G-Unit Records

G-Unit Records is an American record label, specializing in both hip hop and gangsta rap. The label was founded in 2003 by rapper 50 Cent. Upon its inception, the label operated as a subsidiary of, and was distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. In August 2010, the label added another distribution with EMI. In February 2014, G-Unit Records severed its eleven-year relationship with Interscope Records, and the label now operates under the mantle of Capitol Music Group and Caroline Records. G-Unit Records has a subsidiary label, G-Note Records, that caters to other genres of music, including R&B and pop. The label's acts over the years have earned RIAA certifications of "Platinum" or higher on seven of its sixteen released albums.

History

2003–2005

Following the success of 50 Cent's debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', he was granted his own record label, G-Unit Records.G-Unit, then consisting of Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Young Buck, was signed to the label as a group, each respective member also being signed as a solo artist. Before G-Unit's signing with Interscope Records, Bang Em Smurf was very closely affiliated with the group. He claimed that the two recorded a mixtape from which they would earn $5 each; they sold 400,000 copies and 50 Cent allegedly never gave Bang Em' Smurf his share. Bang 'Em Smurf was never actually signed to G-Unit as an artist, but rather as an executive, or "under-boss," as he put it.

G-Unit

G Unit (short for Guerilla Unit) is an American hip hop group originating from South Jamaica, Queens, New York, formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. The group released their debut album Beg for Mercy, in 2003 went on to sell over 2,000,000 copies in the US and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album, which followed the success of 50 Cent's major-label debut Get Rich or Die Tryin', served as a platform for Banks, Buck and Yayo to release their respective solo debut albums, The Hunger for More (2004), Straight Outta Cashville (2004), Thoughts of a Predicate Felon (2005) and The Documentary (2005). In 2008, the group released their second album T·O·S (Terminate on Sight).

During Tony Yayo's imprisonment, the group recruited Tennessee-based rapper Young Buck, who was featured throughout the Beg for Mercy album. In late 2004, California-based rapper The Game was also added to the group, a proposition made by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, to promote the Aftermath/Interscope newcomer. However, due to The Game's "disloyalty" in the eyes of 50 Cent, he was soon removed from the group. In April 2008, 50 Cent revealed Young Buck was no longer a part of the group due to his "excessive spending" and "inconsistent behavior". In early 2014, after Yayo and 50 Cent separately stated G Unit was no more, the original members of the group reconciled and reunited at Summer Jam 2014, along with Young Buck after his six-year departure from the group. G Unit Records rapper Kidd Kidd, was also added to the group upon its reformation.

50 Cent

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, record, film, and television producer. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of the borough of Queens, Jackson began selling drugs at age twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic. Although he left drug-dealing to pursue a musical career, he was struck by nine bullets in a 2000 shooting. After Jackson released the compilation album Guess Who's Back? in 2002, he was discovered by Eminem and signed by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.

With the aid of Eminem and Dr. Dre (who produced his first major-label album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'), Jackson became one of the world's best selling rappers and rose to prominence with East Coast hip hop group G-Unit (which he leads de facto). In 2003 he founded G-Unit Records, signing his G-Unit associates Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Jackson had similar commercial and critical success with his second album, The Massacre, which was released in 2005. He released his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition, in 2014 and is working on his sixth studio album: Street King Immortal, scheduled for release in 2016.

Rick Ross

William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper and entrepreneur.

In 2009, Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he released his studio albums Deeper Than Rap (2009), Teflon Don (2010), God Forgives, I Don't (2012), Mastermind, Hood Billionaire (2014) and Black Market (2015). Ross was also the first artist signed to Diddy's management company Ciroc Entertainment. In early 2012, MTV named Ross as the Hottest MC in the Game.

Life and career

1976–2006: Early life and career beginnings

William Leonard Roberts II was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and raised in Carol City, Florida. After graduating from Miami Carol City Senior High School, he attended the historically black college Albany State University on a football scholarship. Roberts worked as a correctional officer for 18 months from December 1995, until his resignation in June 1997.

In his early years at Suave House Records, Roberts initially made his debut under the pseudonym Teflon Da Don. He made his recording debut on the song "Ain't Shhh to Discuss" on Erick Sermon's lone album for DreamWorks, Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis. In the mid-2000s, he changed his name to Rick Ross. He derived his stage name from the former drug kingpin "Freeway" Rick Ross, to whom he has no connection.