The End of An Empire: The Rise & Fall of The G-Unit Reign
Can It Be That It Was All So Simple Then…
All good things come to an end. G-Unit’s run of being rap’s most influential crew is over.
Let’s make it clear though. This NOT about 50 Cent’s personal career. This is about G-Unit the rap group; G-Unit the brand name.
But before they fell off, hate it or love it, G-Unit revolutionized the game.
“G-Unit nigga/that’s what’s up.” That was our first introduction to Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and 50 Cent as “G-Unit” on 50’s mixtape “Guess Who’s Back.”
The key: it came on a mixtape, not hosted by a DJ.
50 Cent and his G-Unit crew were the first to successfully pull off their own mixtapes as a way of providing new music & generating new fans. They took the idea to another level by introducing the idea of recreating popular songs: keep the beat, change the words, and create a melody.
Artist had been freestyling over hot beats forever; but they weren’t remaking the songs. When 50 & his crew began to do this on their mixtapes they provided themselves with a crucial advantage: they made radio-friendly music, but maintained a street presence. That is the combination every A&R, music executive, manager, or artist in the business craves for. G-Unit mastered this.
In fact they had all the componant’s needed to be a dominant rap crew. The slick rhyming MC with crazy punchlines (Banks). The goon who provided “street cred” (Yayo was in jail when “Beg For Mercy” dropped). And the leader who had a superior business IQ, knew how to make records, and straight-up personified the “Hustler’s Ambition.” They had their catch phase that everybody knew (G-G-G-G-G-G-G-Unit). And best of all, they were from New York. We all know how much the industry loves to promote New York cats, and we know how much New York loves to hype New York cats.
With this foundation, G-Unit attempted to create an empire that would run the rap world & stand out in the hip-hop scene. This required regional expansion, and cross-over appeal.
Thus 50 scooped up a former Cash Money soldier in Young Buck to cover the South; he added Game, a Dre-protege straight from Compton. They brought on Oliva, the team’s R&B and female presence. They teamed with Marc Ecko for a G-Unit clothing line. They did collabos with R&B acts like Mary J. Blige & Avant, and Pop superstars like Justin Timberlake for commercial appeal.
Then in 2006 came the real power moves. Remember this cover:
It felt like the day G-Unit took over the world. It was a major movw. Not because the signings were Hip-Hop superstars, but it was like the top team in the league signing the best free agents in the game. They signed a legendary duo (Mobb Deep), one of NY’s most underrated groups (M.O.P.), brought Harlem back from church (Mase), and even got another West Coast cat (Spider Loc). It was G-Unit’s exercise in “strength in numbers.” These were the soldiers to aid the G-Unit takeover.
But it never happened. In fact, it failed miserably.
Even before this move, there was the Game/50 beef and fallout. And over time, most of these acts disappeared one by one (with the exception of Mobb Deep). Without making an impact once so ever. No albums, no singles, no nothing.
The team’s mainstays even felt the pressure. Banks dropped a brick with his sophomore album; Yayo hasn’t put out any albums since his first, but has got the group plenty of bad press with “alleged” incident with a 14 year old. The ugly situation with Young Buck put more of the group’s business out in the street and ended with Buck exiting the group.
And then, there were three.
And they could only push 102, 000 in their 1st week.
They couldn’t sell more in their 1st week then Weezy sold in his 4th week.
The irony is that 50 built the G-Unit brand based on his idea that they produced numbers. He pointed to hit singles, radio spins, albums sold, anything that could be counted.
Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.
The lack of a hit single, the poor album sales, and the overall lack of buzz about the album all point to common theme with G-Unit over the last year: people don’t really care.
At least, they don’t care about G-Unit the brand, G-Unit the Hip-Hop crew.
Michael Partis
http://my.rawkus.com/profile/ForeThought
www.michaelpartis.blogspot.com
July 15th, 2008 at 4:56 am
I can’t wait to read these posts when i get back… should be some good sh!t…lol!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:02 am
sad but tru,bt i must admit dey really brought rap back from de dead,lets see wat will happen from now on
July 15th, 2008 at 5:42 am
smh what a hater ur like male version of rocsi…NYC stand up
July 15th, 2008 at 5:59 am
*waits for all the stans to come in and call Nigel/RealTalk a G-Unit hater for the 100,000 time*
He’s a hater for posting the truth??? I swear if anyone has an opinion or has something real to say, they’re considered haters. G-Unit is done. They’ve been floppin since Yayo’s album. Like Joe Budden said “one hot single and a bullshit album”. G-Unit is done. But hey, if your a fan then fine.. no ones saying you can’t still be a fan. But its been evident that 50 & G-Unit simply care about making money then making good music.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Well it’s
“and then there WERE three”
not “and then there WAS three”
you didn’t spell Avant right (spelled Avent)
and you spelled “move” wrong (spelled movw)
I liked the writing because it wasn’t trying to sound over-the-top intelligent.
but the ending was super weak like you rushed it.
“people don’t care about g-unit anymore” THE END.
uhhh ok? WHY don’t people care?
you set up this whole foundation for why they fell from grace, but do nothing to actually come to a conclusion.
you just say “there was this stuff with Young Buck” then it was done.
WHY did the Young Buck situation affect listeners?
It’s a good rough draft.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:43 am
component
then there were three
step your writing game up
July 15th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Another hate article about G-Unit.
This dude ReatalkNY will continue to put up things that spread hate on Gunit.
But he will never say anything negative about Game. Why because he was invited to Game’s ‘Pain’ video shoot.
You have a article about the Rise and Fall of Gunit.
where is your article on the rise and fall of the following
Dipset
Murder Inc
D-Block
BWS
State Property
Roc-a-fella
And why do you keep deleting comments that are speaking the truth?
July 15th, 2008 at 7:03 am
@ #7 Money Bags..
So what? Nigel has to be a fan of everyone? He can’t not be a fan of any artist in particular? He like’s Game… cool. He’s not so fond of G-Unit anymore.. cool, who is these days anyways? Listening to a whole album about guns, money and women can get boring after a while..
Why doesn’t he post articles about the fall of dipset, murda inc and etc? it’s cuz they didn’t just drop a group album and flopped dum dum lol.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Why hate? and im addressing this to the hater. not haters but hater ya dig.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:05 am
How can they be done, when they sellin the most records (as a group) ?
you dont see people like Dipset, D-block, P$C, USDA, DTP, etc sellin records.
Hi Hater!
July 15th, 2008 at 7:07 am
The G-Unit crew/album sold 100k first week. Thats the same thing as what Snoop sold 1st week.
Does that mean Snoop is dead too? Or Snoop has fallen?
Why don’t you make an article on that?
Truth is Gunit is not dead, RealtalkNY just wants to spread G-Unit hate around and influence people.
RealtalkNY would never put anything negative about Game on there site? Why? Because they were invited to a video shoot.
And g-unit did not grand RealtalkNY any interviews.
So that is how you determine who to hate or not? If somebody invites you to a video shoot? Or if a group does not do a interview with you.
RealtalkNY = killing hiphop.
And once again, why do you keep deleting comments that speak the truth?
July 15th, 2008 at 7:14 am
@ Money Bags
LOL @ RealTalk killing Hip-Hop just cuz they post some opinions on G-Unit that most people agree with…. L – M – A – O
So G-Unit is Hip-Hop now? He’s killing hip-hop by posting this? O’Rly? lol.. you guys are hilarious..
Wasn’t Real Talk invited to the T.O.S. listening session and Yayo was being a bitch ass nigga?
I’m no G-Unit hater, being a hater is saying “fuck G-Unit” and talkin a bunch of shit without any real leverage behind it.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Bullshit..
RealTalkNy Don’t Hop On This Media Stunt..
In Case Y’all Dint Know..
All Major Hip-Hop Site Are Mad At 50..For Creating Thisis50.com..Its Stealing there shine..Cuz They Are On The Inside..Big Advantage..And Plus They Got 50..A Future Billionaire..Is That What They Hate..A Bully That Wins?
Don’t Believe The Hype..RealTalkNy Stay Neutral..Cuz These Niggas Ain’t Going Nowhere..
U Mean To Tell Me..CRS..ByrdGang..And The Rest Are Better?
Now based on the first week Sales Of T.O.S…multiple music media outlets and blogs jumped out the window and labeled T.O.S. as an overwhelming flop..some calling G-unit to disband permanently as a group..but do the numbers add up to the END OF THE G-UNIT? ….crunch the numbers…and decide for yourself
Where does T.O.S. stand among the top 10 other hip hop groups released in the last TWO years
1.UGK- 156,000
2. Bone Thugs- 116,000
3. G-unit-102,000
4. U.S.D.A- 93,000
5. N.E.R.D- 81,000
6. Three six Mafia-71000
7. Wu-Tang Clan-67,000
8. The Roots-54,000
9. Eightball & MJG-45,000
10.Crime Mob-22,000
July 15th, 2008 at 7:19 am
BOO-BOO AND HIS TEAM OF POLE SMOKERS ARE DONE.FREE MOBB DEEP AND M.O.P. BUT THE REST CAN EAT A DICK WITH AIDS ON THE TIP. CURTIS’ TONGUE GOT PUNISHED.FIRST SAYING THE GAME WILL FLOP, SECOND HE’LL OUTSELL KANYE, HE’LL RETIRE IF KANYE WON (IN WHICH HE NEVER DID), AND THE LIST GOES ON. THE GAME PUT THESE NIGGAS TO SHAME.
300 BARS AND RUNNNIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 15th, 2008 at 7:31 am
real talk u a hater why has g unit fell off is b/c they aint selling millions no more ??? ok they dont sell like the used to ok but nobody ever sold like that befor period this is the only group to be succesful as a group and have the same succes solo… if they have a concert its gonna be sold out if they drop a ablum they will always be mention they are the best at the hustle and they did it form the bottom and by there sleves nobody has ever did that and nobody ever will i dont think there dead but i think everybody wants them dead but even if they are dead LOOK AT HOW THEY DID IT THEY DID IT THE BEST GUNIT FUCK REAL TALK NY
July 15th, 2008 at 7:38 am
look at gunit stans gettin mad. i remember when yayo n 50 dissed wu tang. sayin there better. they must be smokin sumthin. D BLOCK COMIN SOON. GUNIT KNOW THEY WASNT FUCKIN WITH D-BLOCK
July 15th, 2008 at 7:40 am
It’s funny how everyone calls RealTalkNY 50 haters when they even considered him person of the year 2007
http://realtalkny.uproxx.com/2007/12/topic/artists/kanye/realtalknys-person-of-the-year-curtis-50-cent-jackson/
July 15th, 2008 at 7:41 am
And funny thing is, Kanye smashed 50 in almost every category that year.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:43 am
COSIGN. 14 IT AINT WHEN ITS FACTS. WE AINT TALKIN BOUT COMARIN GUNIT WITH OTHERS. IF A SOLO ARTIST OR GROUP CAME OUT N SOLD 112K THERE 1ST WEEK AND 50 HAD BEEF WITH THEM HE WOULD OF MADE FUN OF THEM BUT IT!!!
ALBUMS COMIN SOON NAS, D-BLOCK, N LAX
July 15th, 2008 at 7:45 am
im not even a fan, but i dont get this…
T.O.S. was a hot street album, it failed commercially… OK
but Banks caught a brick with Rotten Apple ? he did the same numbers as fabolous or rick ross and many more, they are considered succesfull, while they had 4/5 singles…
this whole post is just not based on facts, TOS is the first commercialy dissapointing album under G-Unit, before that the lowest selling album did over 700.000 ww…
G-Unit is still way more succesfull then for instance a Dipset, D-Block or even a ROC or a Wu-Tang… these groups always deliver musically so does G-Unit.
Base your conclusion on facts not on a personal opinion…
July 15th, 2008 at 7:49 am
The Unit Are not dead the album was dope period the sales were good based on the air play and promo but it all adds up at the end of the year plus worldwide sale that go for any artist it wouldnt matter if they did 2m first week cause u aint seeing any of that money hip hop is now dominated by rnb only new york put out Rap Albums but tos is hot in my eyes party aint over,ready or not,SOS,C of War,Close 2 me,Piano Man,u so tough,kitty kat,TOS so u can call me a stan or hater but thats my opinion
July 15th, 2008 at 7:50 am
that was a pretty optomistic peice, but true in every way
July 15th, 2008 at 7:56 am
G-unit also had return of body snacthers and elephant in the sand too classic mixtapes so i dont c how g-unit are finished they put out more hot music then anybody and those mixtapes were free