says

Young Jeezy and T.I. be in the street with Buck and Akon sip Don and Wayne know wassup, Maybe Fat Joe tellin' you don't fuck with the Unit, Terror Squad is your clique, you gotta stay loyal to it^[15]

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".^[16] 50 Cent States that "The G Unit Clothing Company is Quality clothing... I think it's the best possible clothing company."^[17]

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 sponsors The Book Bank Foundation using profits from their clothing range as well as proceeds donated to the G-Unity Foundation.

G-Unity

The G-Unity Foundation Inc., (more commonly abbreviated as G-Unity) is a public foundation that will provide grants to nonprofit organizations that focus on improving the quality of life for low-income and underserved communities. The charity was started by rap group G-Unit, which consists of 50 Cent, Young Buck, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. The main goals of the charity are to Emphasizing the critical importance of supporting academic institutions, supporting nonprofit organizations that focus on the academic enrichment of a child, and supporting after school activities.^[18]

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

References

External links

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