G-Unit Albums (2)
'T.O.S.: Terminate on Sight'
Release Date 7/1/2008
Tracks 16
Label G-Unit
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
There's a five-year gap between the unleashing of G-Unit's debut album -- 2003's Beg for Mercy -- and the more casual dropping of the follow-up, T.O.S., as in Terminate on Sight. Even so, 50 Cent's crew remains the thing that anchors his hip-hop career, connecting him to the streets through mixtapes, guest appearances, and venomous beefs with other rappers, including two of its own. The war with former member the Game is ongoing, but what's new here is the dismissal of Young Buck, a complicated matter that had Buck playing the thoughtful thug in turmoil while 50 acted as the unforgiving hard boss, G-Unit's supreme capo. As the album dropped, Buck was out and his five T.O.S. tracks are relics from the mixtape world, albeit worthy ones that deserve their aboveground status. Throwing its guns in the air and making the club rumble, the addictive "Rider, Pt. 2" is quintessential G-Unit, and when Buck declares "Even if 50 drop me/I still wouldn't sign" on the cut, it's a drama-filled bonus for fanboys. Buck also figures into "I Like the Way She Do It" -- a typical 50 club track in a "Candy Shop" style -- and the thug pledge of allegiance "No Days Off," a track where he feels the odd man out. Without him, the trio of 50, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo is a lean and tight attack unit with Banks as cool and cold as ever, while 50 and Yayo come off as newly inspired. 50's return to form finds him delivering sly lyrics like "I'm a workaholic/A ghetto version of Mozart/I move the keys/They call me the Piano Man" and making the hood rock like it's 2003 all over again. On the other hand, Yayo has never sounded so good, stepping his game up with a faster and more urgent style dropping wittier lines like the title track's "I kick Game like Pele and Beckham." The minimal, Dre-influenced beats are back in abundance, most supplied by those promising unknowns 50 always seems to discover, save superstar productions from Don Cannon for "Let It Go," with gun-talking dancehall superstar Mavado as guest vocalist, plus Swizz Beatz, who brings the blitzkrieg to "Get Down." If there's a reason to be disappointed it's that the broken promises -- the announced Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Lil' Kim tracks are missing and "Straight Outta Southside" isn't really a commentary on the Sean Bell shooting after all -- could have made this a more well-rounded effort. T.O.S. isn't an around-the-world affair, and with the Buck tracks included -- as good as they are -- it isn't thematically sound either, with 50, Banks, and Yayo relaunching G-Unit one minute, then re-creating Beg for Mercy the next. Even with its wobbly mix of yesterday, today, and a better tomorrow, T.O.S. is much closer to classic than failure and should reassure fans that this slow-moving tank is pointed in exactly the right direction. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though backing posses had become de rigueur for commercially successful rappers by the early 2000s, 50 Cent's posse, G-Unit, is somewhat exceptional, as showcased on its album debut, Beg for Mercy. Following 50's unsuccessful stint with Columbia Records during the late '90s, he returned to the streets and willfully assembled a backing posse, with himself as the superstar and his cohorts as his street-level representatives, thereby ensuring himself future street credibility and enough firepower for entire mixtapes. The plan paid off in spades as G-Unit worked the mixtape circuit, releasing one after another, while 50 in turn blew up in 2003 with his solo debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', yet maintained his street cred with his well-bred posse, touring extensively and releasing still more mixtapes. All of this made the eventual release of Beg for Mercy a real event -- and all the more so because Murder Inc had announced that they would simultaneously release a new Ja Rule album and go head to head, sales-wise (though they wisely reconsidered), and because Interscope bumped up the release date of Beg for Mercy to November 14 (citing bootlegging concerns) so that G-Unit could contentiously go head to head with Jay-Z and his much-anticipated Black Album. It's thus difficult to distance yourself from the aura of hype surrounding Beg for Mercy and evaluate it as music rather than as an event. Of course, when you deflate the album of its hype, it's not quite as exciting as it probably sounded fresh out of the cellophane first thing in the morning on November 14, but it's still a considerably exciting listen nonetheless. For one, 50 and his cohorts (Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and on two long-ago-recorded songs, an incarcerated Tony Yayo -- with no guests whatsoever) are sky-high on confidence here -- brash as hell, taunting the world and absolutely reveling in their newfound celebrity. For two, G-Unit get a wide array of fresh beats from a legion of up-and-comers, along with a few former collaborators: Dr. Dre, Red Spyda, No I.D., Megahertz, and Midi Mafia. For three, 50 takes charge like a leader should, lacing pretty much every track with his trademark singsong hooks and prominently appearing on every one of the 18 tracks. And lastly, G-Unit stick to the script -- guns, women, haters, drugs, wealth, and more guns -- and deliver exactly the album their fans wanted. As for highlights, there are a few: the Dre/Scott Storch album opener ("Poppin' Them Thangs"), the flashy lead single ("Stunt 101"), a laid-back Marvin Gaye-sampling pimp anthem ("Wanna Get to Know You"), Lloyd Banks' crossover bid ("Smile"), and a Yayo mixtape favorite ("I Smell Pussy"). For the most part, however, Beg for Mercy is surprisingly solid, sounding very much like a whole rather than the usual hodgepodge of singles and filler. Granted, 50 sometimes sounds like he's unenthusiastically coasting, but Banks and Buck bring the heat consistently, proving their respective worth quite well. Even so, Beg for Mercy doesn't measure up to Get Rich or Die Tryin', but then, how many rap albums do? Surely not many, and when you measure Beg for Mercy against any standard rap album circa 2003, it's very satisfying, especially if you're hungry for some more 50 after having played out Get Rich months earlier. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
