Depending on who is telling the story, hip hop is currently celebrating its 39th or 40th anniversary. Here at Hip Hop Vibe, in the midst of everything else, we are trying our best to honor the history of the artform that has us here. A decade ago, 50 Cent truly began making his mark on the game and he introduced G-Unit.
Similar to the Coke Boys of recent years, 50 Cent and G-Unit had a mixtape run that had overtaken the streets. It led to 50 Cent signing a major label deal and once his album broke records, Interscope Records gave him his own label. G-Unit Records was the company and it housed the G-Unit group and the individual members.
In the fall of 2003, 50 Cent released Beg For Mercy with G-Unit, which introduced the members, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and the then-imprisoned Tony Yayo. The album dropped on November 14, 2003 and kept the hardcore trend going. Fans soon realized there was more to G-Unit than the hardcore lyrics.
50 Cent introduced the crew on “Stunt 101” single and the music video showed him wooing Brandy and boasting about some of the other women giving him attention over the past year. In the midst of this, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck made their debuts in the game on one of the hottest records to drop. G-Unit won the game over with “Stunt 101,” “Poppin’ Them Thangs,” “Wanna Get To Know You” featuring Joe, and Lloyd Banks’ solo debut, “Smile.”
Watch music videos off Beg For Mercy below:
Watch “Stunt 101” by G-Unit below:
Watch “Poppin’ Them Thangs” by G-Unit below:
Watch “Wanna Get To Know You” by G-Unit ft. Joe below:
Watch “Smile” by G-Unit ft. Lloyd Banks below:
See additional Beg For Mercy photos below:
