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Practically every East Coast hardcore rapper has a posse to back him, and 50 Cent is no different, with G-Unit as
his particular crew. The Unit began as a trio comprised of 50, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo (often with the accompaniment of either DJ Whookid or Cutmaster C as their DJ), and this particular lineup resulted in a series of popular mixtapes: 50 Cent Is the Future, God's Plan, No Mercy, No Fear, and Automatic Gunfire. Before the group had a chance to record its debut album for Interscope in the wake of 50's breakthrough with Get Rich or Die Tryin', Yayo was sentenced to prison for a gun-possession charge. His replacement, Young Buck, stepped up soon afterward, and the group continued its activity, working on yet more mixtape recordings and scoring some big-time success on the "G-Unit Remix" to 50's "P.I.M.P.," which also featured Snoop Dogg and got heavy rotation on MTV. Meanwhile, G-Unit recorded their debut album, Beg for Mercy, over the course of 2003, and Interscope finally rush-released the album on November 14 (to combat bootlegging), preceding it with a lead single, "Stunt 101." Several other singles followed, including "Poppin' Them Thangs" and "Wanna Get to Know You." ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
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