Beg for Mercy

Not to be confused with another song or album of the same name by Adam Lambert.

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'.

Beg for Mercy
Studio album by G-Unit
Released	November 14, 2003[1][2]
Recorded	2003
Genre	Gangsta rap
Length	68:37
Label	G-Unit Interscope
Producer	50 Cent 7th EMP Big-Toni Black Jeruz Denaun Porter DJ Khalil DJ Twins Dr. Dre Eminem Fusion Unltd Hi-Tek Jake One Luis Resto Megahertz Midi Mafia Needlz No I.D. Nottz Red Spyda Sam Sneed Scott Storch Sha Money XL Thayod Ausar
G-Unit chronology
God's Plan (2002) Beg for Mercy (2003) T·O·S (Terminate on Sight) (2008)
Singles from Beg for Mercy
"Stunt 101" Released: September 23, 2003 "Poppin' Them Thangs" Released: November 4, 2003 "Wanna Get to Know You" Released: January 13, 2004 "Smile" Released: April 8, 2004

Professional ratings

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

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.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"G-Unit"	Curtis Jackson III Christopher Lloyd David Brown	Hi-Tek	3:29
2.	"Poppin' Them Thangs"	Jackson Lloyd Brown	Dr. Dre Scott Storch	4:00
3.	"My Buddy"	Jackson Lloyd Brown	Thayod Ausar Eminem Luis Resto	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)	Jackson Lloyd Brown Joseph Thomas	Red Spyda	4:25
7.	"Groupie Love" (featuring Butch Cassidy)	Jackson Lloyd Marvin Bernard Danny Means II	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-Tek	3:55
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 EMP	3:00
14.	"Beg for Mercy"	Jackson Lloyd Brown	Sha Money XL Big-Toni	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	Needlz	4:12
18.	"I Smell Pussy"	Jackson Lloyd Bernard	Sam Sneed	3:58
Total length:				1:10:14

Bonus Track ^[10]

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
19.	"Collapse (G-Unit Freestyle)"	Eminem	1:39
Total length:			1:11:53

Samples (Liner notes)

• "G-Unit" contains samples of "Million Dollars" by Triumvirat
• "My Buddy" contains samples of "Agony or Ecstasy?" by Ennio Morricone, and audio excerpts from the film Scarface.
• "Wanna Get to Know You" contains samples of "Come Live with Me Angel" by Marvin Gaye.
• "Groupie Love" contains samples of "Simply Beautiful" by Al Green.
• "Betta Ask Somebody" contains samples of "Blue Leopard" by Pierre-Alain Dahan.
• "Footprints" contains samples of "Walk with Me" by Martha Bass.
• "Eye for Eye" contains samples of "Hello Love" by Eden Raskin.
• "Smile" contains samples of "I Too Am Wanting" by Syreeta
• "Salute U" contains samples of "Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major (Allego Moderato)" by Johann Sebastian Bach
• "Beg for Mercy" contains samples of "Back Down" by 50 Cent
• "Lay You Down" contains samples of "Doctor Marvello" by Klaatu
• "I Smell Pussy" contains samples of "The Greatest Sex" by R. Kelly
• “ Collapse (G-Unit Freestyle)” contains samples of "Till I Collapse” by Eminem

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2003–04) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] 30 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] 31 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[13] 5 Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[14] 1 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15] 38 French Albums (SNEP)[16] 39 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17] 57 Irish Albums (IRMA)[18] 10 Italian Albums (FIMI)[19] 68 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] 26 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[21] 28 Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] 14 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 58 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 28 UK Albums (OCC)[25] 13 US Billboard 200[26] 2 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[27] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2003) Position UK Albums (OCC)[28] 122 US Billboard 200[29] 185 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[30] 71 Worldwide Albums (IFPI)[31] 36 Chart (2004) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32] 97 UK Albums (OCC)[33] 199 US Billboard 200[34] 20 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[35] 8

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[36]	2× Platinum	200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[37]	Platinum	300,000*
United States (RIAA)[2]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "G-Unit Album Preview: 50 and the Crew Stick to the Streets". MTV. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022.
2. "American album certifications – G-Unit – Beg for Mercy". Recording Industry Association of America.
3. "Rap News Network - G-Unit Biography". Rapnews.net. Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
4. Jay-Z's back in 'Black' as album bows at No. 1. ('The Black Album' debuts at top of charts), 2003-11-20
5. Wiederhorn, Jon (2003-11-26). "Britney Moans Her Way To The Top Of The Albums Chart News". MTV. Archived from the original on June 5, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
6. Wiederhorn, Jon (2003-12-03). "Jay-Z's Farewell Album Hasn't Said Goodbye To The #1 Slot News". MTV. Archived from the original on December 5, 2003. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
7. Crosley, Hillary (April 24, 2008). G-Unit, The Game Push Back New Albums. Billboard. Accessed May 10, 2008.
8. Jeffery-Coker, Mesai. Featured Interview: Tony Yayo. Rap Fanatic magazine. Accessed August 31, 2007.
9. RIAA Searchable Database - "G-Unit". RIAA. Accessed May 10, 2008.
10. "Collapse (G-Unit Freestyle) by G-Unit on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
11. "Australiancharts.com – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
12. "Ultratop.be – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
13. "G Unit Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
14. "R&B : Top 50". Jam!. December 18, 2003. Archived from the original on December 23, 2003. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
16. "Lescharts.com – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
17. "Offiziellecharts.de – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
18. "Irish-charts.com – Discography G-Unit". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
19. "Italiancharts.com – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
20. "Charts.nz – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
21. "Norwegiancharts.com – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
22. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
23. "Swedishcharts.com – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
24. "Swisscharts.com – G-Unit – Beg For Mercy". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
26. "G Unit Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
27. "G Unit Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
28. "UK Year-End Chart 2003" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
29. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
30. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
31. "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2003" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
32. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2004". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
33. "UK Year-End Chart 2004" (PDF). Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
34. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
35. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
36. "Canadian album certifications – G-Unit – Beg for Mercy". Music Canada.
37. "British album certifications – G-Unit – Beg for Mercy". British Phonographic Industry.