hiphop G-Unit

[Wavant]

So I'm doing my daily HH Blog checking and came across this piece on G-Unit.This is from RealTalk NY.WARNING FOR YOU DIM WITTED NUCCAS: LONG READ.******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, 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 & Avent, 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 was 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 Partishttp://realtalkny.uproxx.com/2008/07/topic...e-g-unit-reign/******I thought that was an interesting read. Some strong points.What do you think? Agree or disagree with Partis?Discuss using evidence.

[Sinister]

Good read."Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t." - Sick Quote.I think everyone knew the crew was gonna flop with the signings.

[Creamy]

lol at me reading that thinking it was goin somewhere. then it just ended.

[Trilliam]

lol @ this being a long read, I've seen more words in a my first picture book. Downfall of G-Unit was that they added too many names like it was gonna turn them into Motown Hit Factory, then they shelved them shits after. Oh well tbh I prefered 50, Yayo and Banks then 50, Yayo, Banks and the rest so yeah.

[Capital]

Good read."Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t." - Sick Quote.I think everyone knew the crew was gonna flop with the signings.

but the mad thing is even numbers lie, labels buy them shits back its kinda sad to see g-unit burning out i dont know if the writer is right and sayin its just the end of the unit or if its gonna knock onto 50's sales aswel and hes gonna be washed up this time next yeari wanna see who the next team is whos gonna step and control the game

[Trilliam]

Good read."Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t." - Sick Quote.I think everyone knew the crew was gonna flop with the signings.

but the mad thing is even numbers lie, labels buy them shits back

When I heard about that I was gobsmacked.

[Guest PROFIT2]

whats the point of this thread exactly apart from stating the obvious?

[Black Casper]

G-Unit is no where near finished IMO

[MF Cunt]

that article was a good read but it says nothing newi was reading away waiting for some theory onto there downfallbut alas "people stopped caring" endanywaysi know they build the hype on being the bestbut isnt a 100k for a week good numbersespically looking at the state of hip hop/music industryand plus the fact they from new york100k is not bad?paps, fat joe, sai allota new york rappers would kill for em numbers right?(im not basing this on fact correct me if im wrong somone)

[Mr. Martinez]

Surely you missed the last half of the article?

[Uncle Man]

signing m.o.p mase and mobb deep (3 of my favorite acts) was similar to harry redknapp signing ian wright,stuart pearce and razor ruddock back in the late 90sthere big names but essentially were in the twilight of there careers,and he probly brought them in cos he liked them and he cud,without having any major plans for them

[Black Casper]

where is your article on the rise and fall of the followingDipsetMurder IncD-BlockBWSState PropertyRoc-a-fella

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?

2 comments made about the article.G-Unit are not exactly "over" compared to the groups above...just because the album didnt do as well as they anticipated, reaching number 4 is a good positon (maybe not in 50's eyes)..but I would not say they are finished just yet..bearing in mind that this is only their second group studio albumIn my opinion the album was decent....slept on heavily if i can say that..Good production also...G-Unit went back old skool with this one

[A Bit Better]

lol at me reading that thinking it was goin somewhere. then it just ended.

Just when I thought it was gonna say something I didn't know.

[Brandnew]

that article was a good read but it says nothing newi was reading away waiting for some theory onto there downfallbut alas "people stopped caring" endanywaysi know they build the hype on being the bestbut isnt a 100k for a week good numbersespically looking at the state of hip hop/music industryand plus the fact they from new york100k is not bad?paps, fat joe, sai allota new york rappers would kill for em numbers right?(im not basing this on fact correct me if im wrong somone)

artists get different promo budgets depending on how big they or their label is...so for e.g interscope may spend more than twice as much on promo for fiddy and the unit than snoops label would on his project (just an example not fact)...if they doin the same numbers then thats a bad thing for fiddy and his people cos it takes them longer to recoup

[Afroman]

Allow saying 100k is bless due to the state ogf hiphopMan like weezy is doing 1.1 the first week..^ this already defeats that excuse. For a grouop like G-unit 100k is swag.End of the day good numbers = ration of Budget to Sales.G-unit probably have a bigger budget & promotion engine in comparison to these otheer rapper..They are finished as a group and I knew this since 06. They jsut kept draggin it.

[Brandnew]

weezy's label bought those units....to say they shipped a milli is almost ridiculous imvho...but hey,they say numbers dnt lie right ?