Beg for Mercy | ||||||||||
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Studio album by G Unit | ||||||||||
Released | November 14, 2003 | |||||||||
Recorded | 2003 | |||||||||
Genre | Hardcore hip hop, gangsta rap | |||||||||
Length | 68:37 | |||||||||
Label | ||||||||||
Producer | 50 Cent (executive), Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, Hi-Tek, Sha Money XL (also executive), No I.D., Thayod Ausar, Eminem, Luis Resto, DJ Twins, Denaun Porter, Red Spyda, Dirty Swift, Bruce Waynne, Fusion Unltd, Jake One, Nottz, Megahertz, 7th EMP, Big-Toni, DJ Khalil, Needlz, Sam Sneed, Black Jeruz | |||||||||
G Unit chronology | ||||||||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 62/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | link |
Entertainment Weekly | (B) link |
Robert Christgau | link |
RapReviews.com | (7.5/10) link |
Blender | link |
E! | B link |
PopMatters | (favorable) link |
Rolling Stone | link |
Beg for Mercy is the debut album by hip hop group G-Unit, at the time composed of rappers 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, with support from Tony Yayo. The album was released in November 2003, 9 months after 50 Cent's successful debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
"I've been promoting G Unit since before I even had a record deal," says 50. "All the music I put on the mixtape circuit was 50 Cent and G Unit."
As the album was recorded, Tony Yayo was sentenced to jail on charges of gun possession, and so he makes only two appearances on the entire record, on the tracks "Groupie Love", and "I Smell Pussy". His image is seen on the brick wall of the album cover as he could not be photographed due to the jail sentence.
At the time of the album's release, rapper The Game was just placed in G-Unit, therefore he is not photographed, nor does he make an appearance on the album. He does however make cameos in the videos for singles Stunt 101, Wanna Get To Know You & Poppin' Them Thangs. He is also mentioned in Poppin' Them Thangs when Young Buck raps, "You ain't no Crip like Snoop, / You ain't no Blood like Game."
In its first week of sales, Beg for Mercy sold 377,000 copies. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, behind 2Pac's Tupac: Resurrection, & Jay-Z's The Black Album. Its bow was moved up from November 18 to thwart piracy, as was Beg for Mercy.Beg for Mercy then sold 327,000 copies in its second week to peak at #2 on the Billboard 200, while moving another 193,000 units in its third week. By April 2008, it had sold over 2.7 million units in the U.S., 5.5 million copies worldwide, and had been certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA.