G-Unit
From AmericolaWiki
| G-Unit | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image:G-Unit Website.jpg | ||
| Background information | ||
| Origin | New York City | |
| Genre(s) | East Coast hip hop Gangsta rap Hardcore hip hop | |
| Occupation(s) | Rappers | |
| Years active | 2002-present | |
| Label(s) | G-Unit/Interscope | |
| Website | www.G-Unit.com - G-Unit Records website | |
| Members | ||
| 50 Cent Lloyd Banks Tony Yayo Young Buck | ||
| Former members | ||
| Bang Em Smurf Domination The Game | ||
- 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 group's founder, Queens-based rapper 50 Cent, officially brought the group mainstream success by establishing it as a division at Interscope Records. Since signing to the label, G-Unit's members have released successful solo albums.
The name of the group is short for "Guerilla Unit".[1]
Contents |
[edit] Members
[edit] G-Unit Members
[edit] 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 - Quit the group to join his friend, Bang Em Smurf. After a brief feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit in 2003, Domination and Bang Em Smurf decided to focus on music only. The pair is now signed to Koch Entertainment.
The Game - Originally put into G-Unit by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, but 50 Cent claimed The Game was being disloyal to the group for expressing his feelings towards doing a record with Nas - someone who 50 Cent was feuding with at the time. So he was "formally discharged", causing arguably the most publicised hip-hop feud since the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud.
Olivia- Released by 50 Cent due to a lack of work ethic. (Most notably sales).[1] Also 50 Cent has stated that frustration over the miscommunications towards her album as a reason for her release from the label. 50 Cent confirmed Olivia's release on the Ms. Jones' Hot 97 New York Radio Station interview on April 4, 2007.He also commented that she was suing him for sexual harrasment. He claims that this is "not true". She was never officially part of G-Unit, however she was part of G-Unit Records.
[edit] Controversy
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. While 50 Cent's The Massacre 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, The Documentary, 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 "SoundScan", a diss track targeting G-Unit members in response to a Lloyd Banks freestyle on BET show Rap City that mocked him. "SoundScan" 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.
The reconciliation may not happen because of Tony Yayo's attack on Lil' Henchmen, who is the son of Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond. Czar Entertainment manages many artists, including The Game. Tony Yayo was arrested on March 24, 2007, and was accused of smacking the son of Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond (The Game's manager) for wearing the shirt of his father's entertainment company, Czar Entertainment.[2] So far, Tony Yayo has been charged for assault and released on bail.
[edit] 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".[2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
Beg for Mercy
| |
 | Locked & Loaded
|
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | UK singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Stunt 101" | 11 | 7 | 5 | 25 | Beg for Mercy |
| 2003 | "Poppin' Them Thangs" | 10 | 6 | 3 | 15 | Beg for Mercy |
| 2004 | "Wanna Get To Know You" (featuring Joe) | 13 | 8 | 5 | 21 | Beg for Mercy |
| 2004 | "Smile" | - | - | - | - | Beg for Mercy |
| 2004 | "Ride Wit U" (Joe featuring G-Unit) | 56 | 22 | - | 3 | And Then ... |
[edit] Awards
VIBE Awards:
- 2004 - Best Group - G-Unit
AVN Awards:
- 2005 - Best Interactive DVD - "Groupie Love"
- 2005 - Best Music - "Groupie Love" (by Lloyd Banks)
[edit] External links
bg:G-Unit cs:G-Unit de:G Unit es:G-Unit fr:G-Unit he:ג'י יוניט it:G Unit ku:G Unit nl:G-Unit ja:Gユニット hu:G-Unit no:G-Unit pl:G-Unit pt:G-Unit sq:G-Unit sl:G-Unit fi:G-Unit sv:G-Unit
