Beg for Mercy

Last updated
Beg for Mercy
Beg for mercy.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 14, 2003 [1] [2]
Recorded2003
Genre Gangsta rap
Length68:37
Label
Producer
G-Unit chronology
God's Plan
(2002)
Beg for Mercy
(2003)
T·O·S (Terminate on Sight)
(2008)
Singles from Beg for Mercy
  1. "Stunt 101"
    Released: September 23, 2003
  2. "Poppin' Them Thangs"
    Released: November 4, 2003
  3. "Wanna Get to Know You"
    Released: January 13, 2004
  4. "Smile"
    Released: April 8, 2004
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 62/100
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link
Entertainment Weekly (B) link
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-dud.svg link
RapReviews.com(7.5/10) link
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link
E! B link
PopMatters (favorable) link
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link

Beg for Mercy is the debut studio album by G-Unit. The album was released on November 14, 2003, nine months after 50 Cent's successful debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' .

Contents

For this release, G-Unit was composed of rappers 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, with support from Tony Yayo, who was an original member of the group but due to his imprisonment in 2002 only appears on two songs. The Game was inducted into the group after recording sessions were finished.

Background

"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." [3]

As the album was recorded, Tony Yayo was sentenced to jail on charges of gun possession and bail jumping, and so he makes only two appearances on the entire record, on the tracks "Groupie Love", and "I Smell Pussy". His image, which is from a photo taken from the photo shoot for Get Rich or Die Tryin' , 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 "Wanna Get To Know You" & "Poppin' Them Thangs". He is also mentioned in the lyrics of "Poppin' Them Thangs" when Young Buck raps, "You ain't no Crip like Snoop, / You ain't no Blood like Game."

Commercial performance

In its first week of sales, Beg for Mercy sold 377,000 copies. It debuted at No. 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. [4] Beg for Mercy then sold 330,000 copies in its 2nd week to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, [5] while moving another 195,000 units in its 3rd week. [6] By April 2008, it had sold over 2.7 million units in the U.S. [7] [8] and has since been certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA. [9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."G-Unit" Hi-Tek 3:29
2."Poppin' Them Thangs"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
4:00
3."My Buddy"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
3:44
4."I'm So Hood"Jackson
  • DJ Twins
  • Eminem
  • Luis Resto
2:25
5."Stunt 101"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
Mr. Porter 3:52
6."Wanna Get to Know You" (featuring Joe)
Red Spyda 4:25
7."Groupie Love" (featuring Butch Cassidy) Midi Mafia 4:14
8."Betta Ask Somebody"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
Jake One 3:53
9."Footprints"
  • Jackson
  • Brown
Nottz 4:21
10."Eye for Eye"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
Hi-Tek3:55
11."Smile"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
No I.D. 3:38
12."Baby U Got"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
Megahertz 4:03
13."Salute U"
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
7th EMP3:00
14."Beg for Mercy"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
2:38
15."G'd Up"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
  • Dr. Dre
  • Scott Storch
4:47
16."Lay You Down"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
DJ Khalil 4:03
17."Gangsta Shit"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Brown
Needlz4:12
18."I Smell Pussy"
  • Jackson
  • Lloyd
  • Bernard
Sam Sneed 3:58
Total length:1:10:14
Digital Bonus Track [10]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
19."Collapse (G-Unit Freestyle)"Eminem1:39
Total length:1:11:53
Samples (Liner notes)

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [36] 2× Platinum200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [37] Platinum300,000*
United States (RIAA) [2] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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