G-Unit

Today in Hip-Hop History: The Game Dropped His Debut LP ‘The Documentary’ 18 Years Ago

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On this date in 2005, Compton emcee The Game released his debut album The Documentary on Aftermath/G-Unit/Interscope records.

The Game was the first G-Unit representative from outside of NYC to be a part of the then-dominating roster consisting of Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, and its general, 50 Cent. The album was originally called “Nigga Witta Attitude Vol.1,” but Eazy-E’s wife, Tomica Woods-Wright, legally blocked that N.W.A. title reference from being used.

The album received commercial and critical success, reaching gold status in its first week and 2X platinum within the first two months. The singles that received the most acclaim were 50 Cent-assisted, which many felt was the primary reason for the project’s success. “Hate It Or Love It,” “Westside Story” and This Is How We Do” allowed The Game to see the same degree of fame as his Queens boss, but left many critics to wonder if this feat was capable with no guest appearances. The album’s production was a Hip-Hop producers’ Hall of Fame, with the likes of Kanye West. Scott Storch, Just Blaze, Timbaland, and of course Dr. Dre behind the boards. These key elements make The Documentary The Game’s most notable and successful album to date.

Salute to Dre, 50, Em, The Game, the entire G-Unit and everyone involved in one of the most pivotal Hip-Hop projects of the new millennium.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: The Game Dropped His Debut LP ‘The Documentary’ 18 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

50 Cent Says He Wishes Tony Yayo Blew Up Instead Of Him

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50 Cent says that he wishes Tony Yayo‘s career had taken off instead of his own. 50 discussed how his career took off during a recent interview with Big Boy’s Neighborhood.

The legendary New York rapper says that after the release of his 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, he wanted to bring all of G-Unit with him to the top.

“My solo album took off so big that I just brought them with me,” 50 said. “So it was clear that it was me creating opportunity for everybody else in the crew, but we was all together. I wish it would have been Yayo, because then I coulda did all of the business. If he woulda did what 50 Cent did, then I would have been running the whole thing.”

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JUNE 11: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) 50 Cent performs on day 1 of Parklife Festival at Heaton Park on June 11, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Burak Cingi/Redferns)

He continued: “It would still be two of us. He’d still be 50 Cent as the artist and I’d be the largest asset to us.”

Despite dropping many mixtapes and appearing on collaborative projects, Yayo has only released one studio album. Thoughts of a Predicate Felon debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 back in 2005.

Yayo recently discussed 50’s impact on his career during an interview with the Only Way Out Podcast. He admitted that 50 helped him “survive a lot of shit.”

Elsewhere in his discussion on Big Boy’s Neighborhood, 50 revealed that he’s working on an 8 Mile TV series with Eminem.

“It’s gonna be big. I’m working. I ain’t got no duds,” he said. “I’m batting 100 … I think it should be there for [Eminem’s] legacy because it’s important to me that they understand it.”

Check out 50 Cent’s full comments on Big Boy’s Neighborhood below.

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Tony Yayo & Lloyd Banks Collide On “Rocket Chamber”

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G-Unit is locked and loaded in 2023 with Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks connecting for some new music.

This week, Tony Yayo unveiled his latest single, “Rocket Chamber” ft. Lloyd Banks. The two rappers deliver that gritty East Coast sound on their new collab. Banks kicks things off with his sly flow but even as he creeps through the beat, he firmly asserts himself as one of the most consistent lyricists in the game. Yayo, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily depend on quick-witted bars to get his point across. Instead, he continues to deliver blistering threats that ring out throughout the track. His energy makes up for what Banks lacks in that department but the balance between the two collaborators makes for an excellent start to 2023.

Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks during 2004 Vibe Awards - Show at Barker Hanger in Santa <a href=Monica, California, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage for Vibe Magazine)” class=”wp-image-617160″ srcset=”https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-112354656.jpg 3000w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-112354656.jpg?resize=300,213 300w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-112354656.jpg?resize=768,545 768w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-112354656.jpg?resize=1024,727 1024w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-112354656.jpg?resize=1536,1090 1536w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-112354656.jpg?resize=2048,1453 2048w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-112354656.jpg?resize=1500,1065 1500w” sizes=”(max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px” />
Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks during 2004 Vibe Awards – Show at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage for Vibe Magazine)

Yayo and Banks have certainly been putting in work in recent years. Lloyd Banks emerged in 2022 with the release of Course Of The Inevitable II, his follow-up to 2021’s COTI. Additionally, he’s delivered several stand-out verses.

As for Yayo, he is currently working on his upcoming The Loyal Mixtape. Though the project doesn’t have a date, “Rocket Chamber” appears to be the launch of the campaign.

It seems like we might be hearing a lot from G-Unit this year. 50 Cent recently announced that he was going to be delivering new music after earning over a billion views on YouTube last year, even though he didn’t release any music.

Could there be a G-Unit reunion in the works for 2023? We’ll have to see. In the meantime, check out Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks’s new collab.

Quotable Lyrics
Insane in my blunt from Dr. Greenthumb
Got the K in the trunk, watch the drummer boy drum
Momma not home, whip it up in the kitchen
Tend to get high, bag it up in the basement

Uncle Murda Reveals Names On “Rap Up 2022”

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We’re approaching January 31st. We survived another year filled with plenty of salacious headlines and jaw-dropping controversies. However, it’s difficult to keep up with each scandal that breaks out. That’s why Uncle Murda’s annual “Rap Up” is something we look forward to each year. He helps refresh our minds about all the f*ckery that occurred in the past 365 days.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 07: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Uncle Murda visits SiriusXM Studios on January 07, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Uncle Murda shared a video where he rattled off a list of names included in his upcoming offering. Ye’s antics landed him high on Murda’s list, from losing his billionaire status to his beef with Pete Davidson. Tory Lanez’s conviction, as well as his father’s outburst in court, Future, Michael B Jordan, and Marcus Jordan also have segments dedicated to their 2022 antics.

After the clip, he shared a list of honorable mentions of 2022. Murda includes Drake, Diddy, Meek Mill, Charleston White, and other notable figures in his upcoming release. Murda will undoubtedly stir up controversy and face some heat for whatever he has in store for his upcoming release.

Will Smith’s Oscars moment and the YSL RICO case were also high on Murda’s list. Additionally, Uncle Murda pays homage to some of the rappers who passed away this year like PNB Rock and Takeoff.

Though Uncle Murda doesn’t release a ton of music, the annual “Rap Up” is something that we look forward to each year. Murda perfectly summarizes each and every headline that captured our attention while also facing a bit of backlash for his commentary surrounding said situations.

It seems like we could all expect to hear from Uncle Murda in the next few days. Keep your eyes peeled for “Rap Up 2022” and let us know who else should be mentioned on Uncle Murda’s next release.

Peep the video announcement of “Rap Up 2022” below and the full list of Honorable Mentions.

Tony Yayo Says 50 Cent Has Done More For Uncle Murda Than Jay-Z

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Tony Yayo argued that 50 Cent has done more to help Uncle Murda’s career than Jay-Z. Yayo explained his position while speaking with Murda on Thisis50. Murda signed with Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella in 2007 but later moved over to G-Unit with 50 Cent in 2016.

“That’s why I respect him because we have more of an assist,” Yayo said. “We have 50 Cent so I knew I was okay. He sold 11 million records I’m gonna get a percentage of his fans. I’m good. [Uncle Murda] had to kind of more do it on his own. He had deals with Jay-Z and them but Jay-Z ain’t gonna never… I always tell them all the time Jay-Z ain’t treating you like this n***a.”

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 30: Tony Yayo attends the XXL Freshmen Live 2015 concert at Best Buy on June 30, 2015, in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

From there, Murda reflected on Jay-Z giving him his first six-figure check and thanked him for the support. He also joked about Yayo being quick to call out Jay-Z by recalling his response to a party they recently attended. Several high-profile celebrities, including the Kardashians and Serena Williams, were in attendance.

“We just finished performing, great time, right,” Murda said. “First thing my man wanna say, ‘Yeah shit lit, Jay-Z will never take you to a party like this.”

Yayo then continued: “I’m just telling you how we get treated. I’m quite sure Hov and a lot of artists they treat some of their artists maybe good, maybe not. I’m just telling you how we get treated. I don’t know [if] Jay-Z ever had him in the Armani Hotel.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the two discuss Tory Lanez’s recent trial regarding the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, “Rap-Up 2022,” and more.

Check out Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda’s conversation on Thisis50 below.

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50 Cent Explained Why He Turned Down A $1.3 Million Offer From University Music Group

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50 Cent
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50 Cent recently revealed that he’d spent over $23 million in legal fees. But he doesn’t seem very worried about money anyway. In a recent interview, the “In Da Club” rapper said he turned down a $1.3 million offer from Universal Music Group due to their connection to Irv Gotti.

“Irv [Gotti] was talking in the interview, and he was talking about he was blocking me,” 50 Cent said, referring to when the Murder Inc. executive confessed he kept labels from signing 50 in 2020.

“Like he was blocking everything. He said, ‘I blocked him into a good situation.’ And it just went off. And, I saw the situations I didn’t feel where he felt he was blocking me at that point. But I wouldn’t do business with anyone who had direct associations or any influence to the things that they had that was working.”

He added, “So they offered me a million three to do a G-Unit and my solo album at Universal, and I just turned the deal down. [Tony] Yayo didn’t understand. He was like, ‘What? A million three you not gone do it, what? That’s like saying we hit the lottery, and you not going to pick up the ticket.’ And I’m like, ‘Nah, it’s not the right deal,’ because it’s in the Universal system. Def Jam and those guys was already making money from that system. Where they could influence and sabotage everything that I had going.”

Watch him explain in the clip below.

50 Cent’s G-Unit Sneakers Nearly Sold As Many Pairs As Air Jordans, Recalls Reebok’s CEO

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50 Cent WE TV's "Hip Hop Homicides" New York Premiere 2022
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Today’s generation may not be as familiar with 50 Cent’s music catalog as previous ones, but they certainly know his business dealings. The Queens native has become a dominating force in film and television, but his first successful business venture was in fashion, thanks to his company G-Unit Clothing.

During the height of his musical career, the “I Get Money” rapper inked a multimillion-dollar sneaker deal with Reebok. The G-Unit sneaker became a cultural wave in the early 2000s as the rapper and then-artists Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, and Young Buck sported the footwear in their music videos.

In a new interview with Complex, Reebook’s CEO Todd Krinsky revealed that at one point in the partnership, a pair of G-Unit sneakers nearly outpaced a pair of Air Jordans in a similar colorway.

Krinsky shared, “We were selling like, you know, 40-50,000 per color at a time. I remember that back-to-school, we sold on one color, like 75,000 pairs. I’m not saying, by the way, that G-Unit was ever close to Jordan in any way. I’m saying that one moment in time, that one colorway, I think we sold in almost as many pairs as the Jordan launch for that period.” He added, “[50 Cent] was always saying how many Jordans sell this week. I’m telling you, he was literally asking that every week or every time we had a meeting.”

The executive also spoke about how involved the rapper was in the partnership: “50 was also incredibly immersed in the business. Like he came to every meeting on time, ready to go, and his first question every meeting was, ‘How many pairs we sell this week?’”

In 2014, during an interview with radio personality Ebro Darden, 50 Cent briefly spoke about how important it was for him to be seen in the shoes, which resulted in higher sales. Still, some of them didn’t take the deal as seriously as he did.

The rapper said, “[Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, and Young Buck] had Reebok deals but forgot to wear the shoes, so I stopped paying them,” he continued, “Jay Z used athletes to promote his S. Carter’s. I used my artists to help bring them additional money because they weren’t demanding enough interest to have the [shoe] deal on their own.”

He eventually cut ties with Reebok for a deal with Marc Echo before parting ways with the company in 2008. G Unit clothing is now sold exclusively online.

Watch the full episode of The Complex Sneakers Podcast here.

50 Cent & G-Unit’s Reebok Collab Almost Outsold Jordan’s, Claims Reebok CEO

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50 Cent and G-Unit were running the game back in the early 2000s. They were driving culture forward, and it had numerous brands wanting to work for them. Eventually, Fif signed a massive deal with Reebok which made him one of the faces of the brand.

Additionally, he got his very own G-Unit sneaker with the brand. These were huge back in the day, and every single G-Unit member was wearing them. This had numerous people buying into the hype, and it was impossible to escape these kicks.

Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

50 Cent & Reebok Vs. Jordan Brand

During the early 2000s, Reebok wanted to defeat Jordan Brand in the marketplace. This was always going to be next to impossible, however, they tried. In an interview, with Complex, Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky revealed just how close the brand came to toppling Jordan’s empire.

“We were selling like, you know, 40-50,000 per color at a time. I remember that back-to-school, we sold on one color, like 75,000 pairs,” Krinsky said. “I’m not saying, by the way, that G-Unit was ever close to Jordan in any way. I’m saying that one moment in time, that one colorway, I think we sold in almost as many pairs as the Jordan launch for that period.” He added, “[50 Cent] was always saying how many Jordans sell this week. I’m telling you, he was literally asking that every week or every time we had a meeting.”

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson attends WE TV’s “Hip Hop Homicides” New York Premiere at Crosby Street Hotel on November 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Even though they weren’t able to surpass Jordan Brand, it was a valiant effort. The G-Unit shoes will forever be remembered for their impact on culture, and you can never take that away from Reebok.

Let us know what you thought of the G-Unit shoes, in the comments below. Also, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the sneaker world.

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