Beast Is G Unit- G-Unit
7.5/10 *VERY FUN LISTEN*
I feel entitled to do this. My love for "The Unit" shows no bounds. It all started Sophomore Year, when my friends and I would joke about 50 Cent's street cred, but little did I know I was about to discover one of my favorite people in the world. 50 Cent is not just a rapper, he is a lifestyle. He is the vision of the true underdog story. He went from struggling in the streets to being a titan of the rap game, and a very well to do business man. Every part of me wants to be as cool and experienced as 50 Cent, but I sadly will never reach this level. 50 also is just a really open person. He tries to dip his feet in just about every aspect of the business and entertainment fields, which I thoroughly respect. It's not just 50 who gives G-Unit a spark. Perhaps at this point of their career, the rest of unit are truly the stars. 50 Cent has obviously already reached mainstream success and he is still relevant today, but the other members of the group still have a lot to work for. Kidd Kidd is a newcomer who is hungry to make an impact in the group. Young Buck has returned to the group after feuds with ringleader 50 Cent, and now is ready to lift off. Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, the original members (as well as 50), are just trying to stay relevant, and not lose some of the hype they have built over the course of their career's. The whole unit has the spirit of underdogs, but they are vicious and they will not give up. You better watch how you speak about them, or they will make you look ridiculous.
The first thing that jumps out about this EP immediately is that the group has matured. G-Unit used to not have varied song topics, and they still really don't, but now they have added some new themes into their songs. Themes that particularly appear a lot are redemption and growing older. The lyrics still are not great, but the overall attitude of EP is frighteningly tough and that is just the way it's supposed to be. The EP opens with Ballin' which is essentially a trap-rap anthem with a piano motif thrown in there. The song's hook includes 50 Cent singing with auto-tune vocals. That was a pretty bad choice actually. 50 can't really sing, but when you are listening to G-Unit, vocal quality is really the last thing you care about (watch videos of their live show). While that may have been a bad choice, the rest of the unit lays it down on this track. Particularly great verses from Young Buck and Tony Yayo. Buck is seriously sounding so hungry for success which is great to hear. The next track I'm Grown showcases 50 Cent's rap skills much more. He has a brief verse, but his flow is pretty on point during this verse. I think when 50 really wants to be great, he will be. Yet again, solid rapping by the unit, especially Kidd Kidd who makes a name for himself here. While I do really enjoy this one I will say the hook is not the best. Regardless it is a pretty great tune. Bring My Bottles is a straight up club song that people will love. Young Buck yet again brings his A game on this one, and while overly generic this song is killer. Doper Than My Last One is a showcase for Lloyd Banks. The dude can straight up spit. Great flows throughout the song, cool hook, and some great introspective lyrics as well. The next song Boy Boy honestly doesn't grab me at all. Rapping was kind of bland, and this is really disappointing considering the spark G-Unit usually provides. I will say this beat was perfect. It was reminiscent of that gangsta-grimey 50 we all know and love from the earlier albums. The last track Choose One is my favorite on the whole album. Young Buck and Lloyd Banks are back in full form on this one and it closes the EP very well. The hook is tough, rough, and flat out brutal. The lyrics were focused and this song was not dragged on like a couple others on this EP.
Overall, this EP was pretty solid. There are some fantastic moments on here, and the more unknown members of the group should garner some attention for this (especially Lloyd Banks). While I could have used more 50 Cent, G-Unit does not disappoint me. I know this music can be simple and even dumbed-down, but for me, it hits the spot just perfectly.
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